106 



parasite is made to marry the courtesan, with whom the head 

 finally rested. 



The Maigre, however, seems almost to have become for- 

 gotten at Paris ; and Duhamel has afforded a clue that ex- 

 plains it. The fish has shifted its ground ; and had, at the 

 time the observation was made, taken up a new locality, near- 

 ly a hundred leagues distant from its previous position. 



The southern side of the Mediterranean appears to be the 

 situation in which the young of the Maigre are produced in 

 the greatest numbers ; and examples of small size have been 

 brought from Egypt. The specimens that are taken on the 

 northern shore are usually of large size. At Genoa, this fish 

 is called fegaro; and at Nice, according to M. Risso, /gem, 

 and vanloo. 



The Maigre is occasionally taken off the coast of Spain ; 

 and Duhamel considered it a fish that wandered continually, 

 generally swimming in small shoals, and seldom remaining 

 long in a place. In 1 803, the fishermen of Dieppe caught 

 nine or ten of these fishes, which were unknown to them 

 before, and to which they gave the name of aigle. Speci- 

 mens have also been taken occasionally since ; and it has been 

 observed, that, when these fishes are swimming in shoals, 

 they utter a grunting or purring noise, that may be heard 

 from a depth of twenty fathoms ; and, taking advantage of 

 this circumstance, three fishermen once took twenty Maigres 

 by a single sweep of their net. They are described as pos- 

 sessing great strength, frequently upsetting the men in their 

 struggles ; and they are accordingly knocked on the head as 

 soon as they are got into the boat. 



As we advance northward, the Maigre becomes more rare. 

 One specimen, five feet four inches in length, was taken in 

 Zetland, in November 1819, as recorded by Mr. Neill. It 

 was first observed by some fishermen, as it was endeavouring 

 to escape from a seal ; and when taken into the boat, made 



