CHAPTER XIV. OBSERVATIONS OF THE BARBEL, 

 AND DIRECTIONS HOW TO FISH FOR HIM 



PISCATOR, VENATOR, AND MILK-WOMAN 



PISCATOR. The Barbel is so called, says Gesner, by 

 reason of his barb or wattels at his mouth, which are 

 under his nose or chaps. He is one of those leather- 

 mouthed fishes that I told you of, that does very seldom break 

 his hold if he be once hooked : but he is so strong, that 

 he will often break both rod and line, if he proves to be a 

 big one. 



But the Barbel, though he be of a fine shape, and looks 

 big, yet he is not accounted the best fish to eat, neither for his 

 wholesomeness nor his taste: but the male is reputed much 

 better than the female, whose spawn is very hurtful, as I will 

 presently declare to you. 



They flock together like sheep, and are at the worst in 

 April, about which time they spawn, but quickly grow to be in 

 season. He is able to live in the strongest swifts of the water, 

 and in Summer they love the shallowest and sharpest streams ; 

 and love to lurk under weeds, and to feed on gravel against a 

 rising ground, and will root and dig in the sands with his nose 

 like a hog, and there nests himself: yet sometimes he retires 

 to deep and swift bridges, or flood-gates, or wears, where he 

 will nest himself amongst piles, or in hollow places, and take 

 such hold of moss or weeds, that be the water never so swift, 

 it is not able to force him from the place that he contends for. 

 This is his constant custom in Summer, when he and most 

 living creatures sport themselves in the sun, but at the approach 

 of Winter, then he forsakes the swift streams and shallow 

 waters, and by degrees retires to those parts of the river that 

 are quiet and deeper ; in which places, and I think about 



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