FROGS, TOADS AND SOME FRESH-WATER FISH. 173 



tackle, hooks and flies for fishing on the Pao-ting Fu lakes, but when, 

 some years later he made me a present of his entire outfit, its remark- 

 ably new appearance told a significant tale. 



The reason for this sad state of afiairs is not difficult to find, for 

 not only are the rivers of North China notoriously muddy, and so un- 

 suitable for angling as a fine art, but so keen is the struggle for liveli- 

 hood amongst the teaming human population that every lake, canal 

 and river is dredged and scoured for the fish it contains. A hundred 

 and one different means of trapping and netting are resorted to by the 

 natives. Nothing taken, no matter how small, is ever put back to 

 grow; no variety, however worthless from a European's point of view 

 is discarded. The wonder is that there are any fish at all, and the 

 reader will not be surprised to learn that North China is comparatively 

 poor in the variety of its finny population. 



Still there are a few species, which are worth considering, if only 

 on account of their scarcity. The Mandarin fish {Siniperca chua-tsi), 

 a species of perch or bass is abundant in the. rivers and lakes of North- 

 eastern China. I have not come across it in the west. This hand- 

 some fish seems to take the place out here of the common perch in 

 England, though, as a matter of fact it more closely resembles the 

 ruffe (Acesina) in appearance. It has very much the same shape, 

 the head and nose being somewhat more pointed. A large fin extends 

 down the back to the tail, being divided into two distinct portions. 

 The anterior part is made up of twelve very strong sharp 

 spines joined together by a membrane. The posterior part, which 

 is really the hinder dorsal fin, is like an ordinary fin. The pelvic 

 fins also are armed each with a strong, sharp spine, while the anal fin 

 has three such weapons. The opercular, and preopercular gill plates 

 are also armed with spines. When freshly caught the fish sticks out all 

 these spines, and by its rapid contortions can inflict deep and painful 

 wounds. There seems to be some sort of poison in the spines, for the 

 wounds thus sustained will cause the affected limb to swell up and ache 

 badly. In the cuisine this fish holds rank above all the other Chinese 

 species. 



The miller's thumb (Cottvs gobio?) is a small fresh, water fish nearly 

 related to the gurnards, which, except in the absence of the finger-like 

 rays of the pectoral fins, it closely resembles. It is an exceedingly 

 ugly fish, with its heavy toad-like head, short thick body, large fins and 

 dull brown colour. It is also known as the bull-head. It is found in 



