NATURAL HISTORY. 415 



legitimate bait has been exhausted, it is a common practice 

 for the fisherman to place on his hook the eyes of the perch 

 already taken, which are as eagerly bitten at, as the worms 

 were formerly. An anecdote is related of a gentleman who 

 struck at a perch, but unfortunately missed it, the hook tearing 

 out the eye of the poor creature. He adjusted the eye on the 

 hook, and replaced the line in the water, where it had hardly 

 been a few minutes before the float was violently jerked under 

 the surface. The angler of course struck, and found he had 

 captured a fine perch. This when landed was discovered to be 

 the very fish which had just been mutilated, and which had 

 actually lost its life by devouring its own eye. It is quaintly 

 observed in Izaak Walton, that " if there be twenty or forty in 

 a hole, they may be at one standing all caught one after anoth- 

 er, they being like the wicked of the world, not afraid though 

 their fellows and companions perish in their sight." 



The Perch seldom exceeds two pounds and a half in weight, 

 and a Perch weighing a pound and a half is considered a very 

 fine fish. 



Family XIII. Scomberidse. (Gr. Zicopppof, a generic name for the 

 Tunny.) 



Scombrus (Latinized form of 2/co^/3pof), the MacTcarel. 



The elegant shape and resplendent colours of the MACKAREL 

 point it out as one of the most beautiful fishes known. Nor is 

 it only valuable for its beauty, as it is highly prized as an arti- 

 cle of food in most parts of the world. 



