FISH. | NATURAL HISTORY. LI 
Fire-drake [| Will-o’-th’-Wisp]. 
Kino Hewry VIII, v. 4, 465. 
Tuat which is spoken of the poison of dragons infecting 
the air wherein they live is to be understood of the meteor 
called a Fire-drake, which doth many times destroy the 
fruits of the earth, seeming to be a certain burning fire in 
the air, sometime on the sea, and sometime on the land. 
Topsel/, “‘ History of Serpents,” p. 713. 
How many oaths flew toward heaven, 
Which ne’er came half-way thither, but, like Fire-drakes, 
Mounted a little, gave a crack, and fell. 
Middleton, ““Your Five Gallants,” iii. 2. 
Ir may be, ’tis but a glow-worm now,—but ’twill 
Grow to a Fire-drake presently. 
Beaumont and Fletcher, “ Beggar’s Bush,” v. 1. 
Fish. 
Fisu licketh the earth and watery herbs, and so get they 
meat and nourishing. Also they be called Reptilia, creeping, 
‘because in swimming they seem as they did creep; for in 
swimming they creep, though they sink down to the bottom. 
Also Fish love their children, and feed and nourish them 
long time. Ali Fish feed and keep their birds [7.e., young 
ones], out take frogs. Some Fish be gendered, without 
eggs or peasen [spawn], of slime and of ooze, of gravel 
and of rottenness that is upon the water. And there is a 
Fish that hight a Lamprey, that of his like conceiveth not, 
but of an adder, which he calleth to love with hissing. 
And therefore fishers call it with hissing and whistling, and 
taketh her in that wise. Unneath she dieth, though she be 
smit with a staff; and if she be smit with a rod, she dieth 
anon.. It is certain that the soul of the Fish is in the 
tail; for unneath she is slain, though she be smit on the 
‘head; and if she be smit on the tail, or if the tail be 
smit off, she dieth anon. And the contrary is of the ser- 
pent, for if the head be broke and bruised or cut off, the 
‘serpent dieth anon; and if the tail be smitten, he liveth 
