126 PEOSE HALIEUTICS. 



side of the barrier^ and going down ' quick into the pit ' 

 of their enemy's stomach, than they fasten on with all 

 despatch, and running the sharp serrated rostrums of 

 their heads right into his palate and fauces, stick to 

 their victim, who, unahle either to detach or cough 

 them up, dies ere long of spasmodic croup, or in the 

 more lengthened anguish of an ulcerated sore-throat ! 

 ' Prawns,' says Oppian, who tells precisely the same 

 story as iEUan, (and they can't both be wrong !) ' though 

 small creatures and weak withal, yet by subtilty will 

 often kill their enemy the labrax, that greedy fish, who 

 so well deserves his name and his fate.' Oppian then 

 relates how, when the labras. has hastily filled his mouth 

 with these pigmy creatures, the little jumpers, placed 

 in this perilous position, unable alike to resist or retreat, 

 spring and bound about for some time unheeded within 

 the jaws of their voracious and unsuspecting victim, who, 

 only intent upon taking in fresh supplies, suffers himself 

 to be pierced and wounded in the tender parts of his 

 fauces and throat by their beaked foreheads, tiU at length, 

 by oft-repeated punctures and lacerations, they choke 

 the labrax, and so destroy their destroyer.* 



The basse constituted one of the three dishes of the 

 ' tri-patina petits soupers ' of ancient Rome. HeHoga- 

 balus, not content with so poor a luxury as that of the 

 whole fish, extracted and ate the brains and milts alone ; 

 and Rondolet affirms the liver to be infinitely better than 

 that either of goose or turkey ; the dried roe, too, is 

 still held in high esteem, and constitutes the Trarapvxa 



* Oft has the wolf the bearded squadrons fought, 

 And of the luscious food too dearly bought : 

 No pity to the shelly race was shown, 

 'Twas therefore just their fate should prove his own. 

 They wound with pain, what they with pleasure fill. 

 Subdue their conqueror, and dying, kiE. 



John Jones, trans. Opp, 



