WITH FISH AND FISHING. 219 



We stretched out our hands towards it, against 

 which it butted in the same manner ; we drove it 

 away, but it returned again. 



Quoyet Gaimard Zoologie du Voyage, p. 383. 



Creeping Fish. The B len nies have fins of two 

 thick rays, separated like the claws of a bird, for 

 the purpose of enabling them to creep with faci- 

 lity between the spotted stones and fuci, which 

 are of the same hue as themselves, and prey upon 

 floating insects. Miss Roberts. 



%* The hussar, another creeping fish, is no- 

 ticed elsewhere in this book* 



Bosc often amused himself with a creeping fish 

 found by thousands in the fresh waters of Ca- 

 rolina, called swampine, which has the faculty 

 of living out of water, and by a peculiar instinct, 

 if put down, would immediately proceed to water, 

 though it could not see it. It travels by leaps. 

 During their migrations these fish furnish food for 

 birds and reptiles. 



Another fish found by Daldorff, in Tranquebar, 

 not only creeps upon the shore, but climbs the 

 fan-palm, in pursuit of certain crustaceans, which 

 form its food. The structure of this fish particu- 

 larly suits it for the exercise of this remarkable 

 instinct : its body is lubricated with slime, which 

 facilitates its progress ; and its gillcovers are armed 

 with spines, which are used as hands, &c. &c. 



Rev. W. Kirby. 



