SEA-BREAMS. 97 



them dreadfully. Being a swift swimmer, it finds 

 abundant prey, and soon attains to a considerable 

 size. Willoughby observes, that small fishes of 

 this species are rarely taken ; and the same cir- 

 cumstance has been mentioned by later writers. 

 During the winter it prefers deep waters ; but in 

 the spring, or about May, it quits this retreat, 

 and approaches the entrance of great rivers, where 

 it deposits its spawn between the crevices of 

 stones and rocks. 



" The fisheries for this kind of Sparus are 

 carried on upon an extensive scale in the warmer 

 parts of Europe. In the estuaries of Dalmatia 

 and the Levant, the capture of this fish is an 

 object of material consideration, both to the in- 

 habitants generally as a wholesome and palatable 

 food when fresh, and to the mercantile interest of 

 those countries as an article of commerce. They 

 prepare the fish, according to ancient custom, by 

 cutting it in pieces, and packing it in barrels with 

 vinegar and spices, in which state it will keep 

 perfectly well for twelve months." 



3. The Cantharina contain but a single genus, 

 in which the teeth are numerous, minute, and 

 conical, placed in several rows ; those of the outer 

 row larger and more curved than the others. Of 

 this limited group, England possesses one species, 

 the Black Sea-bream {Cantharus lineatus, Mont.), 

 which is by no means uncommon. 

 . 4. The Obladina have the foremost range of 

 teeth compressed, placed close together,^ and armed 

 with a euttincr edf>'e, which is more or less 

 notched. This group contains only fifteen species, 

 several of which, found in the Mediterranean, 

 are distinguished by the metallic lustre of their 



H 



