QREA T BRITAIN. 239 



having been attacked by a gar-fish. It had run its under- 

 jaw completely through the peal, and it must have been 

 broken off either by the force of the blow or by the struggles 

 of each fish to free itself. The peal, which weighed nearly 

 4 lb., was struck behind and quite above the pectoral fin, 

 the jaw of the gar-fish thus passing through the thickest 

 part of the peal. Couch observed that it is an indiscrimi- 

 nate feeder, eating any animal substances it can seize. 

 Thompson mentions a 15-spined stickleback having been 

 found in the stomach of one captured August lOth, 1850. 

 Its digestion appears to be very rapid. 

 Means of capture. It will take a bait, but when hooked 

 lakes most vigorous efforts at escaping. On the coast of 

 megal nets are fixed on wooden frames, and allowed to 

 >at about ; those fish jumping over the sides become 

 iptured. They are frequently taken in herring nets, and 

 luring the last half of the year numbers are captured in 

 Cornwall in the pilchard drift-nets. 



Baits. Pieces of fish, mussels, &c. It never plays round 

 bait, but seizes it as if it were living. It strikes obliquely 

 ipwards, hence it happens that when it takes the hook, the 

 first notice of the capture is the fish starting into the air 

 with the line, and then beating itself about on the surface to 

 get rid of the hook, and in doing this it always emits a very 

 strong and peculiar odour (R. Couch, Zool. 1847, p. 1613). 



Breeding. Along the south coast of England this fish 

 breeds in May and June, but, according to Andrews, in 

 July in Dingle and Ventry Bays in Ireland. The ova, 

 owing to their peculiar appendages, are enabled to attach 

 themselves to any object in the vicinity. These eggs when 

 extruded must float in the sea with their long filaments 

 waving about until they meet with some object to which 

 they can attach themselves ; or they may serve to bind 



