FISHES. 135 



my observation here, were some centipedes, 

 adorned with brilliant hues, and two butterflies, 

 too closely resembling the Venessa cardui and 

 V. urtica, of England, to be easily separated 

 from those species. 



The fish around this coast are somewhat nu- 

 merous, and form the chief dependence of the 

 bulk of the population. The principal varieties 

 are coal-fish, which bear a high price in the 

 market ; cavalloes ; bonita ; albacore ; (called 

 St. Helena beef, by sailors ;) mackarel, (Scomber 

 scomber J very abundant, and constantly in the 

 anchorage ; and conger-eels. A great number 

 of boats are daily employed in fishing, either 

 with hook and line, or by a process termed 

 "jigging," and which consists in sprinkling some 

 bait on the sea to attract the fish to the surface, 

 when they are swept out of the water by a stick, 

 armed with many hooks. Flying-fish, of very 

 large size, are often driven on the beach in front 

 of the town ; but, although their flavour is very 

 delicious, the islanders have an inveterate pre- 

 judice against using them as food. The porcu- 

 pine-fish, (Diodon hystrioc,) or " lanthorn-fish" 

 of the residents, is also common on the coast. 



Until very recently, a Horticultural Society 

 existed on this island ; and many private indivi- 

 duals still continue to exert themselves in a 



