Myth of the Ship-holder. 283 



Echeneis or Remora which, so far as I have been able to 

 find, is the earliest portrayal of the sucking-fish. This is 

 reproduced herein as fig. 5 (PL XVI.). It correctly shows 

 the projecting- lower jaw, the position and general make-up 

 of the sucking-disk, and the position of all fins, especially 

 the long dorsal and ventral ones. The tail is not good. It 

 is probably a Remora, since there is no effort to portray the 

 lateral stripe of Echeneis. The crudity of the figure is, of 

 course, apparent, but it is the first, and it is a fair portrayal. 

 The disk is clearly shown, and in the description its function 

 is definitely indicated for the first time in history * 



We come now to another original story of the wonderful 

 power of the Remora. It is quoted from Ekman (who will 

 be referred to later), who says that it was told by Bartolomeo 

 Crescentio Romano in his book ' Nautica Mediterranean 

 published at Rome in 1607. This book I have not seen. 



" . . . . and I must tell you about another deed of the 

 devil, because you must know in how many ways this enemy 

 of mankind works against poor seamen. 



" On a voyage from Gaeta to Napoli, the galley ' S. Lucia/ 

 when sailing before a fresh wind and being two miles from 

 port, stopped quite immovable in spite of her sail being- 

 strained. The steersman examined the rudder to see 

 whether there was some rope or net fastened to it, and as 

 nothing was found, he commanded the oars to be got out 

 and the galley slaves to be forced on with hard blows. Rut 

 the galley did not move from the spot, and when she had 

 been lying motionless for a quarter of a hour or more, the 

 other galleys, which had sailed on, shortened sails, waiting. 

 Then a man named Catelauo told the captain .... to have 

 three monks removed from the deck of the galley, and 

 averred that the galley would then immediately begin to 

 move ; and when the captain had them removed, the galley 

 certainly did begin to speed like an arrow. 



"Then all the men were about to throw these three poor 

 fellows into the sea, saying that they were excommuni- 

 cated ; but the same man Catelano helped them saying, that 

 this was a strategem of the devil to the detriment of the 

 monks ; and he obtained permission that they should only 

 be taken from the vessel. 



" This occurrence would have caused scientific men to 

 suppose that a very small fish, resisting the progress of the 



* The above figure and description are taken from the f 599 edition of 

 Imperato's book found in the library of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia. For it 1 am indebted to the kindness of Dr. Edward J. 

 Nolan, Librarian. 



