•2^8 Mr. 1-:. W. GuAcrcv on tho, 



the larjicr fisli, such as, Tniiny, Dolphins, etc., give me 

 ground to suspect, that if all that the aiieicnts wrote con- 

 cerning tile Renioia be not just literally true, it is not al,to- 

 gcther false. It certainly is a thing wortliy of some reflection, 

 that Pliny speaks so diffusely concerning this phenomenon, 

 as a known fact that could not be called in question. The 

 Greeks adopted the notion of this extravagant faculty, by 

 superstitiously hanging the Kemora about women with chihl, 

 to prevent abortion. 1 am not, however, so ready to credit 

 these extravagances or in theh-ast persuaded of tlie wonderful 

 retarding force of this little tish ; and think it sufficient to 

 !)elieve that the force of tlie Paklara may be felt at tlie 

 rudder of a small bark, without troubling myself further 

 about the llcniora. 



•■ The Remora of the ancients, and the Paklara of our 

 days, have this remarkable difference, that the first is almost 

 always of the testaceous kind, and the second is of the 

 genus Marena." 



From this we see that the Abbe was half convinced of the 

 correctness of the sailor's belief as to the power of the 

 Paklara. However, he thinks tliis fish to be a lamprey eel, 

 uhile the Remora of Pliny is in his opinion a shellfish. This 

 is confirmed hy a further reference on page 325, which reads 

 as follows: — "Among the curious fishes found in those 

 waters [of Lissa] the Paklara is the most remarkable : I did 

 not see it, but the description given me by the fishermen, 

 agrees witli the Echeneis of Artedi, and Gouan, though, in 

 my opinion, not with the Echeneis or Remora of the 

 ancients," 



Jiefore going into an explanation of the Myth of the 

 Ship-holder, it maj' be of interest to show that the term 

 Remora has attained a place in literature. Among the 

 Romans we find Lucilius saying " x\ certain voice souuding 

 forth made for you a Ftemora in your progress. ^^ Again, 

 Plautus says "Those things are distasteful which obstruct 

 many undertakings aud they make for a Remora botli in 

 public and private affairs. '^ However, since the word Remora 

 is a common Latin term for a delayer or retarder, we cannot 

 be sure that its use above is a reference to the fish ; more 

 probably it is a use of the term in its original and ordinary 

 sense. 



Prohably not such, however, is the use of the term by 

 St. Basil (329-379;. He affirms that " Life is a voyage and 

 in our lifers ways, countries, courts, towns, and rocks are 

 remoras." 



In ICnglish literature, however, more direct allusions are. 



