? making a snatch at the prey, descended out of sight to devour it. 2. Haddock.-These, contrary to expectations, were found to be the tamest fishes in the pond. At ebb tide they came to the inner margin, and ate lim ' pets from the hand of a little boy, the son of a keeper, They appeared white, and rather sickly. 3. Coalfish. Some of these were of a large size, exceeding in dimensions the largest cod in the pond, They were bold and familiar, floating about slowly ́ and majestically, till some food was thrown to them; 'this they seized voraciously, whether it consisted of ⚫ shellfish or ship biscuit. They also would occasionally approach the margin, and take their food from 'the keeper's hand. 4. Whiting. These were scarce in the pond, and ' very shy. 5. Pollack.-This was pretty common, and has been found to answer well as a pond fish. 6. Salmon. This was the wildest and quickest in its motions of all the inhabitants. When a muscle ༞་ or limpet, freed from the shell, was thrown on the 'surface of the water, the salmon very often darted 'forward and took the prey from all competitors, dis⚫ appearing with a sudden jerk and turn of the body. 7. Flat fish or flounders, of two sorts, were also in the pond, but they naturally kept at the bottom, ' and were not seen. The food given to the fishes consisted chiefly of 'sand-eels and of shell-fish, particularly limpets and 'muscles. In the herring-fishery season, herrings were cut in pieces for this purpose. It is remarkable that all the kinds of sea-fish above enumerated seemed to agree very well together. No fighting had ever been observed by the keeper, and seldom any chasing of one species by another. 'None of the fish ever bred.' Dr. Fleming has remarked, that when a salt-water fish is put into fresh water, its motions speedily become irregular, its respiration appears to be affected, and unless released it soon dies, and that the same consequences follow when a fresh-water fish is suddenly immersed in salt water. This is not, however, the case with all fish. A cod will not only live, but thrive well in fresh water if properly fed. A respectable fishmonger assured me that he had tried the experiment and succeeded, and offered to send me some live cod in a well-boat for my piscatorium in Bushy Park. Fresh-water trout have also been taken in the sea in a healthy state*. I have observed that when fish have been bruised, * It is a curious fact, that in excavating a hill in the neighbourhood of Verona, fish of various descriptions are found in a fossil state. Some of these are fish from different countries, and what is still more extraordinary, fresh and salt water fish are found in the same mass. or some of their scales rubbed off, a sort of white mothery matter forms on the place, which invariably kills them. When this begins to form they seldom move, and if they do, it is by little darts forward. Their heads get lower and lower as if they were too heavy for their body, and when it touches the ground they turn up and die. Carp will breed freely in some ponds and not in others. The Bushy Park ponds have a sandy bottom, with a fine stream of water running through them, and yet very few carp are bred in them. While in some of the muddy, stagnant ponds in Sussex, they breed freely and in great quantities. The same observation applies to tench. Great numbers of perch are bred in the Hampton Court and Bushy Park ponds, all of which are well supplied with running water, and with plenty of food, yet they seldom arrive at a large size. In a neighbouring pond, which is only fed with drainage water, I have caught very large perch. The perch in the water in the Regent's Park are very numerous. Those I have taken, however, are almost invariably of one size, from half to threequarters of a pound. Why they should have arrived at this weight and not go on increasing in size, is a circumstance which it is not easy to account for. I have, however, remarked it to be the case in other ponds. Barbel grow to a large size in the river Thames, One was caught a short time ago which weighed upwards of ten pounds, and another was caught weighing thirteen pounds within these last few days. The following Table will show the different degrees of fecundity in several kinds of fish, It was communicated to the Royal Society by Samuel Clark, Esq. 'The inferior kinds, whom forest trees WORDSWORTH. Ir is impossible to view the cheerfulness and happiness of animals and birds without pleasure. The latter, especially, appear to enjoy themselves during the fine weather in spring and summer with a degree of hilarity which might be almost envied. It is astonishing how much man might do to lessen the misery of those creatures which are either given to him for food, or use, or for adding to his pleasure, if he was so disposed. Instead of which, he often exercises a degree of wanton tyranny and cruelty over them which cannot be too much deprecated, and for which, no doubt, he will one day be held accountable. Animals are so capable of showing gratitude and affection to those who have been kind to them, that I never see them subjected to ill treatment without feeling the utmost abhorrence of those who are inflicting it. I know many persons, who, like myself, take a pleasure in seeing all the animals about them appear happy and contented. Cows will shew their pleasure at seeing those who have been kind to them, by moving their ears gently, and putting out their wet noses. My old horse t |