24 NATURAL HISTORY. 



wounds on those who imprudently take hold of them. 

 This fish is about nine inches in length, yellow above 

 and blue below. 



The Climber (anabas testudineus) is a span long ; 

 very slimy; green above, yellow below, with a great 

 number of small prickles on the posterior portion of the 

 bt anchire : it is found in the East Indies, living in ponds, 

 ditches, and swamps, where it feeds on insects. The 

 anabas can remain a long time out of water ; creeps to 

 the land, arid on the grass, and climbs trees by the aid 

 of its strong branchue and tail it is supposed in search 

 of the moisture collected by the leaves in the rainy sea- 

 son. It is esteemed a table dainty. 



The Sea Mullet (mugill cephalus) measures more 

 than a foot, and weighs about eight pounds ; is brownish- 

 gray above, with a prismatic luster of blue and gold ; 

 the sides are silver-hued, and is found in numbers in the 

 Mediterranean, where it lives on mud and worms. The 

 favorite resort of this species is at the mouths of rivers, 

 arid in the summer time are taken by hundreds : fre- 

 quently, however, resisting so strongly as to break the 

 net. They are salted and smoked ; the French make a 

 kind of caviare from the roe. The sea mullet is a rapid 

 swimmer, and can not be caught with a hook ? on account 

 of its small mouth. 



The Anchovies (aterina vcra) are small sea fish that 

 are found in shoals in the Mediterranean; about the 

 thickness of a finger ; four inches long : brown above, 

 silvery below, and are taken in great numbers along the 

 coast. They have a great many bones, like the sardines, 

 but are held in great repute as an article of food ; there 

 are several smaller species, quite as numerous, all resem- 

 bling each other. 



