298 



HISTORY OF FISHES. 



Bending; the fin covering the gills with three 

 to six spines ; the fins of the back and arm 

 scaly. 1 



15. The Scieena. The body nearly ellipti- 

 cal; the head bevel, the covers of the tins 

 scaly ; the fin covering the gills with six rays; 

 the fins of the back jagged, and hidden in a 

 furrow in the back. 



16. The Perch." The body oblong; the 



Italians tonnaro. These are much more complicated ; 

 Brydone calls the whole apparatus a kind of aquatic 

 castle, constructed at great cost, a double row of large 

 long nets, supported in an upright position by means of 

 corks fastened to their upper edge, and by lead weights 

 aud stones at the lower, are fixed by anchors in such a 

 manner as to form an enclosure parallel to the shore for 

 many hundred fathoms, sometimes an Italian mile in 

 length, and divided into "many chambers by transverse 

 nets, and open on the land-side by a sort of door. 



The flesh of the tunny, when uncooked, bears a close 

 resemblance to beef. " You would scarcely believe," 

 says Cetti, " the different tastes of the various parts of 

 the tunny ; at each part of the body, and at various 

 depths from the surface, it varies; here it is like veal, 

 there pork. The Sardinian fishermen employ a host 

 of words, which the memory can scarcely retain, to dis- 

 tinguish these different morsels. The flesh of the belly, 

 which is the most delicious, is called sorra, and costs 

 twice as much as the netta, which is flesh of the second 

 quality." Like all the mackerel tribes, the tunny 

 remains fresh and good for a few hours only after it is 

 taken ; if the least tainted it is not only unwholesome, 

 but even a dangerous kind of food. 



1 The Cat. Fish, or Sea- Wolf, (Anarhichas lupus.} 

 This singular-looking fish is found in the more northern 

 parts of the seas that surrounds the British islands; it is 

 seldom met with on the southern coasts. 



The appearance of this fish, (says Mr Yarrell,) is not 

 prepossessing. Independently of a ferocious- looking, cat- 

 like head, with an exceedingly thick coarse skin, covered 

 with slime, it possesses most formidable teeth, and nei- 

 ther wants the will nor the power to attack others or 

 defend itself. It is occasionally caught with a baited hook, 

 at times decoyed into the meshes of a net by the tempta- 

 tion of the fishes already entangled ; but fights despe- 

 rately, even when out of its own element, inflicting 

 severe wounds if not cautiously avoided. The nets also, 

 are frequently torn by its powerful struggle.', and a spirit 

 of retaliation for the labour thereby occasion* d, or for 

 personal injury inflicted by it, brings a speedy death to 

 the unfortunate fish. Handspikes and spars of wood are 

 articles always at hand in fishing-boats, and the savage 

 sea-cat is speedily rendered incapable of doing farther 

 harm by heavy well aimed blows upon the head. 



As an article of food it is said to be excellent, although 

 its appearance may disgust a squeamish stomach. The 

 food of this fish consists chiefly of crabs, lobsters, and 

 other crustaceous animals, to enable it to crush the hard 

 covering of its prey, it is admirably furnished with teeth 

 well adapted for the purpose; sharp in front to seize, 

 and strong and rounded on each side of the jaw, on the 

 roof of the mouth, and on the tongue itself, to crush. 

 This fish sometimes attains the size of six or seven feet, 

 and in the colder and more extreme northern seas is said 

 to become still larger. 



It swims rapidly, with a lateral undulating motion, 

 and has acquired the name of sea-wolf from its voracity. 

 Jtis called swine fish in the Orkneys, from a particular 

 motion of the nose. It approaches the shore to deposit 

 its spawn in the months of May and June, and the young, 

 of a green colour, are \isually found among sea- weed. 

 * The Cammon Perch was a grtat favourite with the 



head bevel ; the covers of the gills scaly and 

 toothed ; the fin covering the gills with seven 

 spines ; the fins in some jagged. 



1 7. The Scorpcena or Father-lasher. The 

 body oblong ; the head great, with beards; the 

 covers of the gills armed with prickles ; the 

 fin covering the gills with seven spines. 



18. The Muffirs or Surmulet. The body 

 slender ; the head almost four-cornered ; the 

 fin covering the gills with three spines ; some 

 of these have beards ; a fish highly prized by 

 the Romans, and still considered* as a very 

 great delicacy. 



19. The trigla or the Gurnard. The body 

 slender ; the head nearly four-cornered, and 

 covered with a bony coat, the fin covering the 

 gills with seven spines ; the pectoral and ven- 

 tral fins strengthened with additional muscles 

 and bones, and very large for the animal's 

 size. 



20. The Cottus or Bull-head. The body 

 wedge-like ; the head flat and broader than 

 the body; the fin covering the gills with six 

 spines ; the head furnished with prickles, 

 knobs, and beards. 



21. The Zeus or Doree. The body oblong; 

 the head large, bevel; the fin covering the 

 gills with seven rays; the fins jagged; the 

 upper-jaw with a loose floating skin depend- 

 ing into the mouth. 



22. The Trachipterus or Sabra. The body 

 sword-like ; the head bevel; the fin covering 

 the gills with six spines; the lateral line 

 straight ; the scales in a single order ; a loose 

 skin in both the jaws. 



23. The Gasterostetts or Stickleback. The 

 body broadest towards the tail ; the head ob- 



Greeks and Romans as an article of food. In modern 

 days, trout and salmon are preferred. The perch is ex- 

 tensively spread over the lakes and rivers of Europe in 

 many varieties. In Great Britain, its general habitat 

 is in lakes with a clear bottom and grassy margin, or in 

 slow running streams. It is easily taken with various 

 kinds of bait, the most successful of which, however, is 

 the minnow. Its average size is from one pound to a 

 pound and a half, though some of three and four pounds 

 are by no means uncommon. In some of the Highland 

 lochs, particularly those of Perthshire, perch are re- 

 markably fine and abundant. 



The Basse or Sea Perch, like the common perch, 

 was much esteemed by the ancients. It is to be found 

 on the coasts of England during the summer, while the 

 Dutch have established fisheries of it. There are various 

 ispecies, among which may be mentioned the Rock-Jish 

 or Striped Basse of the Americans, which is abundant 

 in the vicinity of New York, where it is brought to the 

 markets weighing often sixty or seventy pounds. 



The Granulated Perch (see Plate XX1. fig. 14.) 

 inhabits the large rivers of America, and is so similar to 

 that of Europe as to have been confounded with it. 



The Common Pike Perch is to be found in the rivers 

 and lakes of the north and east of Europe, but is unknown 

 in Britain, France, and Italy. It attains a length of 

 three or four feet, and a weight of twenty pounds. Large 

 quantities of this fish, smoked and salted, are exported 

 irum Prussia and Silesia. 



