136 VERTEBRATA. PISCES. 



water wyth a corde and a corke, and ye shall not 

 fayle of liym. And yf ye lyst to have a gode sporte, 

 thenne tye the corde to a gose fote ; and ye shall 

 see gode halynge, whether the Gose or the Pyke 

 shall haue the better."* 



Belone,^ the Garfish. 



A marine fish, placed by Linnaeus with the true 

 Pikes, but distinguished by the prolongation of the 

 mouth into a sharp and slender beak, armed with 

 many small teeth; the body also long and slender, 

 covered with minute scales. The bones of this 

 genus, are remarkable for being of a vivid green 

 colour; not dependent on cooking, as is commonly 

 believed. The common Garfish, Gorefish, Sea-Pike, 

 or Mackarel Guide (B. Vulgaris\ is common on our 

 coast in spring, but remains only a short time. It 

 swims usually near the surface, frequently leaping out 

 of water. Its food is unknown. It is about two feet 

 long ; the back of a dark bluish green, the belly 

 silvery white. It is eaten, but is not much esteemed. 



Exoccetus,^ the Flying-fish. 



As in the Pikes, the dorsal is situated above the 

 anal : the head and body are clothed with rather 

 large scales ; the head is flattened above, and on the 



* The Treatyse of Fyshynge, by Dame Juliana Berners, 1486. 

 t EiXov/i, bdone, the Greek name of this fish. 



% "Egw, ezo, out, and x,oiru,u, koitao, to sleep, the Greek name of a 

 fish supposed to sleep out of water. 



