NORTHERN MEMOIRS. 167 



vered her with water ; for I am confident it ex- 

 ceeded not the depth of one foot ; where, with 

 her tail she rigled to and fro, so long and oft, till 

 I visibly discovered a flat slaty blewish stone, 

 over which she oft-times contracted her body ; 

 nature provoking her to eject her belly, which 

 at last she accomplish'd, to my surprizing amaze- 

 ment. 



But this was not all ; for as soon as that pro- 

 ject was performed by the female, with most ac- 

 curate swiftness, she lanched herself forth into 

 the more solid depths ; which was no sooner per- 

 formed, when as suddenly I recovered the view 

 of another, as afterwards will appear by the fol- 

 lowing circumstances : For out of that solitary 

 and profound depth of water, wherein the female 

 had concealed herself, there sprung up a male 

 (or something like him) that swam directly as if 

 hal'd with a cord, to that very place where the 

 former fish had ejected her belly, (but some call 

 it spawn) and there performed such an admira- 

 ble office, as you will hardly believe, though I 

 tell you the truth. 



Theoph. However, this is remarkable ; pray, 

 let us have it. 



Am. The female, I have told you, has shot 

 her belly upon a large and blewish slaty stone ; 

 and the male, as by instinct, to discharge his of- 

 fice, dilates his fins, and futters about, till at last 



