240 A HISTORY OF 



of birds or quadrupeds for their young ; that nurse them with constan 

 care, and protect them from every injury. Of this class are the Co 

 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 spawn without any protection, are called the Spinous, or 

 bony kinds, from their bones resembling the sharpness of thorns. 



Thus there are three grand divisions in the 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 firmly marked in Nature. These are the distinctions of Aris- 

 totle ; and they have been adopted 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 history. 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 considered 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 John-dory: Mrs. Glass is famous for the eel pie, and Mr. Tull 

 for his invention of spaying carp, to give it a finer flavour. In this 

 manner our cooks handle the subject. On the other hand, our phy- 

 sicians assure us, that the flesh of fishes yield little nourishment, and 

 soon corrupts ; that it abounds in a gross sort of oil and water, and 

 hath but a few volatile particles, which renders it less fit to be con- 

 verted into the substance of our bodies. They are cold and moist, 

 and must needs, say they, produce juices of the same kind, and con- 

 sequently are improper to strengthen the body. In this diversity 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 putting a question to the 

 earned, which, I confess, I am not able to resolve. How comes it 

 nat fish, which are bred in a salt element, have yet no salt to the 

 aste, or that is capable of being extracted from them ? 



