THE LAMPKEY. 369 



it alive for days in the sea water ; indeed, its vitality under privation 

 seems only second to the eel. 



In spring time especially it is quite easy to determine the sex by 

 appearance. The male has much larger lips, and the female has a much 

 more protuberant stomach. The aggregations of fat and ova produce 

 the latter difference, as might be imagined. The average size of both 

 does not exceed fifteen inches. The colour is a pale blue on the back, 

 shading off into silvery white underneath. 



The lampern was probably known in very early times in England. 

 Hence, Dame Berners, after recommending a bait for trout, says : " In 

 Apryll, take the same baytes, and also Juneba, otherwyse named VII. 

 eyes." Whence the word Juneba I leave my philological readers to 

 determine. 



There is also in that curious old book to which I have before adverted 

 (Dialogus Creaturam Moralizatus, written by no-body-knows-whom, and 

 when, I cannot say), a quaint fable referring to " A Lampurn and a, 

 watyr-beaste callyd Crocodilus," which thus runs : 



"Murenula as sayth Brito is a fissh lyk to an ele. In Englyssh 

 callyd a Lampurn. Uppon a tyme this Lampurn fownde the children 

 of a water-beaste that is callyd Crokodylus, which is lyke unto 

 a lacerte. And wha she had beholde them, she kylled them, and 

 went forth her waye. This beaste Crocodilus whan he was come 

 agayne and sawe his children dide, he was bitterly grevid, and made 

 sorowe more than can be tolde of, and disposyd hym with? all his 

 myghte and power to avenge the dith of his children. Wherfore 

 he went dayly in haberiony and harneys and laye in a wayte for 

 to fle the Lampurn. And uppon a tyme he fownde a cruell serpent 

 and a venymous, and belevyd that he hadde a Lampurn, and went 

 agayne hym and sayde : Thowe cursyd wretche, nowe shalt not thowe 

 escape. For thowe slewyste my children cruelly withowte cause. 

 Therefore now I shall flee the and destroye the. To whom this serpent 

 answerde and sayde : Be thou ware and wile advysed by my connsell, 

 for I am no Lampurne, but a poysonde serpent, and yf thou presume to 

 come to me I shall soone infecte the with my venyme. Then sayde the 

 Crokodyll : Thow canste not disceyve me, nor hyde the from me, for 

 thou arte no serpent, but thou art a Lampurn, and thou art made as she 

 is in every pointe. And therfore I shall flee the. And whyle this 

 crocodyll in greate haste, and with greate modenesse ran to fle hym, 

 the serpent fortified himself and bote him and poysonde hym, and 

 sayde : 



With him yt is unknowyn to chyde or to fight, 

 No man owith that intendith to doo right." 



BB 



