WITH FISH AND FISHING. 229 



a small hole in a leaden bullet, the line being- 

 put through it, he swallowed it, which running 

 down the line, by its weight loosened the hook 

 from its hold, which was then drawn up with 

 ease. Gent. Mag. 1738, p. 380. 



The Scales of Fish are beautiful objects for 

 the microscope ; those of the roach are inserted 

 half way into the skin, and are transparent. 

 Fishermen assert that they at one time sold the 

 scales of roach and dace at 185. the pint, and 

 bleak as high as 205. the pint ; the scales of the 

 eel are very small. Mirror, vol. xxv. 



Scales denoting the Age of Fish. Lewenhoeck 

 observes, that from carefully examining the scales 

 of fish through a high magnifier, you may easily 

 ascertain its age, from the first scale to the last, 

 which are never shed. 



t. What Mr. Stoddart, in his Scottish 

 Angler, says, on the subject of gut, deserves at- 

 tention. This article, now brought from Spain 

 and Italy, is fabricated from the male silk-worm, 

 in a state of decomposition, from the gluey sub- 

 stance which composes its entrails ; worm gut 

 varies in length, from nearly two feet, and down- 

 wards. Animal gut is found to be the best for 

 angling, (though there are similar materials formed 

 from the heron's leg, bird's, &c. &c.) It ought 

 to be small, round, and transparent, without any 



