624 



THE OCEAN WORLD. 



various shades of purple, violet, and blue which succeed each other 

 — from cinnabar red to the palest white — as the animal gradually loses 

 its strength, and expires by a slow and cruel death. The great rival 

 of Cicero, the advocate Hortensius, who attracted crowds of people 

 to the Forum by his eloquent and elegant discourses, had an in- 

 ordinate passion for this kind of enjoyment. These little inhabitants 

 of the waters were led by a small canal, which was carried under the 

 festive tal)le, and his great enjoyment was to witness the agonies of 



Fig. 395. — Uranoscopus vulgaris. 



the unhappy fish just taken from its native element and carried to 

 the table, palpitating with its dying convulsions, as it perished 

 beneath his eyes, he in the meanwhile enjoying a sumptuous banquet 

 (Plate XXVIII). The possession of these poor creatures had, 

 in short, become the rage, a furious passion, and their price soon 

 became excessive. A fish of three pounds produced a considerable 

 sum to the fortunate fishennan, while one of four and a half pounds 

 was simply ruinous, says INIartial. Asinius Gelius purchased one for 

 8,000 sesterces (upwards of sixty pounds). Under Caligula, accord- 

 ing to Suetonius, three mullets cost 30,000 sesterces (about ;;^24o). 

 Although it is no longer the object of ferocious enjoyment on the 

 one hand, or prodigal expenditure on the other, it is still much 



