%6x SWORD FISH. Class IT* 



Mamaffu di pajanu, 

 Paletta di pajanu, 

 Majuffu di ftignela, 

 Palettu di paenu pale, 

 Pale la ftagnetta, 

 Mancuta lligneta. 

 Pro naftu, vardu, preflu da 

 Vifu & da terra* 



But this ufe of charmed words is not confined to 

 Sicily -, the Irijh have their fong at the taking of 

 the razor mell*, and the Cornijh theirs, at the 

 taking of the whittle fifli. 



The fword fifh is faid to be very voracious, and 

 that it is a great enemy to the Tunny, who (ac- 

 cording to Belon) are as much terrified with it as 

 fheep are at the fight of a wolf. 



Ac durus Xiphias, iftu non mitior enfts ; 

 Et pavidi magno fugientes agmine Thunni. 



Ovid. Halieut. 97. 



Sharp as a fword the Xiphias does appear ; 

 And crowds of flying Tunnies ftruck with fear. 



Si as. It grows to a very large fize ; the head of one, 



with the pectoral fins, found on the more near 

 Laugharn, in Caermarthenjhire^ alone weighing fe- 

 venty-five pounds : the fnout was three feet long, 

 rough, and hard, but not hard enough to pene- 

 trate fhips and fink them, as Pliny pretends * 



* Xiphiam, id eft, Gladium, roftro mucronato ejfe, ah hoc 

 ■naves psrfojfas mergi inocea.no, Plin, Lib, xxxn. c, 11. 



The 



