76 
SHKATFISH. 
I leain from M. Agassiz. In Central Europe it is found in 
the lakes of Neuchatel, Bienne^ and Morat only: in no other 
lakes or rivers connected with the Rhine does it occur. It 
inhabits the rivers flowing into the Baltic and Black Sea.” — 
(“Natural History of Ireland,” vol. iv.) 
The ancients appear to have paid much attention to the 
habits of this fish, which they called Glanis or Lagnis. 
Aristotle says that the female altogether neglects the care of 
her spawn and the young, but that the male watches over 
and protects them; and that in about forty or fifty days they 
are able to shift for themselves. He adds, that this fish is 
stupified with loud thunder, and that as food the female is 
better than the male; both are to be rejected when the female 
is large with spawn. 
Whether this fish was ever in remote times an inhabitant of 
English rivers may also be regarded as uncertain: but Mr. 
Higgins informs me that he found undoubted relics of the 
pectoral defence bone of this fish, in a bed of clay, under 
a layer of peat, at Eeasowe, in Cheshire, while engaged in 
searching for fossil remains. I find also, in an extract from 
Lloyd’s “Scandinavian Adventures,” that through the indefati- 
gable exertions of Mr. George Berney, of Morton, in Norfolk, 
“the Silurus was last year (1853) introduced into England, 
and consequently is now included in our fauna;” but how far 
this attempt has been successful does not appear. To assist 
future observers the likeness of this fish is copied from Bloch, 
and oiur description chiefly from Willoughby, with additions 
from Olaus Wormius and Nilsson, the former of whom has 
represented its character as being slow in its actions, sly and 
all-devouring; and it is said that it has even been known to 
swallow a child of the age of seven or eight years. 
It has been known to attain the length of ten or eleven 
feet, and is recorded to have weighed one hundred and fifty- 
six pounds, and, according to Bloch, it has even reached the 
enormous weight of seven hundred and fifty pounds, after the 
entrails had been removed; but it is said by Nilsson to be 
rarely longer (in Sweden) than four feet, with a weight of 
fifty pounds. The head is flattened and wide, the body 
rounded on the fore part, compressed towards the tail; belly 
tumid, and capable of great distension; the mouth wide; gape 
