336 FISHERIES—PRICE OF FISH—SPAWNING 
Nile from the sea was known and noted by ancient authorities. 
Strabo, after stating that it, the Dolphin, and the Shad were 
the only fish so to do, informs us that the Mullet in his upward 
journey carefully consorted with the Schalls, or Catfish, whose 
strong spikes afforded it protection against the crocodiles.! 
We find at the end of the XXth Dynasty, say 1200 B.c., that 
300 of Ircth fish, 100 of Shena‘, and 800 ‘Ad (each lot) fetched 
1 kite of silver—the kite being 5 of a deben of 91 grammes. 
Although in the XVIIIth Dynasty gold had been just twice as 
valuable as silver, at this time silver stood to gold in a ratio of 
1g to I. 
Thus 100 Shena‘, 300 Iveth (both of which are as yet un- 
identified) and 800 ‘Ad fish were (each lot) worth 74 x, 7.¢. 
5°46 grammes of gold. 
Now one sovereign weighs 123'27447 grains, and as }} of 
this is gold it contains 113'0016 grains of gold. As a gramme 
equals 15°432 grains, the value of 5°46 grammes of gold thus 
works out at about 14 shillings and 11 pence to the nearest 
farthing. The whole calculation, however, depends on the 
assumption that the Rite is known to be exactly 9‘I grammes. 
This, the latest estimate of its probable weight, can only be 
an estimate, for the Egyptians of the XVIIIth Dynasty, at 
any rate, did not make weights to a minute fraction of a 
gramme. <A calculation therefore to the nearest farthing is 
somewhat meaningless, unless the weight of the kite is deter- 
mined to be g‘Io, and not g'09 or g'II grammes. Since the 
weight is certainly not known to two places of decimals, it is 
doubtful if it can be regarded as correct to the first place. 
Hence 14s. 11d. is not absolutely a more accurate estimate 
than 15/-.? 
Assuming for convenience that the kite was worth 15/-, 
we could have purchased at the end of the XXth Dynasty 
800 ‘Ad fish for thissum. One fish would thus cost #3 = re 
of a penny: but since the Egyptian Mugil capito, as sold in 
1 Cuvier and Valenciennes, OP. cit., XI. p. 62. 
° In Ridgeway, The Origin of Metallic Currency, etc. (Cambridge, 1892), 
Pp. 240, is illustrated a fine Kite weight from which one Kite would equal about 
140 grains, Corresponding to 9°08 grammes. 
