122 THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



which it is quite able to devour, its mouth being very well 

 furnished with teeth. There is also a member of the perch 

 family called the Sea-Perch, which frequents the waters 

 around our southern coast, and is valued as an article of 

 food. 



The Mackerel (Fig. 80) is another example of the 

 spiny fishes ; it is, as you know, a most important fish, as 

 it is much eaten, and is caught in great numbers. It is 

 migratory that is, ' it moves about from one part to 

 another, and at certain seasons abounds on the coasts of 

 Europe and America. It is, however, supposed that it 

 is an inhabitant of the deeper waters around England 

 throughout the year, and that its appearance on our 

 coasts is owing to its seeking shore to deposit its spawn ; 

 this takes place in May and June, and these months are 

 therefore the best for mackerel fishing. 



Soft-firmed Pishes : 



The Salmon (Fig. 83) is the largest specimen ot this 

 group. In the spring it leaves the sea and ascends the 

 'rivers in great shoals, swimming with great rapidity, and 

 leaping over obstacles ten or twelve feet high. Salmon 

 , deposit their eggs in the gravel, and return to the sea. 

 The young ones, when they are about ten or twelve 

 inches long, proceed to the sea, as their parents did before 

 them. Salmon are caught when they ascend the rivers 

 to spawn, for after this is over they are meagre, and 

 unwholesome for food. 



The Carp (Fig. 84) is easily reared in quiet ponds ; it 

 lives long, and buries itself during the winter months in 

 the mud, abstaining entirely from food. 



The pretty little Sprat (Fig. 85), the Pilchard, the 

 Sardine, Anchovy, and the White-bait are all mem- 

 bers of the Herring family. Herrings are, perhaps, the 

 most important to mankind of all species of fish, and the 

 most abundant too ; this you will understand when you 



