Chapt. xvii. Fish regaining the water. 229 



kindly to fresh water of its own accord. The Sable or 

 Hilsa (Olupea palasah) is another, and instances might 

 he multiplied. But besides those fish that by nature re- 

 sort at times to fresh water, those also, that never go of 

 their own accord into fresh water, have been acclimatized 

 to it. 



Fish, like the tench, which are bred in muddy water 

 are improved for the table, by being kept a few days in 

 stone troughs, in bright spring water. 



"Like a fish out of water" is a common saying the 

 drift of which needs no expounding. I venture to ques- 

 tion its accuracy in its full acceptation. I venture to 

 think a fish out of water is not quite so much abroad 

 but that he has still a sense of where the water is, and 

 that he makes as good efforts to regain it as a man .that 

 cannot swim does to gain the shore; makes as good ef- 

 forts in short as could be made by an animal of his form- 

 ation. Crocodiles travel long distances to water. Eels 

 too are well known to cross meadows in the night, and 

 not to fail to find their way back to the water. The 

 climbing perch (Anabas scandens) intelligently retraces 

 his way to his own element. 



Why should not all fish have a sense of knowing, by 

 smell or otherwise, where the water is, and making their 

 best endeavour to regain it? It is true they are general- 

 ly aided in their efforts by the shore ordinarily shelving 

 down to the water, and it is thence concluded an acci- 

 dent, that their jumping about resulted in bringing them 

 nearer to their own element. But the shore does not al- 



