26 BALLAN WRASS. 



Observations such as these can only be supposed the sport 

 of a lively imagination, but it is certain that in ancient times 

 the fishes of this family were more observed, and held in 

 higher estimation than now they are, and, indeed, as food they 

 deserve to be. Pliny even calls Wrasses " Turdi nobiles inter 

 sexatiles" noble among fishes that frequent rocks; and Columella 

 appears to give countenance to the same opinion by informing 

 us that they were among the principal which the Romans 

 kept in their salt-water stagna or ponds, and "quarem pretia 

 vigent" which sold for a good price; to which Oppian adds 

 his suffrage by calling them delicate Wrasses. With us they 

 are scarcely thought worthy of the trouble of conveying them 

 to market, their flesh being considered soft and pulpy, without 

 any distinguishing taste; but it is proper we should add, that 

 although the Wrass is generally as little valued in Ireland as 

 in England, we learn from Mr. Thompson, in his natural history 

 of that country, it is otherwise in Galway; where a regular 

 fishery for taking it is carried on, and it is preferred to most 

 other sorts of fish. The truth, indeed, appears to lie between 

 the two extremes, for when skilfully cooked it may maintain 

 competition with some kinds that are held in better estimation. 

 Perhaps we may gather from Rondeletius some help that 

 may assist us in explaining this variety of opinion in regard 

 to the estimation in which this and some other fishes have 

 been held as food at one time, and the dislike or neglect 

 shewn to them at another. He remarks that the ancient 

 Romans never ate their fish but with an artificial taste; so that 

 their cooks were accustomed to shew their skill by dressing 

 them with spices, a variety of herbs, and such strange sauces 

 as we have already described. What would have tasted salt 

 was rendered sweet with honey or sugar, and the insipid was 

 highly seasoned. That which was tasteless was seasoned with 

 onions, leeks, garlic, or omphacium, (a kind of oil or rob from 

 the unripe olive, or the grape,) and vinegar; and these ingre- 

 dients were perhaps necessary to render palatable what may 

 have been long out of water in a warm climate. It is a 

 remark sometimes made by our own fishermen that they could 

 not eat what of this sort often finds access to a gentleman's 

 table. 



The Wrass is fished for from rocks overhanging the coast, or 



