THE FOURTH DAY. 



CHAP. XIV. Observations of the BARBEL, and Directions how 

 to fish for him. 



PISCATOR. 



'"THE Barbel is so called, says Gesner, by reason of his barb 

 * or wattels at his mouth, which are under his nose or chaps. 

 He is one of those leather-mouthed fishes that I told you of, that 

 does very seldom break his hold if he be once hooked : but he 

 is so strong, that he will often break both rod and line, if he 

 proves to be a big one. 



But the Barbel, though he be of a fine shape, and looks big, 

 yet he is not accounted the best fish to eat, neither for his 

 wholesomeness nor his taste : but the male is reputed much better 

 than the female, whose spawn is very hurtful, as I will presently 

 declare to you. 



They flock together like sheep, and are at the worst in April, 

 about which time they spawn, but quickly grow to be in season. 

 He is able to live in the strongest swifts of the water, and in 

 summer they love the shallowest and sharpest streams ; and love 

 to lurk under weeds, and to feed on gravel against a rising 

 ground, and will root and dig in the sands with his nose like a 

 hog, and there nests himself: yet sometimes he retires to deep 

 and swift bridges, or flood-gates, or weirs, where he will nest 

 himself amongst piles, or in hollow places, and take such hold 

 of moss or weeds, that, be the water never so swift, it is not 

 able to force him from the place that he contends for. This is 

 his constant custom in summer, when he and most living creat- 

 ures sport themselves in the sun ; but at the approach of winter, 

 then he forsakes the swift streams and shallow waters, and by 

 degrees retires to those parts of the river that are quiet aid 



