FISH.] NATURAL HISTORY. in 



Fire-drake [Will-o'-th'-Wisp]. 



KING HENRY VIII., v. 4, 45. 



THAT which is spoken of the poison of dragons infecting 

 the air wherein they live is to be understood of the meteor 

 called a Fire-drake, which doth many times destroy the 

 fruits of the earth, seeming to be a certain burning fire in 

 the air, sometime on the sea, and sometime on the land. 



Topsell, "History of Serpents," p. 713. 



How many oaths flew toward heaven, 



Which ne'er came half-way thither, but, like Fire-drakes, 



Mounted a little, gave a crack, and fell. 



Middleton, "Your Five Gallants," iii. 2. 



IT may be, 'tis but a glow-worm now, but 'twill 

 Grow to a Fire-drake presently. 



Beaumont and Fletcher , "Beggar's Bush," v. I. 



Fish. 



FISH licketh the earth and watery herbs, and so get they 

 meat and nourishing. Also they be called Reptilia, creeping, 

 because in swimming they seem as they did creep ; for in 

 swimming they creep, though they sink down to the bottom. 

 Also Fish love their children, and feed and nourish them 

 long time. All Fish feed and keep their birds [/'.*., young 

 ones], out take frogs. Some Fish be gendered, without 

 eggs or peasen [spawn], of slime and of ooze, of gravel 

 and of rottenness that is upon the water. And there is a 

 Fish that hight a Lamprey, that of his like conceiveth not, 

 but of an adder, which he calleth to love with hissing. 

 And therefore fishers call it with hissing and whistling, and 

 eth her in that wise. Unneath she dieth, though she be 

 mit with a staff; and if she be smit with a rod, she dieth 

 anon. It is certain that the soul of the Fish is in the 

 tail ; for unneath she is slain, though she be smit on the 

 head ; and if she be smit on the tail, or if the tail be 

 smit ofF, she dieth anon. And the contrary is of the ser- 

 pent, for if the head be broke and bruised or cut off, the 

 serpent dieth anon ; and if the tail be smitten, he liveth 



