NATURALIST'S CABIKET. 



Highly esteemed by the Romans. 



The red mullet, among others, was highly es- 

 teemed by the luxurious Romans, who valued it 

 in proportion to its size, not that the larger was 

 inore delicious, but being more difficult to be 

 procured. Horace tells us that Austiirius Celer, 

 a man of consular dignity, gave at the rate of 

 C4l. 11s. 8d. for one; and that mentioned by 

 Juvenal, (see the motto to this chapter,) cost 

 481. 8s. 9d. It was common for a Roman to 

 insist upon the fish being brought before him, 

 that he might see him breathe his last, and thus 

 liave ocular demonstration of its value. Indeed 

 Seneca says, that the mullet was not worth a 

 farthing, except it died in the hand of the guest* 

 Such was the luxury of the times, that there were 

 stews even in the eating rooms, so that the fish 

 could at once be brought from beneath the table K 

 and placed upon it, where the mullets were put 

 |n transparent vases, that when expiring the 

 changes of their rich color might entertain the 

 company, who all agreed that nothing was more 

 beautiful than a dying mullet. Apicius had the 

 art of preparing them for the table in a manner 

 still more acceptable to these epicures, by suf- 

 focating them in the exquisite Carthaginian 

 pickle, and afterwards procuring a rich sauce 

 from their livers. 



These fish are found in great plenty on several 

 of our sandy coasts, and they particularly haunt 

 those small bays that have influxes of fresh 

 water. They coiue iu great shoals into the river* 



