60 PEOSE HALIEUTICS. 



their scari from the Caxpathian Gulf, their chrysophrys 

 from Corinth, and their lampreys snatched from the 

 Sicilian whirlpools; and woe betide the fishmonger of 

 Imperial Eome who should have ventured to send out, 

 or the cook who would have dressed, any other ! 



The physiological condition of fish, together with other 

 circumstances in their economy, were also duly considered 

 by the ancient world in estimating its goodness. Some 

 were held prime only iu roe ; others in that state were 

 looked upon as inferior, or even wholly unfit for the 

 table.* Some, again, agreeably to that Une in Auso- 

 nius, — 



Neo duraturus post bina trilioria mensis, 



were dressed immediately : others were considered to im- 

 prove by keeping ; of some the males were preferred to 

 the females, t — in other words, soft were esteemed above 

 hard roes, an opinion quite in agreement with modern 

 taste ; finally, old age, unless the barbel be an exception, J 

 was not supposed to improve the quality of any species. 

 In confirmation of the correctness of the general view, 

 it is only necessary to taste old thunny, old sword-fish, 

 and old sturgeon once, when few who can get young will 

 ever repeat the experiment ; so that Pope's famous line, 

 beginning 



Old fish at table 



seems as untrue in its initiatory clause as it is immoral 

 in its concluding one. 



A Greek was the only man to entertain an opposite 

 opinion : ' Run to the market, sirrah,' says an Athe- 

 nian to his slave, ' and get me fish for dinner.' ' What 

 sort, master ?' ' Why fish of a mature age, to be sure ; 



* Axist. t Arist. 



J Barbe Tu melior pejore sevo, tibi contigit uni 

 Spirantum e numero non iUaudata senectus. — Aus. 



