STICKLEBACK, EEl. 



THE STICKLEBACK. 



The Three-spined Stickleback is seldom more than two 

 inches in length, and is very common in many of our 

 rivers. It has on its back three sharp spines, which serve 

 as instruments of offence and defence being always erected 

 on the appearance of danger, or when this sh attacks 

 another. The usual colour is an olive-green above, and 

 white below ; but, in some, the under parts are of a bright 

 crimson. These little shes are very destructive, as they 

 consume a great quantity of the fry of other sh. They 

 are very fierce, attacking and destroying fishes many times 

 their own size. 



THE COMMON EEL 



Is found in almost every part of the Old Continent ; not 

 only in rivers and stagnant waters, but sometimes in salt 

 marshes and lakes, and even, in the spring of the year, in 

 the Baltic and other seas. As a species, it is distinguished 

 by its long and prominent under-jaw ; and by its uniform 

 colours, which are olive brown on the back, and silvery on 

 the sides and beneath ; the ns have a slight tinge of 

 violet, and sometimes a margin of pale red. The Eel is 

 sometimes seen of a very dark colour, without the silvery 

 tinge, and sometimes yellowish or greenish ; those are 

 most beautiful which inhabit the clearest waters. The 

 head of the eel is small, and furnished with several rangea 

 of small sharp teeth ; on each side of either jaw, are found 

 several very small pores, whence oozes a clammy fluid, to 

 which, probably, is owing the slipperiness of skin for 

 which the Eel is notorious. The scales are very small, 

 and set so deeply into the skin, as scarcely to be visible in 

 the living animal ; they are, however, very conspicuous in 

 the dried skin ; their form is oval, their colour white, and 

 their texture of a fine net-work. The Eel is very tenacious 

 of life and may be kept a long time out of water, if placed 

 in a cool situation j it is even said to leave the water at 

 certain periods, to wander about meadows and moist places 

 in quest of snails, &c. It is said to be fond of new sown 

 peas, and to have been seen to root them up, and devour 



