Miscellaneous. 39 



genuine diamond backs are bringing will pay for much 

 food and attention. Wealthy men are paying prices 

 for this reptile which almost equal the expenditure of 

 Lucullus for the tongues of nightingales when he mere- 

 ly wished to show his extravagance, for it may be ques- 

 tioned if the tongue of that bird exceeds any other in 

 delicacy ; or if the tongue of any bird is a real delicacy. 

 On these points few of us can speak authoritatively. 

 That terrapin culture can be made profitable I do not 

 doubt, as there is no prospect of the price ever drop- 

 ping from its present height. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



NUMBER OF EGGS IN DIFFERENT FISH. 



SUNFISH. Once I computed the eggs in a little sun- 

 fish. The extreme length of the fish, including the 

 caudal fin, was 6^ inches, and its weight was 5^ ounces. 

 The fish was captured on June 16, and was nearly 

 ready to spawn; the weight of the ovaries was i^ 

 ounces. The eggs measured twenty-eight to the inch, 

 making 21,952 to the cubic inch. The displacement 

 of the ovaries in water was a trifle over two cubic 

 inches, and the number was estimated in round num- 

 bers to be 44,000 a most enormous number for so 

 small a fish. 



THE EEL. Of eel eggs an editorial note in Forest 

 and Stream, Dec. 19, 1878, said : "Happening to be in 



