386 plit^y's natiteal history. [Book IX. 



however, the parts about the tail have the most nutriment^' in 

 them. The pelamides are cut up into small sections, known 

 as *' apolecti;"*^ and these again are divided into cubical 

 pieces, which are thence called **cybia."^^ 



CHAP. 19. THE ATJRIAS AND THE SCOMBER. 



All kinds of fish grow*- with remarkable rapidity, and more 

 especially those in the Euxine ; the reason^ of which is the 

 vast number of rivers which discharge their fresh water into 

 it. One fish, the growth of which is quite perceptible, day by 

 day, is known as the amia,*'' This fish, and the pelamides, 

 together with the tunnies,'^ enter the Euxine in shoals, for 

 the purpose of obtaining a sweeter nutriment, each under the 

 command of its own leader ; but first of all the scomber*^ ap- 



■what Pliny says, as to the difference of flavour in these various parts of the 

 tunny. He refers to Cetti, 1st. Nat. di Sardegna^ vol. iii. p. 137. 



3^ "Exercitatissima." " In greatest request, as being most stirred and 

 exercised," is the translation given by Holland ; while Littre renders it 

 "raieux nourries," *' best nomished." According to the general notion in 

 this country, the part about the tail is reckoned inferior, and anything but 

 the "best nourished." It is doubtful if " exercitatissima" is the correct 

 reading ; and if it is, its precise meaning has yet to be ascertained. 



^ From the Greek dTroXsKroi, '< choice bits," or, as we should say, 

 " tit-bits." 



^^ From the Greek KvfBia. 



*2 Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. vi. c. 16. 



■^3 Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. viii. c. 25. 



4^ This fish does not seem to have been exactly identified till recently ; 

 but was generally supposed to have been of the tunny genus. Appian 

 says, that it is rather smaller than the tunny, Rondelet, B. viii., speaks of 

 it as being, in his time, known by the name of " byza." Cuvier has the fol- 

 lowing remark. " The ' amia' of the ancients, as Rondelet was well aware, 

 was the same fish, to which, incorrectly, upon nearly all the coasts of the 

 Mediterranean, the name of ' pelamis' has been transferred. It is, in 

 fact, the same as the 'limosa' of Salvianus, the 'pelamis' of Belon, 

 the ' thynnus primus' of Aldrovandus, and the 'scomber sarda' of Bloch. 

 The proof of all these being synonymous, is the fact, that the ' scomber sarda' 

 is the only species of the tunny genus in the j\iediterranean, which has 

 strong, sharp, cutting teeth, and is capable of attacking large fish, which 

 Aristotle relates respecting the amia. Hist. Anim. B. ix. c. 37. The same i 

 author too, was well aware of the length of its gall-bladder, which is greater i 

 than in most other fishes." 



^5 Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. viii. c. 16. 



*6 Generally supposed, as Cuvier says, to have been the same as the 

 mackerel, or Scomber scombrus of Linnaeus, and with very fair reason. 

 From the frequent remarks made on the subject by the Roman poets, we 



