112 FISHING GOSSIP. 
Veteran. Eight, if he’s an ounce ; these fish are 
very thick-set, and weigh heavy for their length. 
New Chum. Thick-set with a vengeance (feeling 
Jish) ; why, I can’t grasp him with the utmost span 
of both hands! este! I’ve pricked my fingers. 
Veteran. Ah! now you see (or rather feel) why 
he has been properly styled the cod-perch. His dorsal 
fin is worth your looking at. In fact he has two con- 
fluent dorsals ; the anterior, with eleven spiny rays, 
like that. of our English perch, though sharper, as 
your fingers can testify; the other immediately be- 
hind it, much lower, with more numerous soft rays. 
For the rest, his skin you will see is mottled olive 
and white, like that of our British Gadide, and slimy | 
like. . . . Holloa there! look out—you've got a 
fish ; haul in. 
New Chum. Why the line hangs quite slack. 
Veteran. Ay, because he has turned and run in 
towards you. But he was running fast enough just 
now—ten to one he has gorged the bait. 
New Chum. T have him, sure enough—and here 
he comes, a pretty fish, though not so big as yours ; 
he will turn five pounds I am sure. Could we have 
him for dinner? I feel a savage inclination to make 
a meal of my own captive. 
Veteran. By alk means—we will send both the 
fish ; there will be several guests at the station to- 
night, and they rarely taste fish, though living close 
