80 A KTJSTIC PHILOSOPHBE. 



is rightly applied ; for when the lampern wishes to 

 remain still in one place, it applies its mouth to a 

 stone, sticks tightly to it by suction, and there re- 

 mains firmly at anchor, and defying the power of 

 the stream. In favourable spots, thousands of these 

 fish may be seen . together, quite blackening the 

 bottom of the stream with their numbers. They 

 seem specially to affect shallow mountain streams ; 

 and, in spite of the rapid current, wriggle their 

 devious way up the stream with great rapidity. 

 When they are not quite pleased with the spot on 

 which they settle down for the time, they scoop it 

 out to their minds in a very short time. This task 

 is accomplished by means of the sucker-like mouth. 

 If a stone is placed in a position that incommodes 

 them, they affix their mouths to it, and drag it away 

 down the stream. In this way they will remove 

 stones which are apparently beyond the power of so 

 small a creature. By perseverance they thus scoop 

 out small hollows, about eighteen inches long and a 

 foot wide, in which they lie in groups so thick that I 

 have more than once mistaken them for dark logs 

 lying in the stream, and was only undeceived by the 

 waving of the multitudinous tails. Year after year 

 the lamperns followed the same course, and chose 

 the same positions, so that we could at any time tell 

 where these creatures would be found by the thou- 

 sand, where they would be found singly, and where 

 none would be seen at all. 



