A history of British fishes, Volume 1

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Page 171 - The entire length, from the point of the nose to the end of the tail, is seven feet ten inches ; and the height three feet six inches.
Page 58 - By this incessant action of the miller's thumb, a peculiarity in its form is produced, which is said to resemble exactly the shape of the head of the fish, constantly found in the mill-stream, and has obtained for it the name of the Miller's Thumb, which occurs in the comedy of Wit at several Weapons by Beaumont and Fletcher, act v.
Page 267 - ... has been supposed to be the young of the Shad. Mr. Yarrell however, upon a careful investigation of the subject, ascertained it to be a distinct species. Its distinguishing characters are : — Length of the head compared with that of the body, and not including the tail, as two to five ; depth, as compared to the whole length of the fish, as one to five; keel of the abdomen distinctly serrated, but not so sharp as in the Shad. The dorsal fin commences half way between the tip of the muzzle and...
Page 77 - When a few are first turned in, they swim about in a shoal, apparently exploring their new habitation. Suddenly one will take possession of a particular corner of the tub, or, as it will sometimes happen, of the bottom, and will instantly commence an attack...
Page 259 - ... half-way between the point of the nose and the end of the fleshy portion of the tail ; the third ray of the dorsal fin, which is the longest, is of the same length as the base of the fin ; the pectoral fin small ; the...
Page 22 - But take this rule with you, that a Chub newly taken and newly dressed, is so much better than a Chub of a day's keeping after he is dead, that I can compare him to nothing so fitly as to cherries newly gathered from a tree, and others that have been bruised and lain a day or two in water.
Page 57 - The head of the fish, it will be observed by the accompanying vignette, is smooth, broad and rounded, and is said to resemble exactly the form of the thumb of a miller, as produced by a peculiar and constant action of the muscles in the exercise of a particular and most important part of his occupation.
Page 145 - In this manner they continued tormenting and wounding him for many hours, until we lost sight of him ; and, I have no doubt, they in the end completed his destruction.
Page 108 - January the young fish, which are called Chads, of about one inch in length, are found in the stomachs of large fishes taken two or three leagues from land : in summer, when from four to six inches long, they abound in innumerable multitudes, and are taken by anglers in harbours, and from the rocks ; for they bite with great eagerness at any bait, even of the flesh of their own species.
Page 385 - Plot relates, that at Lord Gower's canal at Trentham, a Pike seized the head of a swan as she was feeding under water, and gorged so much of it as killed them both: the servants pereeiving the swan with its head under water for a longer time than usual, took the boat, and found both swan and Pike dead.

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