MAIGRE. 105 



by his great talents and acquirements, his excellent memory, 

 and the extensive materials by which he was surrounded, 

 forms one of the most valuable features of all that part of the 

 work on fishes he was spared to accomplish. It may be suf- 

 ficient here to state, that, in the Histoire Naturdle des 

 Poissons, the three best-known species of the Mediterranean 

 Sea have been considered the types of three genera, two of 

 which will belong to British Fishes. 



The name of Scttena, as a generic term, has been given to 

 those species which exhibit the peculiarities included in the 

 generic characters, of which Sci&na aquila, the Maigre of 

 the French, forms the type, or most characteristic example. 



This fish, the largest and the most remarkable, is also the 

 most common in certain localities ; and is celebrated for the 

 goodness of its flesh. Salvianus has correctly described it 

 under the name of Umbrina, but considered it the Maigre of 

 the French. Rondeletius calls it Peis Rei (Royal Fish). 

 It appears always to have been in great request with epicures ; 

 and, as on account of its large size it was always sold in 

 pieces, the fishermen of Rome were in the habit of presenting 

 the head, which was considered the finest part, as a sort of 

 tribute to the three local magistrates who acted for the time 

 as conservators of the city. 



Paulus Jovius relates a curious history of a head of one 

 of these fishes, presented, as usual, to the conservators in the 

 reign of Pope Sextus X. ; given by them to the Pope^s 

 nephew ; by him to one of the Cardinals ; from whom it 

 passed as a noble donation to his banker, to whom he was 

 deeply indebted ; and from the banker to his courtesan. 

 It was followed through all its migrations by a parasite, 

 whose industry was rewarded by at length partaking of the 

 feast. This story forms much of the underplot of Beau- 

 mont and Fletcher's " Woman-Hater ;" where, as the con- 

 dition of his becoming a sharer in the exquisite morsel, the 



