BASSE. 7 



city ; and these terms Cuvier has united for its modern dis- 

 tinction. This fish is found along the whole line of the 

 southern coast of England, in the Bristol and St. George's 

 Channel ; and, though less numerous farther north, on our 

 eastern coast has been noticed by Dr. Johnston and Mr. Neill 

 as occurring in Berwick Bay and the Frith of Forth, but 

 is not included in Low's Fauna Orcadensis. On the Irish 

 coast the Basse is taken along the line of the eastern shore 

 from Waterford to Belfast Bay. It is stated by Willughby 

 that this fish sometimes attains the weight of fifteen pounds ; 

 but the more ordinary size is from twelve to eighteen inches 

 in length, and the flesh is then excellent food. The Basse 

 swim in shoals along the coast, depositing their spawn in 

 summer, and generally near the mouths of rivers, up which 

 they frequently pass to a considerable distance : they have 

 been retained with success in Mr. Arnold's fresh-water lake 

 in Guernsey, and Dr. M'Culloch has vouched for the supe- 

 riority of the flavour obtained by the change. Their food 

 consists generally of living prey. Mr. Neill took from the 

 stomach of one, the fry of the sandlaunce and two young 

 specimens of the father-lasher : they feed also on small crusta- 

 ceous animals ; and Mr. Couch, of Cornwall, states, that " this 

 fish is particularly fond of onisci, in pursuit of which it ven- 

 tures among the rocks in the midst of a tempest, as at that time 

 these insects are frequently washed from their hiding-places." 

 They are captured at sea by various means : by the trawl-net, 

 and by hooks attached either to hand-lines or deep sea-lines. 

 They take a bait freely ; and many are caught by angling, 

 during the flood-tide, with a long rod and strong line, from a 

 projecting pier-head or jutting rock. " We have seen seve- 

 ral taken in Bideford Bay," says Col. Montagu, " with a 

 small Seine net, manageable by two men. The men wade a 

 considerable way into the water on this gradually-inclining 



