4-.'v!') nisroay of 



Such is the general picture of these heedless and hungry crea- 

 tui'es : but there are some in this class, living in the waters, that 

 are possessed of finer organs and higher sensations ; that have 

 all the tenderness of birds or quadrupeds for their youns;, thai 

 nurse them with constant care, and protect them from every in- 

 jury. Of this class are the Cetaceous tribe, or the fishes of the 

 whale kind. There are others, though not capable of nursing 

 their young, yet that bring them alive into the world, and defend 

 them with courage and activity. These are the Cartilaginous 

 kinds, or those who have gristles instead of bones. But the 

 fierce unmindful tribe we have been describing, that leave their 

 spawn without any protection, are called the Spi7ious, or bony 

 kinds, from their bones resembling the sharpness of thorns. 



Thus there are three grand divisions in the fish kind ; the 

 cetaceous, the cartilaginous, and the spinous : all differing from 

 eacli other in their conformation, th?ir appetites, in their bring- 

 ing forth, and in the education of their young. These three 

 great distinctions are not the capricious differences formed by a 

 maker of systems, but are strongly and firmly marked in Nature. 

 These are the distinctions of Aristotle ; and they have been 

 adopted by mankind ever since his time. It vrill be necessary, 

 therefore, to give the history of each of these in particular ; and 

 then to arrange, under each head, those fishes whose history is 

 the most remarkable ; or, more properly speaking, those of which 

 we have any history. For we shall find, when we come to any 

 of the species in particular, howlittle can be said of their habits, 

 their stations, or method of propagation. 



Much, indeed, can be said of them if considered relatively to 

 man ; and large books have been wTitten of the manner of taking 

 fish, or of dressing them. Apicius is noted for first hanng 

 taught mankind to suffocate fish in Carthaginian pickle ; and 

 Quin, for giving a sauce to the Johndory : Mrs Glasse is famous 

 for her eel-pie, and Mr TuU for his invention of spaying carp, 

 to give it a finer flavour. In this manner our cooks handle the 

 subject. On the other hand, our physicians assure us that the 

 flesh of fishes yields little nourishment, and soon corrupts ; that 

 it abounds in a gross sort of oil and water, and hath but a few 

 volatile particles, which render it less fit to be converted into the 

 substance of our bodies. They are cold and moist, and must 

 needs, say they, produce juices of the same kind, and conse- 



