FISHES IN GENERAL. id? 



tree, and fuppofed to offer the fame information : for, as in trees we can 

 tell their age by the number of their circles, fo in fifhes we can tell theirs 

 by the number of circles in every fcale, reckoning one ring for every 

 year of the animal's exiftence. By this method M. Buffon found a carp, 

 whofe fcalca he examined, to be not lefs than an hundred years old. 

 Gefner brings us an inftance of one of the fame age; and Albertus of 

 one more than double that period. The age of the fkate and il|e ray, 

 that want fcales, may be known by feparatingthe joints of the back-bone, 

 and then minutely obfervingthe number of rings which the furface, where 

 it was joined, exhibits. But thefe methods may be, and probably are, 

 very imperfe(ft. 



But their longevity is nothing, compared to their fecundity. All (a 

 few of the larger excepted) multiply by hundreds, and fome by millions. 

 Some bring forth their young alive; fome produce eggs: the former are 

 the leaft fruitful, yet even thefe produce two or three hundred at a time. 

 Thofe that produce eggs, which they leave at the bottom of the water, or 

 floating on the furface, are much more prolific : of thefe eggs few rife to life ; 

 they are devoured by the lelTer fry, by aquatic birds, and by the larger 

 fifh. Still, however, there are enough for fupplying the deep with inhabi- 

 tants. The cod fpawns in one feafon, as Lewenhoeck aflures us, above 

 nine million of eggs, or peas, contained in one fingle roe. The flounder is 

 commonly known to produce above one million; and the mackarel 

 above five hundred thoufand. Such an amazing increafe, if permitted 

 to come to maturity, would overftock nature, and the ocean itfelf would 

 not be able to contain the half of its inhabitants. But two wife pur- 

 pofes are anfwered by this amazing increafe; it preferves the fpecies in 

 ihe midfl; of numberlefs enemies, and ferves to furnifh the reft with a 

 fuftenance adapted to their nature. 



Fifh have different feafons for depofiting their fpawn: fome that, live 

 in the depths of the ocean, are faid to choofe the winter ; but in general 

 they choofe fummer. They leave the ocean, and Ihoal round the coatls, 

 or fwim up the frefli-water rivers, which are warm as they are compara- 

 tively (hallow. When they have depofited their burthens, they then return 

 to their old ftations, and leave their nafcent progeny to lliift for them- 

 fclves. 



The fpawa continues in its egg-ftate in fome fifh longer than in others, 

 and this in proportion to the animal's fize. In the falmon, the young 

 continue 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 



2 gold 



