FISHES IN GENERAL. 



613 



what tepified by the beams of the sun. They 

 then leave the deepest parts of the ocean, 

 which are the coldest, and shoal round the 

 coasts, or swim up the fresh-water rivers, 

 which are warm as they are comparatively 

 shallow. When they have deposited their 

 burdens, they then return to their old stations, 

 and leave their nascent progeny to shift for 

 themselves. 



The spawn continues in its egg-state in 

 some fish longer than in others, and this in 

 proportion to the animal's size. In the sal- 

 mon, tor instance, the young animal continues 

 in the egg from the beginning of December 

 till the beginning of April ; the carp continues 

 in the egg not above three weeks ; the little 

 gold fish from China, is produced still quicker. 

 These all, when excluded, at first escape by 

 their minuteness and agility. They rise, sink, 

 and turn, much readier than grown fish ; and 

 they can escape into very shallow waters 

 when pursued. But. with all their advantages, 

 scarcely one in a thousand survives the nu- 

 merous perils of its youth. The very male 

 and female that have given them birth, are 

 equally dangerous and formidable with the 

 rest, forgetting all relation at their depar- 

 ture. 



Such is the general picture of these heed- 

 less and hungry creatures: but there are 

 some in this class, living in the waters, that 

 are possessed of finer organs and higher sen- 

 sations; that have all the tenderness of birds 

 or quadrupeds for their young; that nurse 

 them with constant care, and protect them 

 from every injury. Of this class are the Ce- 

 taceous tribe, or the fishes of the whale kind. 

 There are others, though not capable of 

 nursing their young, yet that bring them alive 

 into the world, and defend them with courage 

 and activity. These are the Cartilaginous 

 kinds, or those who have gristles instead of 

 bones. But the fierce unmindful tribe we 

 have been describing, that leave their spivvn 

 without any protection, are called the Spi- 

 nous or bony kinds, from their bones resem- 

 bling the sharpness of thorns. 



Thus there are three grand divisions in the 



Though fishes live in a salt element, they do not sub- 

 sist on it. All the water they take into their mouths is 

 again discharged through the gills, after retaining the air 



fish kind ; the cetaceous, the cartilaginous, and 

 the spinous ; all differing from each other in 

 their conformation, their appetites, in their 

 bringing forth, and in the education of their 

 young. These three great distinctions are 

 not the capricious differences formed by a 

 maker of systems, but are strongly and firm- 

 ly marked in nature. These are the distinc- 

 tions of Aristotle; and they have been adopt- 

 ed by mankind ever since his time. It will 

 be necessary, therefore, to give the history of 

 each of these in particular; and then to range, 

 under each head, those fishes whose history 

 is the most remarkable; or, more properly 

 speaking, those of which we have any histo- 

 ry. For we shall find, when we come to any 

 of the species in particular, how little can be 

 said of their habits, their stations, or method 

 of propagation. 



Much, indeed, can be said of them if con- 

 sidered relatively to man ; and large books 

 have been written of the manner of taking fish ; 

 or of dressing them. Apicius is noted for 

 having first taught mankind to suffocate fish 

 in Carthaginian pickle ; and Quin, for giving 

 a sauce to the Johndory: Mrs. Glasse is fa- 

 mous for her eel-pie, and Mr. Tull for his in- 

 vention of spaying carp, to give it a finer fla- 

 vour. In this manner our cooks handle the 

 subject. On the other hand, our physicians 

 assure us that the flesh of fishes yields little 

 nourishment, and soon corrupts; that it 

 abounds in a gross sort of oil and water, and 

 hath but a few volatile particles, which ren- 

 der it less fit to be converted into the sub- 

 stance of our bodies. They are cold and 

 moist, and must needs, say they, produce 

 juices of the same kind, and consequently are 

 improper to strengthen the body. In this di- 

 versity of opinion, it is the wisest way to eat 

 our fish in the ordinary manner, and pay no 

 great attention to cooks or doctors. 



I cannot conclude this chapter without put- 

 ting a question to the learned, which, I con- 

 fess, I am not able to resolve. How comes it 

 that fish, which are bred in a salt element, 

 have yet no salt to the taste, or that is capa- 

 ble of being extracted from them ? a 



contained in it for the purposes of life. The medium of 

 water answers the precise purpose to fishes, that the me- 

 dium of air does to man and other land animals. In in- 

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