Chapt. ix. Bit him hard, he's got no friends. 133 



mongooses, snakes, kites, crows, and battalions of paddy 

 birds, go in at him greedily. In the water the murrel 

 feeds almost entirely on him, lying perdu under the banks 

 for the purpose; while the watersnake follows him in both 

 elements. But the verdict is "serve him right", for he is a 

 fry eater and a spawn-eater, and he is irrepressible, getting 

 up drunken choruses all over the country directly there 

 is a good fall of rain, and he has had a wet night of it. It 

 is truly disreputable; and then he is so greedy. I had 

 some in a can, together with other bait, when what should 

 I see but one of these "glutinous" ruffians improving his 

 opportunities, by endeavouring to swallow a bait longer 

 than his own body. He had the head and shoulders and 

 half the body down his "sarcophagus or elementary canal" 

 and was holding on to it sulkily, while the fish's tail was 

 wagging gaily. I pulled poor fishy out, when froggy 

 straightway went at him, and balf swallowed him again. 

 You see what an incorrigible brute he is, so put him into 

 your can, and be off with him to the haunts of the murrel 

 without any compunction. 



Colonel T. Puckle says of one of the murrels, Ophio- 

 cephalus striatus: "This kind takes a bright colored salmon 

 "fly freely in the rivers near Jalnah, and there is" nojeason 

 "why the trial should not be made here in appropriate 

 "waters." Pike, it may be added, are also taken with a fly, 

 but it is not a killing or usual way of fishing for them. 



The murrel lives a long time without water, and can 

 therefore be taken home alive and consequently fresh. 

 The reason for this is, I quote Colonel Puckle's report, 



