Fishes. 97 



They swim round the coasts in shoals and live on soft decaying matter. 

 In tank Nr. 16 they will be seen feeding on the sea-weeds aud <>n 

 decaying animal and vegetable products, so that they are distinctly use- 

 ful animals . Their flesh is very good , and as they are very common 

 they form a staple article in the Italian markets (Cefalo). 



We have further to mention a number of fishes, which are always 

 to be found in the Aquarium, but possess no very striking habits , and 

 scarcely need a detailed account, very little being known of their life. 

 First come the Sea-breams, much sought for by fishermen on account of 

 their splendid flesh. They comprise the Snapper (Pagellus erythrinus, 

 Fig. 35), Box (Figs. 12 and 13) , and smaller allied kinds , such as for 

 instance Oblata (Fig. 14). When in the sea they hunt together in large 

 numbers the smaller Crustacea and other animals, though in part they 

 live on vegetable food. Besides these we have larger kinds , such as 

 the Sar , or Goatbreain , SargUS 'Fig. 41) . Smarts (Fig. 71) and the 

 more rarely found Black Bream , Cantharus (Fig. 40) ; of which last 

 one specimen lived for five years in the Aquarium. The most valuable 

 are the Gilt-head , Chrysophrys (Fig. 38) , and the Toothed Bream. 

 Dentex (Fig. 39), with metallic marking on the upper half of the body. 

 The former is caught all over the Mediterranean, often in salt water and 

 brackish lakes and lagoons, where it feeds on shell-fish and is therefore 

 caught with such bait. The Romans bred them in ponds , the Lucrine 

 Lake yielding a large supply. The Toothed Bream is the largest of all. 

 attaining a length of 3 feet and weighing over 20 pounds. It is a pre- 

 datory fish and often takes the catch out of the nets. In the Aquarium 

 it displays great activity and agility ; one of these , also, lived here for 

 5 years and was killed by an accident. By the side of the brilliant 

 Breams the blak &ea-crow , Corvina (Fig. 57) , is conspicuous by its 

 sombre appearance. It is a quiet fish , usually associating with compa- 

 nions of its own species , and examining the bottom of the tank with 

 great deliberation. Umbrina (Fig. 46), which is very like it, is of more 

 rare occurrence. 



Of the family of Herrings may be mentioned besides the Herring 

 itself , Clupea harengUS , which occurs only rarely in the Bay the 

 Pilchard or Sardine. Clupea pilchardus, and the Anchovy. Engraulis 

 encrasicholllS. The latter was hnown to the ancients. Anchovy-fishery 

 is only of importance on the French coast . for the so-called Anchovy 

 which is imported from Norway is nothing but the Common Sprat, Clu- 

 pea SprattUS. Sardines , on the other hand , are as frequent on the 

 English as on the French coasts, but are known to our fishermen as Pil- 

 chards. They are salted down in barrels and exported to Italy particularly 

 Naples to the number of many millions fish a year ; principally for 

 consumption during Lent. The French Sardines differ only in size ; the 

 fish are cleaned , salted , plunged into boiling olive-oil . and packed in 

 the tins with which we are familiar; they are sold annually to the value 

 of 10 to 15 millions of francs. The experiment has been made with some 

 success of similarly treating the English Sardines. 



The whole genus Clupea is ill-suited for a life of captivity, and the 

 Sardines will never be seen in the Aquarium ; all experiments to keep 



