THE FISHERY. 507 



of spawning,— and this is highly probable,— although I have never 

 seen any of their young. After a time they leave the river, but where 

 they go to I do not know; certain it is that no one has ever seen 

 a single lampern during the summer in the streams of my garden or 

 in other parts of the Wandle. Those which visit me are much smaller 

 than those found in the Thames, which are caught in considerable 

 quantities at Teddington and Hampton Weirs. They are sold to cod- 

 fishers as bait, but are excellent for human food when potted. 



The anatomical character of the lampern is curious, as it has carti- 

 lage in the place of bones. Quekett has given a good illustration of 

 its structure (fig. 1103). It has seven 

 apertures on each side of the head, 

 through which it breathes, and hence 

 is often called Seven-eyes. By count- 

 ing these seven apertures with the eye 



and ear, it is also often called by °^ "^ ^ yy ' 



the common people Nine-eyes. ^"=- "°4-Buiihead. 



We have the Bullhead {Cottus gobio, fig. 1104) in our little streams 

 in considerable quantities. They lie amongst the stones, and are very 

 voracious, devouring any young trout or ova which may come within 

 their reach. I have never observed any of their spawn-beds. I have 

 found these creatures in the trout-breeding boxes under circumstances 

 which made it a great puzzle how they could ever have entered them 



Fig. 1105.— Dace (from a drawing by Mr. Alfred). 



The Dace {Leuciscus vulgaris, fig. 1105) inhabits the Wandle lower 

 down the stream, but on rare occasions a solitary one has been seen at 

 my garden. They are comparatively valueless in a trout-stream, and 

 should be carefully destroyed. A shoal of very large ones rose to the 

 surface at Mitcham, one of which I was able to secure. 



