pressed form of the body, which in most of the species is beautifully variegated by transverse, oblique, or longitudinal bands, and covered with strong scales finely denticulated on the margins. The species before us has its snout lengthened into a tubular form, or pipe it is a native of the fresh waters of India, and is celebrated for the extraordinary manner in which it takes its prey, which chiefly consists of the smaller kind of flying insects: when it observes one of these, either hovering over the water, or seated on some aquatic plant, it shoots against it from its tubular snout a drop of water, with so sure an aim as generally to lay it dead, or at least stupified on the surface. In shooting at a sitting insect, it is commonly observed to approach within the distance of from six to four feet, before it explodes the water. When kept in a state of confinement in a large vessel of water, it is said to afford high entertainment by its dexterity in this exercise, since if a fly or other insect be fastened to the edge of the vessel, the fish immediately perceives it, and continues to shoot at it with such admirable skill as very rarely to miss the mark. It may not be improper to observe, that this faculty is not entirely confined to the present fish, but takes place in some few others belonging to very different genera. [Bloch. Nat. Miscel. Editor. SECTION VIII. Perch. Perca fluviatilis.-LINN. THE perch of Aristotle and Ausonius is the same with that of the moderns. That mentioned by Oppian, Pliny, and Athenæus, is a sea-fish, probably of the labrus or sparus kind, being enumerated by them among some congenerous species. Our perch was much esteemed by the Romans: Nec te delicias mensarum perca, silebo AUSONIUS. It is not less admired at present as a firm and delicate fish; and the Dutch are particularly fond of it, when made into a dish called water souchy. It is a gregarious fish, and loves deep holes and gentle streams. It is a most voracious fish, and eager biter; if the angler meets with a shoal of them, he is sure of taking every oue. It is a common notion that the pike will not attack this fish, being fearful of the spiny fins which the perch erects on the approach of the former. This may be true in respect to large fish ; but it is well known the small ones are the most tempting bait that can be laid for the pike. The perch is a fish very tenacious of life: we have known them carried near sixty miles in dry straw, and yet survive the journey. These fish seldom grow to a large size: we once heard of one that was taken in the Serpentine River, Hyde Park, that weighed nine pounds; but that is very uncommon. The body is deep; the scales very rough; the back much arched; side-line near the back. The irides golden; the teeth small, disposed on the jaws and on the roof of the mouth; the edges of the covers of the gills ser rated; on the lower end of the largest is a sharp spine. the The first dorsal fin consists of fourteen strong spiny rays; second of sixteen soft ones; the pectoral fins are transparent, and consist of fourteen rays; the ventral of six; the anal of eleven. The tail is a little forked. The colours are beautiful; the back and part of the sides being of a deep green, marked with five broad black bars pointing down. wards; the belly is white, tinged with red; the ventral fins of a rich scarlet; and the anal fins and tail of the same colour, but ra. ther paler. a In a lake called Llyn Raithlyn, in Merionethshire, gular variety of perch; the back is quite hunched, and the lower part of the back-bone next to the tail, strangely distorted; in colour, and in other respects, it resembles the common kind, which are as numerous in the lake as these deformed fish. They are not peculiar to this water; for Linnæus takes notice of a similar va. riety found at Fahlun, in his own country. I have also heard that it is to be met with in the Thames, near Marlow. [Pennant. There is one species possessing a very singular power, we mean the perca scanderns, or climbing perch, which is capable, like some species of the eel, of quitting its native element, and breathing atmospheric air; climbing up posts or props of any kind, to a considerable height, which it effects by means of its peculiarly spinous gills and fins. SECTION IX. Carp. [Editor. Cyprinus carpio.-LINN. THE cyprinus kind includes between thirty and forty known species, of which the chief are the common carp, tench, barbel, gudgeon, bream, roach, dace, chub, and gold-fish. The carp was introduced into England about the year 1514, by Leonard Maschal, to whom we are also indebted for that excellent apple the pepin. Russia wants these fish at this day. Sweden has them only in the ponds of people of fashion. They chiefly abound in the rivers and lakes of Polish Prussia, where they are sometimes taken of a vast size. They are there a great article of commerce, and sent in well-boats to Sweden and Russia. The merchants pur. chase them out of the waters of the landholders of the country, who draw a good revenue from this article. Carp are very long lived. Gesner brings an instance of one that was near 100 years old. They grow also to a very great size. Some authors speak of carp weighing 200 pounds, and five feet in length. The carp is a prodigious breeder; its quantity of roe has been sometimes found so great, that when taken out and weighed against the fish itself, the former has been found to preponderate. From the spawn of this fish, caviare is made for the Jews, who hold the sturgeon in abhorrence. The carp is extremely cunning, and on that account is sometimes stiled the river-fox. They will sometimes leap over the nets, and escape that way; at other times they will immerse themselves so deep in the mud, as to let the net pass over them. They are also very shy in taking a bait; yet at the spawning time they are so simple, as suffer themselves to be tickled, handled, and caught, by any body that will attempt it. This fish is apt to mix its milt with the roe of other fish, from which is produced a spurious breed, as has been observed in the offspring of the carp and tench, which bore the greatest resemblance to the first. The same has also been observed of the carp and bream. " In In Polish Prussia, and many other parts of Germany, the sale of carp constitutes a part of the revenue of the nobility and gentry, so that the proper management of that fish is reduced to a kind of system, founded on the experience of several generations. Of the methods there practised, we have an account in the Philosophical Transactions for 1771, communicated by Mr. J. Reinhold Foster; who says he has seen carp treated and maintained according to those methods, "above a yard long, and of twenty.five pounds weight;" but had no opportunity of ascertaining their age. the pond, however, at Charlottenburg," he adds, "a palace be. longing to the King of Prussia, I saw more than two or three hun. dred carp, between two and three feet long; and I was told by the keeper they were between fifty and sixty years standing. They were tame, and came to the shore in order to be fed." Mr. For. ster, in this paper, also vouches for a most extraordinary circum. stance; namely, the possibility of the carp's not only living for a considerable time out of water, but of its growing fat in its new element. The author has seen the experiment successfully tried, and attended to the whole process, in a nobleman's house, where he then resided, in the principality of Anhalt Dessau. The fish being taken out of the water, is wrapped up in a large quantity of wet moss, spread on a piece of net, which is then gathered into a purse, in such a manner however as to allow him room to breathe. The net is then plunged into water, and hung up to the cieling of a cellar. At first the dipping must be repeated every three or four hours, but afterwards the carp need only be plunged into the wa ter once in about six or seven hours. Bread soaked in milk is first given him in small quantities. In a short time, the fish will bear more, and grow fat under this seemingly unnatural treatment. Mr. Daines Barrington, in a note, confirms a part of the preceding account, by mentioning the practice of a certain fishmonger near Clare-market, who, in the winter, frequently exposed a bushel, at least, of carp and tench for sale, in the same dry vessel, for six or seven hours, many of which were not sold, and yet continued in health, though breathing nothing but air during the time above. mentioned, for several days successively. [Forster. Barrington. Pennant. |