118 



ZEUS. 



The body deep and much compressed; head sloping; upper h'p formed 

 by a membranous band. The general outline approaching to an oval. 

 Gape wide, jaws capable of great protrusion. Two dorsal fins, the 

 first having spinous rays. Stout spines along the roots of the dorsal 

 and anal fins, and along the belly. Ventral fins thoracic. 



DOREE. 



JOHN DOREE. 



Doree, Jonston; Tab. 17, f. 2. 



Faher, Willoughby; p. 294, Tab. S. 16. 



Zeus faher, Linn^us. Cuvier. Bloch; pi. 41. 



Donovan; pi. 8. This aud Bloch'a 

 figure are not good. 

 " " Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 218. 



JenYxNS; Manual, p. 367. 

 " " Yabkell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 183. 



Gunther; Cat. Br. M., vol. ii, p. 393. 

 Zee forgeron, Lacepede. Risso. 



There rests some obscurity on the history and meaning of 

 the ancient and scientific names of this fish, which in the Greek 

 of Oppian appears to be Chalkeus, (XaX/cew,) or the Copper 

 Smith; and the Greek name of the more exalted of the gods 

 of the heathen, which was selected by Artedi as the designation 

 of the genus {Zev<;,) was applied to it by the Romans of the 

 most ancient times, according to Columella, with the addition 

 also of Faber, or the Workman. It would be vain to offer a 

 guess on the cause of these high-sounding denominations, which 

 probably had their origin, in times of high antiquity, from some 

 such superstitious notion as supposed the Eel to be the em- 

 bodiment of an evil spirit, and forbad the nse of Surmullet as 

 food, according to the doctrine of Pythagoras; but, taking an 



