HABITS OF BARBEL. 353 



caught and slain, a coroner's jury should judge the 

 cause of death on view of the body, they would pro- 

 nounce it to be inanition or the want of the common 

 necessaries of life. He is one of those ungrateful 

 creatures that always shame their nurses. His 

 great angling value is his obstinacy, which gives 

 him strength, notwithstanding the morbid appear- 

 ances of the muscles, and he will resist your efforts 

 to tow him out of the water with exciting energy. 

 His large fins give him great power in the water, 

 and he works heavily with them to get away 

 when hooked, making them tread and beat the 

 water like the paddles of a slow steamer. 



Barbel spawn about midsummer, and are soon 

 again as well as ever. July, August, and Sep- 

 tember are the best months to angle for them. 

 Their general haunts are the deep parts of rapid 

 rivers. They very seldom seek the shallow streams. 

 They are generally in company, and, wherever you 

 catch one, you may expect to catch two or more. 

 They lurk under the shelter of overhanging banks, 

 and, by their great power in stemming the stream, 

 they are able to place themselves in the best posi- 

 tions for seizing displaced insects or small fish ; 

 for, though they will not, it is supposed, seize on 

 live fish or other animals, they are considered 

 greedily carnivorous, dead carcasses of all sorts 

 being devoured^ by them. They delight in deeps, 

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