50 



xarpa, and the small seine tartarun, together with 

 the trammel parity the casting net teriha, the long 

 handled fish spear foxna-, and the rod are all em- 

 ployed by the fishermen. The latter is most successful 

 after a gregale. Fishing with a white feather below 

 which is a hook whilst sailing briskly is often amp- 

 ly rewarded. The Lampuca a large species of 

 Mackerel is caught by this means, and also by long 

 lines with almost countless hooks, cuttle fish being 

 used as bait. 



The Sea Lamprey or Kalfat famed for activity 

 is seldom caught, being deficient in flavour. Malta 

 can boast of two varieties of the Murasna (Marina), 

 of exquisite flavour, but of which the bite is dan- 

 gerous, viz., the very abundant and much prized 

 Murcena hcelena or Yellow-spotted Eel, and the Mu- 

 raena unicolor which is extremely rare. The Com- 

 mon Eel which the Maltese call Sallura is plenti- 

 ful. Four species of Conger Eel or Gringu inhabit 

 these waters. They are the Rock, Sand, White, and 

 Black Congers. The Sea Viper called here the Sea 

 Snake has good but indigestible flesh. Of these 

 gluttons of the sea the two former are edible, the 

 second being generally preferred. 



Passing on to the family of the Clupeideae, we 

 note their commercial importance. The Anchovy is to 

 the Mediterranean what the Herring is to the north- 

 ern waters. This fish known in Malta as the In- 

 ciova is gregarious in its habits. With the excep- 



