416 The 8ea Lamprey. 



of Chester, and the honour of the gift was acknowledged by the 

 present of a good palfrey in return. It was an old custom for 

 the Corporation of the City of Gloucester to present to the 

 reigning sovereign a pie of lampreys yearly, but it appears that 

 this custom has ceased to exist ; an end probably having been 

 put to it on the occasion of the passing of the Eeform Bill. In 

 the last century also a laruprey-pie was sent by the Corporation 

 of the same city to the Prince of Wales. As this kind of lam- 

 prey enters rivers for the purpose of spawning in the spring, 

 so this is also the season of its highest perfection ; but imme- 

 diately after the discharge of the roe, so great a change in this 

 respect takes place, that they are not only weakened and 

 emaciated, but it has been believed they are so far from 

 recovering their former condition that even death is the result. 

 In the sea this fish is said to be worthless for the table. 

 However, that this last supposition is not correct appears from 

 the fact, that while in May, twelve months perhaps from their 

 birth, they are often found not to exceed six or eight inches in 

 length, some examples are met with which measure more than 

 thirty inches, and which therefore we may conclude to have 

 experienced the growths of several seasons, and consequently 

 to have passed through more than one or two of those in which 

 the spawn is deposited. 



The mode of proceeding by which a procreant bed is pre- 

 pared for the reception of this treasure affords an insight into 

 another use to which the sucking faculty of the mouth can be 

 applied. Both sexes unite in preparing the ground ; and as in 

 the process of doing this it may happen that stones of com- 

 paratively considerable size are in the way, the mouth is a prin- 

 cipal instrument employed in the labour of removing them, so 

 that the grains of roe may be covered by only a lighter sand. The 

 mouth is applied to the surface of a stone, and by a strenuous 

 effort it is carried to a distance until every difficulty of this sort 

 is removed out of the way. Soon after spawning the parent 

 fish return to the sea. 



This fish inhabits a variety of climates except the very 

 warm ; being found in the Mediterranean, where those of the 

 Tiber are said to be of large size; and in the north of Europe, 

 where it is mentioned by Nilsson as common in the Baltic and 

 North Sea. It is said also to be met with in North America. 

 It is retentive of life, and so maybe carried alive to a considerable 

 distance if sometimes dipped in water. 



The genus Petromyzon, to which the lamprey belongs, is 

 distinguished by having the mouth formed of a wide opening 

 without distinct jaws ; an aperture on the top of the head which 

 communicates with the gills, the spiracles or outlets of which 

 are seven in number. Pectoral and ventral fins none. 



