CURIOUS CREATURES. 239 



fish is like no other, but in something it is like a 

 Whale. He hath as ugly a head as an Owl : his 

 mouth is wondrous deep, as a vast pit, whereby he 

 terrifies and drives away those that look into it. His 



Eyes are horrible, his Back Wedge-fashion, or elevated 

 like a Sword ; his snout is pointed. These often enter 

 upon the Northern Coasts as Thieves and hurtful Guests, 

 that are always doing mischief to ships they meet, by 

 boring holes in them, and sinking them. 



" THE SAW FISH. 



" The Saw fish is also a beast of the Sea ; the body 

 is huge great, the head hath a crest, and is hard and 

 dented like to a Saw. It will swim under ships and 

 cut them, that the Water may come in, and he may feed 

 on the men when- the ship is drowned." 



THE ORCA 



is probably the Thresher whale. Pliny thus describes 

 it : " The Balaena (whale of some sorf) penetrates to 

 our seas even. It is said that they are not to be seen 

 in the ocean of Gades (Bay of Cadiz) before the winter 



