The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-09-07

spices and vinegar; and 1t is eaten here
10 some extent.
When young the lamprey is blind
and toothless. IL lies buried i'm moist
sand mixed with mud in small creelxs
and rivers. 1t usually remains without
teeth and with its eyes in a rudimcn-
tary state up TO the age of three or four
years, when II is from one TO two feet
In length. The lamprey at the aqua
rum Is not an adult, but II has adult
characteristics ms TO teeth. When the
lamprey' month is closed II has saout
somewhat similar TO that of the eel.
When it is open II is disk within
which appear numerous conccntrio
rows OF teeth of different shapes and
sizes. some singlc-pointcd, some having
two points, and some three points. Tho
teeth are smallest in the outer rows,
and grow larger the nearer they get To-
the center. Other teeth on its tongue
are arranged like the teeth of comb;
the upper jaw has a single tooth with
two points close together, and the lower
jaw has tooth-bearing plate with q
number of points like the teeth of a
saw.
The lamprey's open mouth makes Q
sucking disk by means of which II can
cling fast 10 any object 10 which it at
taches itself, such as fish or stone
or the glass of an aquarium tank, az
here shown in the picture. II has good
propelling power and Is a fast swim
mer, but il is seldom found swimming.
When at rest IL usually attaches itself
somewhere, and IL can hold on against
very strong flow. Lnmpreys go from
the sea mp fresh water streams 10
spawn, and with the aid of the dislr
work their way up waterfalls. prac-
tically climbing from rock TO rock. Ar
irving Mt their spawning ground they
make nests, which are conical heaps Of
stone. The eggs, which are small, arc
deposited in the crevices. In moving
stones to form the nest two or three
lampreys may fastcn their disks TO
stone weighing two or three pounds
and pull and wriggle, and so move 10
several feet.
When the lamprcy has set It's disk ON
fish IL uses first the teeth Of the up
per and lower jaws 10 cut through tho
skin. The tongue teeth are curved
backward slightly at the points, and
with them IL holds on. It feeds itself
with the rasp-lilxe teeth OF the cQncen-
trio rows. Lamprcys have been found
inside fish. having burrowcd their why
In. Usually the lamprey remains
attached upon the outside. After
boring In to the depth of quarter OF
an inch IL Is likely TO shift its position
and attack the fish at another point, let
ting go when IL hns had enough TO eat.
1t attaches itself to surgeons and
other fish, and holds on with great
tcnacity. KS body bends In close to
the body OF the fish, and however rap
idly the fish may swim the lamprcy
holds on easily. The fish may try To
detnch the lamprcy by rubbing against
something, and sometimes IL succeeds
In this effort, but oftener the lamprey
stays Large surgeons have been
taken with two lampreys attached 70
them and with IsarlSs showing where
these or other lnlapreys had fastened
themselves. Smaller lamprcys attack
large herring and menhaden and shad.
and often they kill the fish TO which
they attach themselves
Fishermen dig young lnmprcys out
Of the muddy sand In which they are
buried for use as bait. Whole LAM
preys from three to five inches In
length make fine bait for trolling for
striped bass and larger young lamprcys
are cut into pieces TO bait hoolfs on set
lines
The salt water lamprey has dark,
blush back. with irregular black
spots. It's under body Is grayish white.
on duh pearl IN color. The fresh water
lampreys arc smaller. and are uniform
In color all around the body They
may be OF n dark slate color, or Of al
most a chestnut brown. Their teeth
are somewhat differently arranged
from those of the salt water lnmprey.
but they are used In a similar manner.
m Y. Sunday Sun.