S"HE MULLETS! ^^g 



Genus Uh—The Mullet *. 



IxoNDELETius has defciibed five different kinds of fea- 

 mullets, which do not feera to be any thing more than 

 varieties of the fame fpecies : Linnaus enumerates onlj 

 two ; the fea-mullet, and the white. The former is taken 

 both off the KiigliJiDTiXiii. Scotch coafts. It is covered ail over 

 with large fcales ; the teeth are ?dl placed upon the tongue 

 and palate. The back, which is of a dirty green, is 

 flightly incurvated ; while the belly projects more confi- 

 derably, and is of a pure white. The upper part of the 

 filli is curiouily variegated with white and black lines, 

 proceeding in a parallel direftion, from the head to the 

 tail : The fcales are alfo arranged in rows parallel to each 

 other^ and in the fame diredtion. There are two dorfal 

 fins ; the firll fupported by fpinous, and the fecond by 

 foft rays ; the tail is bifurcated f. 



The refidence of the mullet is the fandy flioals and 

 bays, into which there is an inlet of frefh water : In fuch 

 fituations, they are found all round the fhores of Great 

 Britain^ where they leave the fand all marked with 

 round holes, the traces of their digging, for they keep 

 conftantly rooting like hogs among the mud. When 

 fnrrounded by a net, the whole flioal frequently efcapes 

 by leaping over it ; one attempting this mode of efcape, 

 and fucceeding, is immediately followed by all the reft t. 



Tiie 



• Mugil Cephalus, Lin. Syft. Mullet, Willough. 



t WiUough. p. 274. J Oppiani. Halleut. 



