FISHES, 347 



The Rcmora^ so remarkable for its faculty of adhering to 

 other fishes by a peculiar sucker-shaped organ on the top 

 of its head, is found in the Mediterranean and other saline 

 waters which wash the African shores. The olive-green 

 remora (Echencis cavula rotundata of Bloch) is common on 

 the coasts of Mozambique. A species of Labrus {L. Nilch- 

 ticus) inhabits the Nile ; and the star-eyed Bodian {Bodi' 

 anus stcllifer) is native to the seas about the Cape. The 

 silvery mackarel {Scomber crumenophthalmus) is found in 

 considerable plenty about the coasts of Guinea, and the 

 Scomber chloris is also an African species. 



The surmullet {Mullus ruber) so famous as an epicurean 

 delicacy among the Romans, and so highly, though not very 

 humanely, admired for the splendour of its dying hues, is 

 found both along the African and European shores of the 

 Mediterranean. " Vide," says Seneca, " quomodo exarserit 

 rubor omni acrior minio ! vide qua^s per latera venas agat ! 

 Ecce! sanguinem putes ventrem ! quamlucidumquiddamcoe- 

 ruleumque sub ipso tempore effulsit ! jam porrigitur et pallet, 

 et in unum colorem componitur !" The flying gurnard ( TVi- 

 gla voUtans) may likewise be mentioned as a Mediterranean 

 species of singular habits and great beauty. It swims in shoals 

 and delights the voyager by its short and frequent flights. 



The electric silure {Silurus electricus) dwells in the rivers 

 of Africa. It was observed by Forskall in the Nile, by 

 whom, however, in his Fauna Arabica, it is improperly 

 named Raja torpedo. Another species of Silurus called 

 platte-kop, or flat-head, occurs in the fresh waters of South- 

 em Africa. Mr. Burchell observed two boys of the Bush- 

 men tribe fishing for this species. They stood by the wa- 

 ter-side, motionless as herons. After waiting patiently for 

 half an hour, a fish came within their reach, and was in- 

 stantly pierced through with their spears or assagays. It 

 was nearly three feet long, entirely of a lead colour, but ap- 

 proaching to white underneath. The head was very broad 

 and flat, the eyes pale yellow and extremely small, and the 

 mouth was bearded with several very long strings. The 

 flesh was white, rich, and nutritious. This fish seems to 

 occur only in those rivers which run to the western coast 

 (that is, to the northward of the Cape of Good Hope), 

 while, on the other hand, eels have never been seen in any 

 but those which fall into the ocean eastward of that cape. 



