NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Food Different sizes. 



the largest. The tail is forked, and between it 

 and the anus rises another fin, supported by se- 

 ven rays. 



The barbel lives upon snails, worms, and small 

 fish. Dr. Bloch says that he found a young 

 perch in the mouth of a large barbel. It is like- 

 wise fond of human flesh, for in 1683, after the 

 siege of Vienna, when the bodies of the Turks 

 and animals were thrown promiscuously into the 

 Danube, the barbels were seen to flock in great 

 numbers around the human carcases, and were 

 most of them taken. With such a variety of 

 food it is not surprising that the barbel's growth 

 should be very quick. In the Oder, barbels are 

 caught three feet in length, and weighing six or 

 eight pounds. Those in the Weser weigh from 

 twelve to fifteen; and Pennant says, that they 

 are sometimes found of the weight of eighteen 

 pounds. In the Weser, the. flax which is soaked 

 in the river makes them so fat, that they are not 

 at all inferior in flavour to salmon. As they fol- 

 low the flax, the fishermen take advantage of 

 this circumstance to catch great quantities of 

 them. In the river Aik, the barbel fishery is 

 one of the principal occupations of the Cossacks 

 during winter. The barbel is found in most of 

 the other Russian rivers and lakes, and, here it 

 is sometimes caught of thirty pounds weight. In 

 summer a barbel of that size costs but five or 

 eight copecs ; but in winter it will fetch from 

 thirty to forty. At Astracan and Terek, th? 



