1882.] 
Analyses of Books . 
4 1 
fathoms below the surface and are not uncommonly even caught 
in trawling nets. Mr. De Caux admits, from this point of view, 
only two great classes — ground fishes and swimming fishes. 
The former, with rare exceptions, are flat, tenacious of life, and 
after death less perishable than the free swimmers. Hence is 
drawn the practical conclusion that free-swimmers like herrings, 
mackerel, mullets, &c., should be eaten as fresh as possible, 
whilst soles, turbot, &c., to a certain degree, improve with keep- 
ing like game. 
The author doubts the alleged power of fishes to support very 
high and very low temperatures with impunity. Jesse tells us 
of a gold-fish frozen up in a solid block of ice, and yet recovering 
its liveliness when the ice was thawed. But Jesse is a very 
questionable authority, as Waterton declared in quite plain 
language. In speaking of the specific gravity of the water in 
different parts of the globe the author makes a remarkable state- 
ment. He tells us that “the water of the Baltic is denser than 
that of the North Sea, and the water of the Dead Sea is denser 
still.” Now all authorities agree that the water of the Baltic is 
merely brackish, containing less salt than that of the Ocean. 
Hence it should be not denser but lighter. 
On the question whether fishes sleep or not he is undecided. 
Recent observations at the Berlin Aquarium seem to have 
decided this question in the affirmative. He denies them the 
sense of hearing. Nevertheless it must be admitted that the 
essential portion of the hearing organ is present in most fishes, 
though in none is there any diredf communication between this 
organ and the water outside the animal. Mr. De Caux asserts 
that “ sound cannot be produced beneath the surface of the sea.” 
So far is this from being the case that the rate of transmission 
of sound produced under water has been measured, and found 
to be about four times as rapid as through air. 
The author does not think fishes devoid of feeling, and pro- 
nounces angling for “ sport” to be a cruel and barbarous amuse- 
ment, the chief seat of the sense of touch being in the mouth 
and surrounding parts. This, by the way, is a subject for anti- 
vivisedlionist anglers to ponder over ! The rubbish often found 
in the stomachs of cod, &c., he believes is not swallowed by the 
fish but is thrust down after its death by the fishmonger to 
weight it. 
The periodical migration of the herring he disproves. 
Herrings do not travel far from the spot where they are spawned 
as appears from the fadt that certain varieties are always found 
in the same localities. Herrings spawn wherever they happen 
to be, whether in deep water, over a sand-bank, or near the 
shore ; they spawn at least twice a year, if not all the year round, 
and the spawn developes not only at the bottom but near the 
surface. These propositions are fully proved by the fatSls here 
narrated. 
