A familiar history of the British fishes |
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Common terms and phrases
abundant animals appearance approach attach attains bait beautiful belonging boat body bottom British brown called caught CHAPTER close coast colour common considerable Couch covered creatures deep water described distinguished dorsal eyes fact feeds feet fins fish fishermen five flesh four frequently fresh genus given habits hand head inches inhabitants interesting keep kinds known land length lines living mackerel means Mediterranean minute motion mouth naturalists nature northern notice numbers observed occasionally parent pectoral fins pounds present prey quantities rare remain remarkable resembles rivers round Salmon sand says season seems seen seldom Shark shoals shores side similar singular smaller Sole sometimes spawn species specimens spines spring Stickleback stones surface swim tail taken teeth usually various watching whole Yarrell young
Popular passages
Page 147 - The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.
Page 161 - Forthwith the sounds and seas, each creek and bay, With fry innumerable swarm, and shoals Of fish, that with their fins and shining scales Glide under the green wave, in sculls that oft Bank the mid sea...
Page 212 - O Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Page 98 - Our plenteous streams a various race supply, The bright-eyed perch with fins of Tyrian dye, The silver eel, in shining volumes roll'd, The yellow carp, in scales bedropp'd with gold, Swift trouts, diversified with crimson stains, And pikes, the tyrants of the watery plains. Now Cancer glows with Phoebus...
Page 146 - ... glorious luminary; I raised one pious aspiration to the divine source of light and life; I was immediately stunned by the thunder of the fall and my eyes were closed in darkness. How long I remained insensible I know not. My first recollections after this accident were of a bright light shining above me, of warmth and pressure in different parts of my body, and of the noise of the rushing cataract sounding in my ears. I seemed awakened by the light from a sound sleep, and endeavoured to recall...
Page 63 - IT was evident that the bay was full of mackerel. In every direction, and as far as the eye could range, gulls and puffins were collected, and, to judge by their activity and clamour, there appeared ample employment for them among the fry beneath. We immediately bore away for the place where these birds were most numerously congregated, and the lines were scarcely overboard when we found ourselves in the centre of a shoal of mackerel.
Page 250 - But it is while lying thus bloated and passive at the mercy of the waves, that this animal is really most secure ; for the numerous spines, with which the surface of the body is universally beset, are raised and erected by the stretching out of the skin, thus presenting an armed front to the enemy, on whatever side he may venture to begin the attack.