12 BOTTOM FISHING IN THE NOTTCNGHAM STYLE. 



angler, ought to know at least their names : there are the 

 two pectoral, or breast fins ; the dorsal, or back fins (some 

 fish have one and some two back fins) ; the ventral, or belly 

 fins ; the anal fin, situated between the belly fins and the 

 tail ; and the caudal fin, that is the tail itself. These fins 

 give the fish their different movements in the water ; the 

 caudal fin gives them their chief means of getting along ; 

 the dorsal and anal fins effect their lateral movements ; the 

 pectoral fins promote their elevation and depression, while 

 their suspension in the water is caused by the ventral fins. 

 Perhaps I ought also to say that the air bladder, which is 

 capable of compression or expansion according to the will of 

 the fish, is their chief means of raising or depressing them- 

 selves without any apparent use of the fins at all. 



There are many questions connected- with the natural 

 history of fish, that would be very interesting to the observ- 

 ing working man angler ; I have often heard questions like 

 the following raised by some one in a party of anglers : Are 

 the fish very quick-sighted? Can they see objects at a great 

 distance ? Is their hearing very acute 1 Do they go to sleep 1 

 Can they feel pain when hooked ? &c., &c. On all these 

 questions interesting discussions might be raised, but it will 

 be sufficient for our purpose if we only just give them a 

 passing glance. First then as to their sight, some naturalists 

 say that the eye of a fish is very perfect, and of all the senses 

 they possess, that of sight is the most acute of them all, and 

 that a shadow, or a rod flash on the water is sufficient to 

 scare them ; while on the other hand, others aver that fish 

 are remarkably near-sighted, and cannot behold any object 

 distinctly, however large, unless within the range of a few 

 yards, so it will be seen that on this question there is a great 

 difference of opinion. I, personally, have a strong conviction 

 that fish must have a keen vision, for I know that chub will 

 take an artificial white moth, when night fishing, when it 



