Book X. hand of. BARBADOS. 307 
to pluck up the Fith clinging to the Rock, nor to extficate himfelf 
from it, and confequently perifhing in the Attempt. 
The OLD Man. 
HIS Fifh is about eleven Inches long from the Head to the 
Tail, and about feven in Breadth ; the Head and Mouth are 
fmall; the Teeth many and fharp; the whole Skin is black and rough : 
It hath two very remarkable Prickles upon the Back, not far from the 
Tail; thefe, when the Fith feeds, are couchant clofe to the Back ; 
but, when annoy’d, are ereét and prove offenfive or defenfive Weapons ; 
but as they have no membranaceous Web to fupport them by its Elaf- 
ticity, as moft other Fifh (which Nature hath endued» with Prickles) 
have, to fupply this feeming Want, this Fifh can, by the Help of very 
ftrong Mufcles, join’d to the Root of thefe Prickles, raife them in an 
inftant upright, ready to guard himfelf or annoy his Enemy ; and}; 
even when the Fifh is dead, if both thefe Prickles (the uppermoft 
being above an Inch and a Quarter Jong) are lifted up into an upright 
Pofition, the largeft falls into a Socket in the Back-Bone ; where it 
will remain unmoveable, and will fooner break than bend. But as a — 
{mall Touch upon the Trigger of a Gun’s Lock will bring down the 
Cock from its full Bent, fo the leaft Motion or Touch upon the lower 
Prickle will, in an inftant, bring down the upper clofe to the Back. 
The Orb Wire. — 
r HIS differs very little fron the laft defcribed; each having 
their two Fins pof Bronchia ; ore on the Back, and one under 
the Belly, of equal Size and Pofition, as well as the Make of their 
forked Tail alike: However there is this material Difference, that as 
the former hath its Prickles upon the Back near the Tail, this hath 
them near the Head, with this additional Circumftance, that, inftead 
of two, it hath three Prickles, but equally intended to be its Safe-guard; 
The JAeR: 
(REVHIS Fith is about fix Inches long, and neat two btoad from 
the Back to the lower Part of the Belly ; the Eyes very large 
in Proportion to the Bignefs of the Fith; and is furrounded with a 
ellow Itis ; it hath two narrow, fharp-pointed Fins pot Bronchia ; 
fone ftreight; one under the Belly, and another tipon the Back as far 
as the Navel ;] likewife a Pair of {mail ones under the upper Part of 
the Belly: Oppofite to thefe on the Back are likewife two f{mall, prickly 
Fins ; the Back from Head to Tail is blackifh; and the Belly of a Sil- 
ver:white: Thefe are often caught in very great Numbers in Nets: 
iii They 
