Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-07-06

unlike that of the punt used by the duck bun
ter and that he may not be entanoled IN hi,
movements, his scales are small and thin. anc
covered by sort Of slime which renders their
exceedingly slippery. rT r- aa
~ The tsnch in olden times was snppos,d N nos
s'ss medicinal virtues. An old writer informs n,
that " in the head Of the tcnch there arc two
small stones that have absorbent, detergent anc
diuretic quality;-thcse, when powdered, arr
used to absorb acids in the stomach, and to stor
looscncss. " Ancient doctors were in the habit
OF applying tenches to the feet in fcvers, tc
cause "a reyulson from the BRAIN They had
doctrine also that if living tench were ap.
piled to the region of the liver, and suffered to
remain there until it should die, the t.undice
would speedily be cured, and tho skin of the
fish become yellow on the side next to the pa
tient. Glorious old times, those, to have been
an invalid in
All the carp tribe, to which the tench and
the goldfish belong, are very tenacious of life
out of tie water. Last summer was invited
to inspect the result of a haul of goldfish from
q small garden pond near London. So mighty
WAS the draught, that it filed three quarters of
watering cart, such as is used in London or
watering the streets. All colors of the rainbow
were reflected from their resplendcnt bodies.
On sorting them my surprise was great to find
that the majority were alive, although at that
time they had been out of water, rccumbent in
the cart, twelve long hours. By the kind per
mission Of the owner | selected half dozen of
the finest, intending to have fry, never having
tasted such regal dish. These victims were
placed in basket, and left at night in a cellar.
The next day ir,panting gills proclaimed that
life was not yet extinct. placed them in a
tub of water and in few minutes all but one
recovered their spirits and swan about as though
nothing had happened; thus escaping the fry
ing pan to spend the remainder of their days in
glass bowl. "f
There are some fish who feed upon living prey,
and yet have not the power to pursue them. AS
the spider weaves her web to entrap her winged
prey more active than herself, so does the Devil
or Angler fish resort to stratagem to satisfy his
voracious appetite. The next time the reader
SECS one exposed at Groves shop in Bond Street,
London, which is not unlrequently the caso, we
advise him to stop and examine it, Upon the
head are two long slender appendagcs the first
Of thom-5road and iattened towards the end q,
and having at this dilated part a shining slvery
APPEARANCES articulated to the head by pc
culiar joint, resembling that betwcrn two links
Of chain. There arc numerous MUSCLES attach
ed, by which the fish is enabled to move it in
all directions. The second fishing rod, as it may
properly bo called, can be moved only ina back
ward and forward direction. Digging hole in
the soft mud, this wary fisherman conceals hi,
body, and then, by moving his baits about, at
tracts the wandering and unsuspicioas small fry.
When they are collected in sufficient numbers,
this seamonster suddenly jumps from his hiding
place, and entraps them in his capacious jaws,
which are admirably adapted for this purpose.
The Torpedo, the Cramp or Numb fish, as it
is justly called, is another instance of fish pro-
curing his food without pursuit. 1t has been
provided, by kind foresight, with a sort of gal
vanic battery, by which it is enabled to arrest
and obtain for food the more active inhabitants
Of the deep. There have been, quite lately,
added to the Museum of the College of Surgeons
in London, some splendid wax models of this
wonderful apparatus. If the reader inspect
them, he will never become a laughing stock to
the fishermen who catch these fish. They place
living specimen on the sea-shore, and invite
the stranger to pour stream of water upon it :;
he does SO ; the fish gives powerful shock that
is received in the arm of the experimenter, who
then fully understands, from his sensation, why
it is called the " Numb Fish," ..-.-
Many modes are used by man to capture fish.
An old recipe is to put 80 much lead into glass
vessel as will make it snk--upon the lead strew
some herbs, and on the herbs place some live
glow worms. Draw this vessel from one side Of
the stream to the other The fish attracted by
the light will follow it, and be easily secured by
a landing net. There is mode of attracting
perch, used by anglers in some parts of England,
which is but little known. 1t is to place into a
narrow-nccked decanter or water bottle some
live minnows, and sink it to the proper depth.
The minnows cannot get out, and the perch, not
understanding the natu &c of glass, flock around
the BOTTLE endeavoring to get at its contents.
The angler then bats his hook with a live min
now, and fishes in the neighborhood Of the de-
coy. This isgenerally rewarded with good sport.
Another dccoy used by fresh-water fishermen,
when fishing for what are commonly called white
fish, is to cut off the crusty bottom of common
loaf, and pass string through the centre.
When sunk in the water, the fish will feed on
this in safety, and being thus put Oft their
guard, will readily swallow the pellet OF dough
incosing the hook There is another more Gu
rious and more modern way of fishing, at pres
cnt practiced by not few persons. What does
the reader think of an iron hammer as bait
To lay foundations of some new works in the
island of Alderney, divers are employed these
men enclosed in India-rubber armor, are strange
sights at the bottom of tho ocean, The fish ut
first feel alarmed at the untoward apparition,
with its huge glass-goggle eyes; but soon re-
covering confidence, approach to satisfy them
selves of the real nature Of the intruder. The
monster raises his hammer which he has brought
with him to quarray the rocks the curious fish
come up and inspect it; while doing so they re-
ceiye sudden knock on tho head which stuns
them and when they recover their senses, they
find a bit Of string through their gills, and
themselves prisoners tied fast to the India-rub-
bcr monster. "a ...1., t,a.,,,s. s, r.d,
On one occasion diver had fight under wa
ter with one of tho rightful inhabitants Of the