Willoughby mentions a loach near five inches long; and Pallas says they are very large in the rivers of Russia.

Loaches in France are fed with bread made of goats' milk, drains from a dunghill, &c.

The great loach forms a living barometer; on being placed in a vessel of water, with earth at the bottom, it never fails to predict the approach of a storm, by rising from the bottom of such a vessel, and swimming about near the surface in an unquiet manner. Shaw's Zoology.

The bull-head is a very ugly fish, it seldom exceeds three inches and a half in length; some anglers consider them better baits than the minnow, when the gill fin is cut off; it is, indeed, a tempting bait for eels. Bull-heads are very common in the market of Montevideo; probably they are much larger there than those found in England.

Donovan.

K

In the northern parts of Europe, and in Siberia, they attain the length of six or seven inches. Ugly as this fish appears, after you have cut off its head, the largest are very nutritive, and prove excellent eating. They are most easily caught by the smallest hook, and red worm without float, letting the bait drop directly before them. They are found in small gravelly brooks, lying on a flat stone, or gravel, in warm days.-Editor.

The bull-head is eaten also in Italy, as Mr. Riso says; and Pallas tells us it is used by some Russians, as a charm against fever, while others suspend it horizontally, carefully balanced by a single thread and thus poised, but allowed freedom of motion, they believe that this fish indicates the point of the compass from which the wind blows. In Switzerland the children spear them. See a very ingenious description of the bull-head, (whose second name is miller's thumb,) in the celebrated-Yarrell's History of British Fishes, which is a very interesting book.

This fish, with the prickles cut off, is said to be equal to the minnow, as a bait, and even superior in pond-fishing, for perch; Walton considers them preferable bait, as they are capable of whirling round quicker; there is one singularity in the spawn of the stickleback, its ova are bigger than those of the cod-fish. Daniel.

Mr. Pennant observes, there is such an amazing quantity of sticklebacks in the fens of Lincolnshire, that they are used to manure the land, men were paid three shillings per day for selling them at one shilling and sixpence per bushel.

Gmelin likewise says, they are used to fatten ducks, about Dantzig. They are frequently found amongst the sprats and herrings. The stickleback on the continent generally is of the length of three inches, it rarely lives more than two years, and is greatly tormented with worms.

Donovan's British Fishes,

Mr. H. Baker informs us, in the Philosophical Transactions, that this little fish (stickleback) will occasionally spring to the height of a foot out of the water to get over stones and other obstacles. Mr. Baker kept one for some time, which, in five hours did devour seventy-four young dace about a quarter of an inch long, and of the thickness of a horse-hair.

Mr. Aderon confined a stickleback in a glass jar, with sand at the bottom; at first it would not eat, but afterwards it ate out of the hand. A small fish was put in, which the stickleback instantly devoured, and, when satiated with food, it would fly at the hand that fed it.

Phil. Transact.

Sticklebacks are active in their movements, and extremely pugnacious. A writer in the Magazine of Natural History, has described their behaviour, under confinement, in a large wooden vessel; at first they swam about in a shoal,---suddenly one took possession of one corner of the tub, or of the bottom, and instantly made an attack upon his companion; whenever they meet with any opposition, a regular battle of the most furious kind ensues, and frequently one kills the other by ripping it up.

The natural history of Eels has created much interest, particularly their generative system, which has been so ably noticed and treated by Mr. Yarrel. In point of nourishment they are one of the most important of the fish tribe. Their haunts are about flood gates, in clefts and holes, under roots and stumps of trees, large stones, and wooden bridges, &c. &c.

The methods of catching the eel are numerous. Eels are very troublesome when hooked in angling for other fish, with rod and line; they frequently destroy the hook and end of the line. The largest are taken by night lines; they are caught by bobbing, spearing, sniggling, &c. &c. The best way of killing them, when taken, is by separating the back bone. Eels migrate to the salt water to deposit their spawn. Very fine eels are to be caught at Dagenham Breach. Editor.

Migratory Habits of Eels,-At the locks at Teddington and Hampton young eels are to be