274 



HISTORY OF FISHES. 



others that are terrible and noxious. With 

 respect to their uses, indeed, as we shall soon 

 see, they differ much ; but the similitude 

 among them, as to their nature, appetites, and 

 conformation, is perfect and entire. They are 

 all as voracious as they are plenty ; and as 

 dangerous to a stranger, as useful to him who 

 can distinguish their differences. 



Of all the larger fish of the sea, these are 

 the most numerous ; and they owe their num- 

 bers to their size. Except the white shark 

 and cachalot alone, there is no other fish that 

 has a swallow large enough to take them in ; 

 and their spines make them a still more dan- 

 gerous morsel. Yet the size of some is such, 

 that even the shark himself is unable to de- 

 vour them ; we have seen some of them in 

 England weigh above two hundred pounds ; 

 but that is nothing to their enormous bulk in 

 other parts of the world. Labat tells us of a 

 prodigious ray that was speared by the Ne- 

 groes at Guadaloupe, which was thirteen feet 

 eight inches broad, and above ten feet from 

 the snout to the insertion of the tail. The tail 

 itself was in proportion, for it was no less 

 than fifteen feet long, twenty inches broad at 

 its insertion, and tapering to a point. The 

 body was two feet in depth ; the skin as thick 

 as leather, and marked with spots ; which 

 spots, in all of this kind, are only glands, that 

 supply a mucus to lubricate and soften the 

 skin. This enormous fish was utterly unfit 

 to be eaten by Europeans ; but the Negroes 

 chose out some of the nicest bits, and carefully 

 salted them up as a most favourite provision. 



Yet, large as this may seem, it is very pro- 

 bable that we have seen only the smallest of 

 the kind ; as they generally keep at the bot- 

 tom, the largest of the kind are seldom seen ; 

 and as they may probably have been growing 

 for ages, the extent of their magnitude is un- 

 known. It is generally supposed, however, 

 that they are the largest inhabitants of the 

 deep ; and, were we to credit the Norway 

 bishop, there are some above a mile over. But 

 to suppose an animal of such a magnitude is 

 absurd ; yet the overstretching the supposition 

 does not destroy the probability that animals 

 of this tribe grow to an enormous size. 



The ray generally chooses for its retreat 

 such parts of the sea as have a black muddy 

 bottom ; the large ones keep at greater depths; 

 but the smaller approach the shores, and feed 

 upon whatever living animals they can sur- 

 prise, or whatever putrid substances they meet 

 with. As they are ravenous, they easily take 

 the bait, yet will not touch it if it be taken 

 up and kept a day or two out of water. 

 Almost all fish appear much more delicate 

 with regard to a baited hook than their ordin- 

 ary food. They appear by their manner to 

 perceive the line, and to dread it ; but the im- 



pulse of their hunger is too great for their 

 caution ; and, even though they perceive the 

 danger, if thoroughly hungry they devour the 

 destruction. 



These fish generate in March and April; 

 at which time only they are seen swimming 

 near the surface of the water, several of the 

 males pursuing one female. They adhere so 

 fast together in coition, that the fishermen 

 frequently draw up both together, though only 

 one has been hooked. The females are pro- 

 lific to an extreme degree ; there having been 

 no less than three hundred eggs taken out of 

 the body of a single ray. These eggs are 

 covered with a tough horny substance, which 

 they acquire in the womb ; for before they 

 descend into that, they are attached to the 

 ovary pretty much in the same manner as in 

 the body of a pullet. From this ovary, or 

 egg-bag, as it is vulgarly called, the fish's 

 eggs drop one by one into the womb, and there 

 receive a shell by the concretion of the fluids 

 of that organ. When come to proper matur- 

 ity, they are excluded, but never above one 

 or two at a time, and often at intervals of three 

 or four hours. These eggs, or purses, as the 

 fishermen call them, are usually cast about 

 the beginning of May, and they continue 

 casting during the whole summer. In Octo- 

 ber, when their breeding ceases, they are ex- 

 ceedingly poor and thin ; but in November 

 they begin to improve, and grow gradually 

 better till May, when they are in the highest 

 perfection. 



It is chiefly during the winter season that 

 our fishermen take them ; but the Dutch, who 

 are indefatigable, begin their operations earlier, 

 and fish with better success than we. The 

 method practised by the fishermen of Scar- 

 borough is thought to be the best among the 

 English ; and, as Mr Pennant has given a 

 very succinct account of it, I will take leave 

 to present it to the reader. 



" When they go out to fish, each person is 

 provided with three lines : each man's lines 

 are fairly coiled upon a flat oblong piece of 

 wicker-work ; the hooks being baited and 

 placed very regularly in the centre of the coil. 

 Each line is furnished with two hundred and 

 eighty hooks, at the distance of six feet two 

 inches from each other. The hooks are fas- 

 tened to lines of twisted horse-hair, twenty- 

 seven inches in length. 



" When fishing, there are always three 

 men in each coble ; and consequently nine of 

 these lines are fastened together, and used as 

 one line, extending in length near three miles, 

 and furnished with above two thousand five 

 hundred hooks. An anchor and a buoy are 

 fixed at the first end of the line, and one more 

 at each end of each man's lines ; in all, four 

 anchors, and four buoys made of leather or 



