AND THE FISH THEREOF. 145 



mar; this term includes all mollusks, such as Oysters {Ostriche), the Solen 

 siliqua {Cape lung he), the Rock-borers (P/iolas dactyl us) and the Date Shell 

 (Dattoli), the latter being considered a great delicacy ; likewise the Mussels, 

 JMytilus edulis {Pcdocchio) and Modiola barbata (Mussoli). The poorer 

 classes of Trieste and Venice consume a quantity of Pectines, chiefly Pecten 

 jacobecus {Cape sante), also Area Noce {Cofani di grotto), Cardium rusticum 

 {Cape tonde), Venus gallina {Peverozze), V. deeussata, Scrobiadaria piperita 

 (Caparozzoli). Pinna rudis, P. squamosa, P. imtricata {Ashire, or Palostnche), 

 are also eaten. 



Some Sea-snails are regularly sold at Trieste and other markets, such 

 as Helix sp. (Buovoli) and Murex brandaris {Garusoli), the latter often in 

 large quantities, overgrown by Actinia effceta. The Murex trunculus is 

 covered with a kind of slime of the brightest violet colour, from which the 

 purple of the Roman Caesars was made. 



The stranger will be struck in many markets by the appearance of Ascidia 

 microcosmtis, which looks anything but appetising ; in like manner the Sea 

 Urchins {Rizzi di mar), Echinus lividus and E. melo, which show signs of 

 life by the fact of their prickles being constantly in motion. They are 

 eaten, but only when they are in egg, and in this state they form an 

 important article of food in all southern waters. They are in season in 

 winter. Nardo says that they are not consumed at Venice. The most 

 prevalent is E. lividus, which is abundant, adhering to the rocks just below 

 the water-mark, and the small E. microtuberculatus. The large violet 

 E. brevispinosus, Risso, is not so common. It is armed with short white- 

 tipped prickles, and was formerly considered identical with the northern 

 species, E. esadentus. An Actinia (A. cereus) is also consumed by the poor 

 classes at Trieste and at Nice, whence Risso has called it A. edulis. 



Besides the foregoing produce, which is common to most fish-markets, 

 and is more or less prevalent according to the seasons in which each parti- 

 cular species occurs, there are other species, which form the exception. 

 The latter are looked upon as curiosities, and find their way into the hands 

 of the ichthyologist, if he be lucky, or, as is more frequently the case, they 

 are sold together with the other commoner kinds of fish without any special 



u 



