200 WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE BAIT. 



dantly swimming, crawling at the bottom or on shore, or working at their 

 muddy burrows, in all the southern parts of the Union. If I mistake 

 not, we have two species at least, one more an inhabitant of rocky stream- 

 lets than the other, and that one by far the best, though the other is good 

 too. Both species swim by means of rapid strokes of the tail, which pro- 

 pel them backwards to a considerable distance at each repetition. All 

 that I regret concerning these animals is, that they are absolutely little 

 aquatic vultures — or, if you please, Crustacea with vulturine habits — 

 for they feed on every thing impure that comes in their way, when they 

 cannot obtain fresh aliment. However this may be, the Grays somehow 

 fall in with this sort of food, and any person may catch as many as he may 

 wish, by fastening a piece of flesh to a line, allowing it to remain under 

 water for a while, and drawing it up with care, when, with the aid of a 

 hand-net, he may bring it ashore with a few ! But although this is a 

 good method of procuring Cray-fish, it answers only for those that live 

 in running waters. The form of these is delicate, their colour a light 

 olive, and their motions in the water are very livdy. The others are 

 larger, of a dark greenish-brown, less active in the water than on land, 

 although they are most truly amphibious. The first conceal themselves 

 beneath shelving rocks, stones, or water-plants ; the others form a deep 

 burrow in the damp earth, depositing the materials drawn up, as a man 

 would do in digging a well. The manner in vvhich they dispose of the 

 mud you may see by glancing at the plate of the White Ibis, in my 

 third volume of Illustrations, where also you will find a tolerable portrait 

 of one of these creatures. 



According to the nature of the ground, the burrows of this Crayfish 

 are more or less deep. Indeed, this also depends partly on the increasing 

 dryness of the soil, when, influenced by the heat of summer, as well as 

 on the texture of the substratum. Thus, in some places, where the Cray 

 can reach the water after working a few inches, it rests contented during 

 the day, but crawls out for food at night. Should it, however, be left 

 dry, it renews its labour ; and thus while one burrow may be only five or 

 six inches deep, another may be two or three feet, and a third even more. 

 They are easily procured when thus lodged in shallow holes ; but when 

 the burrow is deep, a thread is used, with a small piece of flesh fastened 

 to it. The Cray eagerly seizes the bait, and is gently drawn up, and 

 thrown to a distance, when he becomes an easy prey. You have read of 

 the method used by the White Ibis in procuring Crays ; and I leave you 



