402 



ON THE PLACE OF FISH IN 



gurnard, haddock, cod, herring, pilchard, sprat, and 

 such like. Under this kind also are the great fish 



Thirlepole. contained, the seal, dolphin, porpoise, the thirlepole, 

 whale, and whatsoever be round of body, be it 

 great or small. 



Fifth. Of the long sort are congors, eels, garefish, and 



such other of that form. 



Sixth. Finally of the legged kind we have not many ; 



neither have I more of the sort than the Polypus, called 

 the English lobster, crayfish or crenis, and the crab. 



As for the little crayfish, they are not taken in the 

 sea, but in our fresh rivers. 



Lobster. Carolans Stephanus doubted whether lobster be 



fish or not , and in the end concluded them to grow 

 of the purgation of the water as doth the frog ; and 

 those also not to be eaten, for that they be strong and 

 very hard of digestion. 



Oysters. We have plenty of oysters, whose value in old 



time for their sweetness was not unknown in Rome 

 (although Mutianus, as Pliny noteth, lib. 32, chap. 6, 

 prefer the czicena before them) ; we have mussels and 

 cockles. We have likewise no small store of great 

 winkles, scalops and periwinkles, and each of them 

 far into the land from the sea coast in their several 

 seasons. 



And albeit all our oysters are generally forborne for 

 the foure hot months, May, June, July, August, 

 which are void of the letter R, yet in some places they 

 be continually eaten, where they be kept in pits. 



