ftaputar Krtian<iri) of 9m'matrtf fixture. 707 | 



highly animal condition," &c. &c. "It is 

 worthy of remark, that very lately the Asci- 

 dians have again played a part in that 

 much-vexed question of the distinction be- 

 tween animals and vegetables." This port 

 of the subject is pursued, with much ability, 

 in the work from which the foregoing is 

 extracted, and to which we beg to refer our 

 readers. 



TUNNY. (Thynnut vulgaris.) This 

 Acanthopterygious fish has been known and 

 celebrated from a very remote period, and 

 at present forms a valuable source of profit 

 to the inhabitants of the northern coasts of 

 the Mediterranean and the island of Sicily, 

 where in the summer season they resort in 

 vast shoals, and are taken in large nets, or 

 by means of what the Italians call the ton- 

 iiiii-n. Though bearing a general resem- 

 blance to the Mackerel in form, it is a far 

 larger and stouter fish. Each jaw is fur- 

 nished with a row of small sharp-pointed 

 teeth, slightly curved inwards ; the tongue 

 and inside of the mouth very dark coloured ; 

 the cheeks are covered with long, narrow, 

 pointed scales ; the operculum smooth : the 

 dorsal and anal fins arc each followed by 

 nine small (inlets ; and the tail is crescent- 

 shaped. The upper part of the body is very' 

 dark blue ; the belly a light gray, spotted 

 with silvery white : the first dorsal fin, pec- 

 torals, and ventrals, black ; the second dorsal 

 and anal, nearly flesh-colour, with a silvery 

 tint ; the finlets above and below yellowish, 

 tidied with black. Mr. Yarrell, quoting the 

 MS. of Mr. Couch, states that " the Tunny 



TONHT. (THTNNO8 VOT.OARI8.) 



appears on the Cornish coast in summer and 

 autumn ; but is not often token, because it 

 does not swallow a bait, or at least the 

 fishermen use no bait that is acceptable to 

 it ; and its size and strength seldom suffer 

 it to become entangled in their nets. It 

 feeds on Pilchards, Herrings, and perhaps 

 most other small fishes ; but the Skipper 

 (Esox saurus) seems to be a favourite prey ; 

 for it not only compels it to seek another 

 element for safety, but will also spring to a 

 considerable height after it, usually across 

 its course, at the same time attempting to 

 strike down its prey with its tail." 



The Tunny sometimes acquires an im- 

 mense size, some haying been taken which 

 measured nine feet in length, and weighed 

 five hundred pounds : the specimens, how- 

 ever, do not usually exceed from three to 

 four feet. The flesh is considered very de- 

 licious, though very solid food ; as firm as 

 Sturgeon, but of a finer flavour. It is dressed 

 in a variety of ways in France ; served as a 

 ragout, as soup, plain broiled or fried, made 

 into pies, or pickled and eaten cold, as we 

 eat pickled salmon. [See BOXITO.] 



TUPAIA. A genus of remarkable in- 

 sectivorous animals, of which there ore only 

 three species at present known, and these 

 are found in Sumatra and Java. Their 

 habits ore diurnal, and they feed on fruit 

 and insects ; but instead of being decidedly 

 terrestrial, they lead the life of Squirrels, 

 whose appearance they greatly resemble, 

 and whose sprightliness and activity they 

 almost rival. They have soft glistening hair 

 and a long bushy toil ; and were it not for 

 their long, pointed muzzle, they could not 

 be easily distinguished at a distance from 

 Squirrels. The name of Banxring i as often 

 given to this animal as Tupaia, 



TURBINELLA. A genm of marine 

 Mollusca, inhabiting a large, heavy, and 

 rather fusiform shell ; turbinated ; thick and 

 wide near the apex ; spire short ; aperture 

 rather narrow, terminating anteriorly in an 

 open canal ; left lip with from three to five 

 distinct plaits, which are at right angles with 

 the axis of the shell. They are found in the 

 Indian and African oceans. 



TURBO : TURBINID.53. A genu and 

 family of Gasteropodous Mollusca, character- 

 ized by having a shell of a regular turbinated 

 form, with an entire and rounded mouth. 

 The largest and perhaps the best-known 

 species is the Turbo marmoratus ; but there 

 are numerous others and we cannot, perhaps, 

 give a clearer or more interesting account of 

 the genus than is to be found in the " Popu- 

 lar Conchology " of Agnes Catlow : " Shell 

 rather turretted, base not flattened ; mouth 

 round ; lips not united ; outer lip thin ; an 

 operculum, shelly and solid. Animal, head 

 having two pointed tentacula, with eyes at 

 the base ; foot short. Thirty-four species 

 recent, and four fossil. The shells of thii 

 genus, if placed upon their mouths, will 

 stand steadily in that position, with the 

 axis very much inclined. They are brought 

 from China, India, Africa, &c. The Turbo 

 littoreus, or common Periwinkle, is used by 

 mankind as an article of food, and is found 

 on the shores of England in great numbers. 

 In Sweden, where they also abound, they 

 serve to prognosticate the approaching state 

 of the weather; the peasants having observed 

 that whenever the periwinkles ascend the 

 rocks it is a sure sign of a storm being near, 

 as their instinct teaches them to place them- 

 selves out of the reach of the dashing of the 

 waves ; on the contrary, when they make a 

 descent upon the sand it is an indication of 

 a calm. In hot countries some species are 

 often seen on the trees near the coast, and 

 on the rocks elevated above the surface of 

 the water ; they remain stationary on the 

 latter during the hottest hours, even when it 

 is painful to walk on them from their great 

 heat : they leave the water early in the 

 morning, but return at night. These cir- 

 cumstances prove that, although marine, 

 many species are amphibious. These shells 

 are often highly iridescent ; and the mouth 

 in some species, as the Turbo cfirysostomus, 

 is of a deep and beautiful golden colour." 



TURBOT. (Pleuronectes maximus.) Of 

 all our Flatfishes this is both the best and 



