RIVER BULLHEAD. 



255 



gravel, or concealing itself beneath the stones, and 

 preying on worms, water-insects, and very young 

 fishes. It is said to deposit its spawn in a small 

 hollo Wj v,hich it forms in the gravel, and to quit its 

 charge with great reluctance. Linnaeus indeed, in 

 the Systema Natures, appears to adopt the old idea 

 of some naturalists ; viz. that it will sooner suffer 

 itself to be killed than desert its ova. Dr. Bloch 

 however supposes the notion to be erroneous. In 

 our own country this fish rarely exceeds the length 

 of about three inches and a half; but in other parts 

 of Europe it appears to arrive at a superior size, 

 since the specimen figured by Baron Meidinger, in 

 his descriptions of the fishes of Austria, measures 

 five and a half ; and it is even sometimes seen of 

 the length of seven inches. Its general colour is 

 yellowish olive, much deeper on the head and upper 

 parts of the back ; and the whole body is more or 

 less clouded and speckled with small dusky varie- 

 gations : the fins are yellowish, speckled with brown : 

 the pectoral fins large, round, and elegantly in- 

 dented or scolloped at the edges : they commonly 

 consist of thirteen or fourteen rays ; the dorsal of 

 seven; the ventral of only four; the anal of thirteen, 

 and the tail of twelve : the head is large, broad, 

 flat, and rather thin at its circumference, being 

 well adapted, as Mr. Pennant observes, for in- 

 - sinuating itself under stones, &c. On the middle 

 part of the gill-covers is a small but strong spine, 

 turning inwards, near which on each side is a second 

 of much smaller size : the eyes are small ; the 

 mouth wide, and furnished with pretty numerous, 



