LAKE AND RIVER IN WINTER 297 



below, in front of the tail, also aid the fish in keeping its 

 direction and position, both acting like a keel-board on a 

 boat. Does a boat in any way resemble the shape of a 

 fish? 



The body of our little fish is covered with scales which 

 overlap like shingles on a roof. Some fishes, as the bull- 

 heads and eels, have no scales, but all fishes are made slip- 

 pery by a thin coating of slime. The smooth covering of 

 fishes is also of great advantage to them for moving rapidly 

 in the tvater. Sailors have found that a vessel whose sub- 

 merged part is overgrown with seaweeds cannot make as 

 good time as one whose hulk is smooth and clean. 



The eyes of our sunfish are large and it does not take 

 them long to see the worm when they are hungry. Their 

 lips are organs of touch; the nasal openings do not go 

 through into the mouth. Although they have no visible ears, 

 they can perceive a shock caused by dropping something into 

 the water. The tongue of most fishes is small, and is more 

 an organ of touch than of taste, because all fishes swallow 

 their food whole. The sunfish has a great many small teeth, 

 but they only serve to seize and hold their prey. 



All fish lay their eggs, called roe, in the water, and but 

 very few of them pay any attention to the eggs* or to the 

 young. Indeed, the large ones generally eat all the eggs 

 and the young which they find and catch. Under those con- 

 ditions it is natural that -but few eggs hatch and that few 

 young fishes grow up therefore most fishes lay an enormous 

 number of eggs. 



The sunfish lives on insects, worms, small minnows, and 

 other small aquatic animals. When you catch a fish which 

 is too small to be cleaned and eaten, you must carefully take 

 it off the hook and put it back into the water. To let the 

 small fish die would be cruel, and would be foolish, too, be- 

 cause it destroys your own sport. 



