BOKBR. 
409 
districts of our own island, in the northern waters of which, 
and especially about Scarborough, it is known to fishermen 
from the injury it inflicts by destroying the fish which have 
been left on their baiters or long lines for a sufficient time to 
have become dead, and thus presenting themselves as an 
unresisting and inviting prey; for there is reason to suppose 
that the appetite of this fish is only disposed to feed on such 
as are lately dead, but which have not yet suffered decay or 
putrefaction. The Cod, Ling, and Haddock are frequently 
thus the subjects of its depredations; and the Mackarel also, 
when it has fallen to the bottom from the net. Sometimes, 
however, it has chanced to be the victim instead of the 
devourer, and it has been found partly digested in the stomach 
of a living Cod, an instance of which among others is men- 
tioned by W. P. Cocks, Esq., as having fallen under his notice 
at Falmouth. But this fish must be regarded as of exceedingly 
rare occurrence on our south or west coast, as also in Ireland, 
where it is barely mentioned by Mr. Thompson, but who 
refers to the remarkable fact that an instance had been known 
where it had been taken with a hook. 
The fullest and most satisfactory account of this fish is con- 
tained in the Swedish work of Fries and Ekstrom; from which 
therefore the principal portion of our materials is derived; but 
our figure and description in addition are from nature, and for 
these it is with pleasure we own our obligation to Edmund T. 
Higgins, Esq., from whom our example, of remarkable size, 
was obtained. 
Ekstrom observes that the Myxine is common on the west 
coast of Sweden, and along that of Norway up to the North 
Cape; but it is not known in the Baltic; and it is sing ular 
that the males of this fish have not yet been discovered, nor 
the young ones of either sex of a less size than about nine 
inches in length. The reason assigned for this is built on the 
supposition that neither of these are as predaceous as the females 
of full growth, or perhaps that their food is different; but the 
adult females are ravenous in a high degree; and although 
beyond doubt there are times when they must feed differently, 
as we have noticed in the fact that they have sometimes taken 
a bait, although this is seldom; yet their favourite method of 
feeding is by entering into the body of a dead fish; where 
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