THE OPAH. 2QI 



Dr. Mortimer's description. 



ance, it is said to have been banished from the 

 English tables, till introduced by the celebrated 

 comedian and epicure Quin ; since whose time 

 it has been justly esteemed one of the greatest 

 delicacies. 



THE 



WHICH, though belonging to the genus of 

 doree, far exceeds that fish in magnitude, mea- 

 sures three or four feet in length, upwards of 

 two in breadth, and sometimes weighs one hun- 

 dred and forty pounds. It is so much compressed 

 laterally, that its greatest thickness does not ex- 

 ceed four inches. 



The following is an account drawn up by Dr. 

 Mortimer, and inserted in the Phil. Trans. (1750) 

 relative to one which was taken on the coast near 

 Leith, in Scotland. " This fish is smooth-skinned, 

 has no scales or teeth ; it has one erect fin on its 

 back, which arises below its neck, and runs with- 

 in a little of its tail ; on each side, about the 

 middle, between its back and belly, a little for- 

 ward of the vent, runs one fin within a little of 

 the tail ; the tail is large and forked ; the eyes are 

 large, the irides are scarlet, encompassed with a 

 circle of gold color verged with scarlet ; its nos- 

 trils are placed above its eyes ; the back and 

 upper part of the body quite to the tail, was of a 

 idark blue or violet color : these and the sides of 

 2 o 2 



