PISCES— ANCHOVY. ..PIKE. 735 



THE ANCHOVY 1 



Is about six inches and a half in length. The body is slender, but thicker 

 in proportion than the herring. The scales are large, and easily fall off. 

 The back is green, and semipellucid ; the sides and belly silvery ; and the 

 tail forked. 



At different seasons it frequents the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean 

 sea, passing through the Straits of Gibraltar towards the Levant in the 

 months of May, June, and July. The greatest fishery is at Gorgona, a small 

 isle west of Leghorn, where they are taken at night in nets, into which they 

 are allured by lights fixed to the stern of the vessels. When cured, their 

 heads are cut off, their gall and entrails taken out, then salted and packed 

 in barrels. It scarce needs to be mentioned that, being put on the fire, they 

 dissolve in almost any liquor. They are well tasted when fresh. But it has 

 been found by experience, that anchovies taken thus by torch light are 

 neither so good, so firm, nor so proper for keeping, as those which are taken 

 otherwise. From December to March, vast numbers are caught on the 

 shores of Provence and Catalonia, and during June and July in the English 

 channel, and in the environs of Bayonne, Venice, Rome, and Genoa. From 

 the anchovy the ancients prepared one of the liquids called garum, which 

 was in high repute among epicures. 



THE PIKE2 



Is common in most of the lakes of Europe, but the largest are those taken 

 in Lapland, which, according to Schseffer, are sometimes eight feet long. 

 They are taken there in great abundance, dried and exported for sale. The 

 largest fish of this kind which we have ever heard of in England, weighed 

 thirty-five pounds. 



• Engraulis encrasicohts, Cuv. The melius Eneraidis has the ethmoid and nasal bones 

 forming a projecting point, below which the very small intermaxil'aries are fixed ; maxil- 

 lary bones straight and very long; jaws much cleft, and both furnished with teeth ; bron- 

 chial openings large. 



* Esox hicius, LiM. The genus Esox has the snout long, obtuse, broad, and depressed; 

 long-pointed teeth on the sides of the lower jaw ; the intermaxillaries, vomer, palate, and 

 tongue furnished with siriall and crowded teeth ; one dorsal fin opposite the anal one. 



