igO PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1746. 



face were more frequent, till at last it would remain there continually, till a fresh 

 quantity was given it. 



Thus he might probably have kept this fish for years ; but a multitude of busi- 

 ness one day prevented him from giving it clean water in due time; which un- 

 fortunately put a period to the life of his little companion. 



When first caught, this silver-coloured fish would not suffer him to come near 

 the glass which included it. without the utmost confusion and surprise; but at 

 last, by gentle usage, and a little art, it grew so tame, that when he came but in 

 sight, it would be sure to come to the same side of the glass, and there lie gazing 

 at him till he was weary of observing of it. 



In the same month of September 1744, Mr. A. likewise put a ruff, about 3 

 inches in length, into another glass, which held about 3 quarts. This fish at first 

 appeared mighty reserved, and would not eat any thing, nor suffer him to come 

 near it, for several days; but, in a very short time, all-powerfiil hunger assisted 

 him to make it so tame, as is hardly credible. Though the dace found, among 

 the minute animalcula, the little inhabitants of our river-water, enough to subsist 

 on, this ruff" found nothing by which it could satisfy the calls of nature ; so was 

 obliged to take what he provided for it, and in what particular manner he was 

 pleased to give it. 



After this method he brought it to be so tame, that it would not only eat small 

 worms thrown into the gldss for it, but would also take them out of his hands, or 

 off a quill, just as he thought proper to give it them: nay it would even rise out 

 above the water for its prey : which is quite contrary to the way this kind of fish 

 takes its food. And at last it would come to his hand whenever he put it into the 

 glass, and suffer him to handle it. But when he had made all the observations 

 he thought necessary, and in pity to its confinement, when he had kept it about 

 7 or 8 months, he gave it its liberty. 



Of all the kinds of fish he viewed the circulation of the blood in, none show it 

 in a finer manner than rufFs, whose fins are exceedingly transparent: besides, it 

 is a fish vastly tenacious of life, and will live 20 or 30 minutes out of water, with- 

 out receiving much damage. 



At a country town about 5 or 6 miles from Norwich, the poor people have a 

 very cheap and expeditious method of catching small fish, such as dace, roach, &c. 

 out of a little rivulet which runs close by. 



They procure a bough of white-thorn, which abounds with numbers of thorns ; 

 one of which they cut off. To this they tie a piece of thread. Then they take a 

 worm, and slip it on the thorn and thread together: the other end of the thread 

 they fasten to some small twig that hangs over the rivulet. Thus they do by 

 some hundreds at a time ; by which means they seldom fail of catching a great 

 many fishes : for no sooner does a fish take the worm into its mouth, and endea- 



