52 THE PBACTICAL FISHERMAN. 



affection of their mother. It requires careful and unremitting attention 

 to observe the process of spawning and incubation, but by keeping 

 oneself concealed it can be done as in the case of the stickleback. The 

 curious appearance of the female when full-roed has been noticed by 

 Walton. Mr. Pennell likens the appearance of the fish to that of a- 

 cow's udder, and the comparison is not inapt. The fresh water bullhead 

 never exceeds 7in. in length. 



Its habitat is chiefly running streams (rarely stagnant waters) in 

 England, Scotland, and countries from Italy to Sweden. Mr. Pennell says 

 it is rare in Ireland. When at home it lives almost entirely under stones 

 during the day time, only now and then coming out to bask in the sun or 

 snap up some larva too tempting to ignore. 



The food of this fish usually is curiously similar to that of the perch 

 and ruffe. It chiefly feeds on the "larvss of water insects, the ova of 

 other fish, and minute fry." lean furnish an addendum which greatly 

 enlarges one's views of the voracity of this little fish. The larvae of 

 water insects and the other baits given it certainly does devour, but 

 fancy the following catalogue of food being compiled from the results of 

 the stomach of one "Tommy Logge" of Sin. (1) A small Coitus gobio 

 of 2in. ; (2) a minnow of |in. ; (3) a flint pebble weighing 27grs. ; (4) 

 a caddis shell (or rather remains of one) ; (5) remains of Pulex gammarus 

 or freshwater shrimp ; (6) remains of one larva of May fly ; (7) shell of 

 trout egg; (8) scraps of things, probably remains of entomastraca and 

 other Crustacea, in all weighing 164grs. Lest some critic should disagree 

 with this list on account of the shell of trout egg being coeval with the 

 caddis, I may mention that the date of dissection was April 26, 

 1876. The conclusion from the examination of this fish's stomach 

 is that its appetite was at least as various as that of the perch. 

 Even more so, I imagine. I never yet heard of a perch swallow- 

 ing a stone, although trout have been frequently reported to have 

 done so. 



The diseases of the " Miller's Thumb " are hardly worth mentioning. 

 I never saw but one Coitus gobio dead from disease. That had a 

 malignant pustule on the back, and the red termination to its fins, 

 similar to that found on eels, dead from the so-called " scarlet fever," 

 to which they are liable. Its internal organisation did not reveal 

 specific derangement. Heart and stomach, pyorlus and aU, were 

 atrophied and of a pale colour. The gills were pale. The cause probably 

 was some local irritation, causing it to rub, as barbel do, against its 

 rocky domicile, and hence the Bore which killed it. The irritation 

 may, possibly, in the first place, have been originated by some 

 parasitic fungus, to which inconvenience I observe this fish and the- 



