OS, PLAIN TEACHING. 



93 



and drop into the water on the 

 other side. 



There is a fall (the Fall of Kilmorac) on the 

 Beauly, in Inverness-shire, where, according 

 to Mr. Mudie, in the " British Naturalist," 

 the sight of a voluntarily cooked salmon has 

 been witnessed. A kettle, it is said, was 

 placed upon the flat rock on the south side of 

 the fall, close by the edge of the water, and 

 kept full and boiling until a salmon fell into 

 it, and was cooked on the spot. This was 

 one of the wonders which the Frasers of 

 Lovat, who are lords of the manor, used to 

 show their guests. The fall is said to be lite- 

 rally thronged with salmon endeavouring to 

 pass higher up the river. It is an old opinion, 

 and stiU very generally entertained, that, pre- 

 vious to making a spring, the fish curves its 

 body, and puts its tau in its mouth. Michael 

 Drayton, in his " Polyolbion," alluding to a 

 salmon-leap in the Tivy, has adopted this 

 opinion : — 



"Here, when the labouring: fish does at the foot 

 arrive. 



And finds that by his strength he does but vainly 

 strive, 



His tail takes in his mouth, and bending like a 

 bow 



That's too full compass drawn, aloft himself doth 

 throw : 



Then springing at his height, as doth a little wand 

 That's bended end to end, and started from man's, 

 hand, 



Far off itself doth cast— so does the salmon vault." 



The fact, however, has been ascertained by 

 observation, that salmon spring up nearly in a 



Eerpendicular line, and with a strong tremu- 

 ►us motion. 



The lepidosiren, 14aa, is a curi- 

 ous animal, regarded by some 



14a 



365. 



naturalists as a .fish, by others 

 as belonging to the Amphibia* 

 The body is fish-like, covered 

 with scales ; the eyes are small ; 

 the nostrils are situated upon the 

 under part of the upper lip ; it 

 has four tentacular appendages, 15, 



• A vphlbinus order ? having the power of living 

 either upon land ox in watef. 



which are chiefly employed in 

 feeling the surface over which the 

 animal moves, but also assist, to 

 some extent, in its progression. 

 A dorsal Jin, 17, supported by 

 numerous soft, elastic, transpa- 

 rent rays, commences about one- 

 third of the distance from the 

 head, and runs to the extremity 

 of the tail, which is furnished 

 underneath with a similar Jin, 18. 

 The lepidosiren possesses gills 

 and lungs, which refer it to the 

 Amphibious order. 



Some fish produce their young 

 alive; others are oviparous* 

 The number of eggs deposited 

 by certain species of the latter is 

 enormous: the sole lays 100,000 ; 

 the carp, 200,000; the tench, 

 400,000 ; the mackerel, 500,000 ; 

 the Jlounder, 1,300,000; the cod, 

 3,500,000; the salmon, 20,000,000. 

 " Mermaids' purses," found on the 

 sea-beach, are 

 _^ the curious 

 eggsof the dog- 

 Jish, one of the 

 shark family. 

 The egg con- 

 sists of a horny 

 case, filled with 

 a nutritious 

 fluid, and hav- 

 ing a filament- 

 ous slit, , 20, 

 through which 

 water passes. 

 The long twist- 

 ed filaments, 

 20«, are for the purpose of at- 

 taching the eggs to sea-weeds, 

 and mooring them to a favour- 



• Producing e^gs. 



