O F F I S H E S. 401 



found in it, in a white vein next the head of the fifli, lying tranf- 

 verfely in a cleft or furrow. It is fetched out with the ftiff point 

 of a horfe-hair pencil, fhort, and tapering, the fliell being firft 

 broke, the mouth downward, with a fmart ftroke of a hammer, 

 on a piece of firm fmooth wood, taking care not to bruife the 

 fifli. Our northern hiilorian, Bede, mentions it, in words that 

 exprefs its beauty and duration. There are, fays he, on the 

 Englijh mores an abundance of the Cochlea which yield a fcarlet 

 dye. Its beautiful tinge neither fades by the heat of the fun, 

 or by the weather, but the older it is, the more rich and ele- 

 gant *. 



35> S^j 37- The large, thick, Buccinum, or Whelk (q) and the thin 

 wide-mouthed Buccinum, or Whelk (r), with feven volutaj, and tranf- 

 verfe wavy ilrias, are frequent on the fhores near Rofs-L'mks, and 

 Holy- I/land; alfo the narrow-mouthed Buccinum or Whelk, with eight 

 wreaths (s]. The Whelk-fifh, boiled, or roafted, is hard and 

 firm, and much efteemed at fome tables for its agreeable tafte. 

 The Hermet or Soldier-Crab* often makes choice of the fmaller 

 empty mells for its retreat and habitation, doling the aperture 

 with its forcipated claw. The grey, narrow-mouthed Balanus, 

 a muldvalve, is often found upon them, many together ; the fifli 

 in it called a Triton, the body of it oblong, the roflrum fpiral at 



* Sunt Cochleae fatis fuperque abundantes, quibus tinflura coccinei colons conficitur. 

 Cujus rubor pulcherrimus nullo unquam folis ardore, nulla valet pluviarum injuria pallef- 

 cerej fed quo vctuftior, eo folet efle vetuftior. Hift. Eccles. Edit. Opt. L. i. C. I. p. 277. 



(q) Buccinum craflum refufcens, ftriatum et undatum. M. L ; Ji. Hift. Animal. Angh 

 p. 156. Tab. 3. Fig. 2. 



(r) Buccinum tenue, levc, ftriatum ct und.ituin. Ibid. p. 157. Tab. 3. Fig. ?. 



(j) Buccinum anguilius, tenuiter, admodum ftriatum, octo minimum fpirarum. IbiJ. 

 Fig. 4. 



VOL. I. Fff the 



