THE SENSES OF FISHES. 35 



who has not caught a trout with somebody else's fly 

 in its jaw ? 



Such fish, it is true, feel but little pain in the process 

 of capture, but I feel certain the matter is far different 

 with others possessing softer mouths and greater devel- 

 opment of nerve-perceptive power. Nevertheless, I lay 

 it down as a dictum borne out by examination why, I 

 do not know, of course that the greater the refinement 

 and power of sight, the less is that of feeling or percep- 

 tion of pain on being caught. The connection between the 

 two is not apparent. These are the facts, however. Of 

 course, I am now only referring to the jaws and head 

 generally. When I come to consider perception in the 

 other parts of a fish's body, the circumstances vary some- 

 what, and the sense of sight does not exhibit the same 

 bearing. 



I opine that in those fish which feed in deep places, and 

 collect their aliment chiefly from the soil, the act of cap- 

 ture by hook is painful. Most of these possess barbules, 

 and of all fresh water fish, the cat-fish and its relations 

 furnish the most striking examples. Next to these the 

 carp family provide ample illustrations. One English 

 fish the barbel to which I have before referred, gives 

 point to my meaning perfectly. The fish grows to some 

 six or seven pounds, though its average size does not ex- 

 ceed two and a half, and they congregate in large 

 shoals. Its feelers, or barbules, are four in number, and 

 in a fish of several pounds are quite half an inch in 

 length. On dissecting these, they are found to abound 

 in nerve filaments, somewhat like the trunk of an ele- 

 phant, and there is a very free movement. Doubtless 



