Bibliographical Notices. 311 



of those authors who have endeavoured to write with more originaUty 

 have been misled, by the continued popularity of Walton's charming 

 work, into attempting an imitation of it, though generally desti- 

 tute either of the imagination, poetic and literary power, or talent 

 for the observation of nature, the combination of which enabled 

 the old hosier of Fleet Street to produce his prose-pastoral. In the 

 'Salmonia' of the great Sir Humphry, to choose one of the highest 

 examples, the conversation resembles tliat of a set of priggish pre- 

 tenders to learning, talking to show off the greatness of their attain- 

 ments ; and the sporting dialogues of some other writers are offensive 

 in a different way. Under these circumstances, it was no small 

 gratification to us to find, on opening Mr. Pennell's little book, of 

 which the title stands at the head of this article, that, although a 

 sportsman, he had avoided making his work a conversation-piece, 

 and been content to tell "a plain unvarnished tale." 



Mr. Pennell appears to have been induced to undertake the pre- 

 paration of his book by the perception of the general ignorance on 

 all ichthyological matters pervading the generality of anglers, and 

 by the desire to indicate to them the greatly increased gratification 

 that will accrue to them from the practice of their art by learning 

 to understand a little of the life-history of the objects of their pur- 

 suit, and thus qualifying themselves for the observation of many 

 phenomena which would otherwise take place before their eyes im- 

 noticed. With this view he has commenced with a general outline of 

 the structure and physiology of Fish, which is written in a clear and 

 plain manner, and, notwithstanding one or two little defects, will 

 undoubtedly furnish the reader with a very good notion of the mode 

 in which life is carried on in the denizens of our waters. 



In the second part of the work, which treats of the natural history 

 of our Freshwater Fishes, Mr. Pennell has adopted the Cuvierian 

 classification, which is no doubt the best course he could have taken 

 in order to render his subject readily intelligible to those for whose 

 use the book is specially intended. In order to enable the readers 

 to determine the species of fish which may come in their way (a 

 branch of knowledge in which many anglers even are wofully deficient), 

 careful descriptions are given of all the known species, which amount, 

 according to the author's enumeration, to fifty-three. He has, how- 

 ever, omitted all notice of the Smelt and the Flounder, which never- 

 theless may fairly be reckoned among river-fish, the latter especially 

 being often met with far above the influence of the tide. The most 

 important sections of this part of the work are those treating of the 

 Pike and the numerous species of Salmonidse, the difficult natural 

 history of the Salmon especially being admirably described. Of the 

 Charrs, Mr. Pennell, following Dr. Giinther, makes three species ; 

 but of this group, as also of that of the true Trouts, it seems proba- 

 ble that further researches will prove the existence in our waters of 

 a larger number of species than is now known ; and Mr. Pennell's 

 book will do much to call the attention of anglers and others who 

 may have the opportunity of investigating the productions of our 

 rivers to this important point in British ichthyology. Indeed, as a 



