Mr. Johnfon to Mr. Ray. 143 



Years old, and after taking them again. And thus ' 

 perhaps in Ribble they have made the like Obferva- 

 tions, tho' I am a little jealous that their Sprods are 

 but Scurves $ their Moris Greys, their Fork-Tails? 

 our Cocks, their Half Fijlo, Middling Salmon, and 

 their Salmons, the Lacks, or over-grown Salmon, I 

 have one Observation more, viz. Befides what Sal- 

 mons are bred in opr Rivers, there come fome Years 

 from the North (I guefs when the Winds are much 

 Northerly) great Shoals of Salmon, which often take 

 in at the Mouths of our Rivers, efpecially if the 

 North Bar be open : And thefe have a broad blue 

 Spot on their Heads, and are by our Fifhcrs therefore 

 call'd Bluegaps 3 the Sight oP one of thefe makes a 

 Fifher leap for Joy, efpecially if his Gills be lowfy, 

 for then he is certain there is a great Shoal, and one 

 flarves another for want of Food. The Manner of 

 the Breeding of Eels I do not certainly know, but I 

 think them to be oviparous 3 for I have feveral times 

 found in one fmall Bed of Mud great Numbers of ve- 

 ry fmall Eels, more I am fure than the Belly of any 

 Eel could contain, lying very clofe togetherjike the 

 young Fry of other- Fifties. What your Cornijh 

 Butterfijh is I know not > I a little fufpeft it will prove 

 the lame with our Sea- Snail, if yours melt into Oil, 

 as ours do. I fent you a Draught of ours long 

 fince with red Chalk. • 



I wonder as much that Fifhers have not certainly 

 determined whether Salmons live upon any thing, 

 fave Water, and what? As that Horfemen have not 

 agreed what that is, the Fole is faid to fneez, which 

 they call a Milt. I am apt to believe that Water 

 cannot be a competent Sultenance for them : Com- 

 mon Experience tells us that they will not only take 

 a Worm, or Minnow, or other fmall Fifh, but fw al- 

 low the Bait with the Hook down into the Stomach. 

 'Tis likely they take no Food till what they had be 

 digefted,-and poflibly their Stomach may digeft very 



