LETTERS TO MERRETT. 65 



was taken not long ago entangled in the Herring netts 

 the sword aboue 2 foot in length. 



Among the whales you may very well putt in the 

 spermacetus [see Note 51] or that remarkably peculiar 

 whale which so aboundeth in spermaceti, about twelve 

 years ago wee had one cast up on our shoare neer 

 Welles wch I discribed in a peculiar chapter in the last 

 edition of \Fol. 41J my pseudodoxia epidemica. another 

 was diuers yeares before cast up at Hunstanton, both 

 whose heads are yet to bee seen. 



Ophidion or at least ophidion nostras \see Note 69] 

 comonly called a sting fish hauing a small prickley 

 finne running all along the back, & another a good way 

 on the belly, with little black spotts at the bottom of 

 the back finne if the fishermens hands bee touched or 

 scrached with this venemous fish they grow paynfuU 

 and swell the figure hereof I send you in colours they 

 are comon about cromer see Schoneveldeus de Ophidiis. 



Piscis octogonius or octangularis answering the dis- 

 cription of Cataphractus Schoneveldei \see Note 66'\ only 

 his is discribed with the finnes spread & when it was 

 fresh taken & a large one howeuer this may bee nostras 

 I send you one butt I haue seen much larger which 

 fishermen haue brought mee. 



Physsalus [see Note 89]. I send one which hath been 

 long opened & shrunck & lost the colour when I tooke 

 it upon the sea shoare it was full & plump answering the 

 figure & discription of Rondeletius. there is also a like 

 figure at the end of [Rondeletius crossed out] muffetus 

 I haue kept them aliue butt obserued no motion [butt 

 crossed out] except of contraction and dilation when it 

 is fresh the prickles or brisles are of a brisk green & 

 Amethest colours — some call it a sea mous. 



Our mullet is white & imberbis {see Note 63] butt wee 

 haue also a mullis barbatus ruber miniaceus or cinna- 

 berinus somewhat rough & butt drye meat, there is of 



