46 The Shipper. 



It may be remarked, in conclusion, that the comparatively 

 slow accumulation of earth on the site of the cemetery explains 

 easily the almost total disappearance of its monuments which 

 stood above-ground. We learn from early writers, such as the 

 historian Bede, that people went to the cemeteries of the Eoman 

 towns to seek for materials long before they began to break up 

 the towns themselves, and as these materials must have lain for 

 ages visible on the surface of the ground, and at the same time 

 consisted probably of large and useful stones, they held out a 

 stronger temptation to such depredators. Fortunately, the 

 stones most likely to escape were those which contained inscrip- 

 tions, because the people who had succeeded the Romans enter- 

 tained a dread of all inscriptions which they could not read, 

 believing them to be dangerous magical charms. Hence we 

 find, here and there, an inscribed stone lying where it was 

 dropped or thrown, when every other fragment of the monu- 

 ment to which it belonged has disappeared. 



THE SKIPPER, SKOPSTER, OR SAURY. 



BY JONATHAN COUCH, F.L.S. 



Linneus expressed the wonder he felt that animals could be 

 created with such properties as to be able to pass their lives 

 beneath the waves ; but we, on the other hand, may express our 

 wonder that creatures whose proper residence is in the waters 

 should be able to raise themselves high above it, and thus 

 imitate the birds in sailing through the air. Yet who has not 

 heard of the flying-fishes ? and what landsman, and woman too, 

 has not wished that at least for a little space they could be 

 transported to the scenes where such amusing sights are met 

 with, and view, without the inconvenience of a voyage, the 

 flight of these little creatures as they spring up in haste to 

 escape the hurried chase of enemies below ? But scenes like 

 these may be witnessed without encountering the sea-sickness 

 and dangers of the sea ; and we possess among ourselves, for a 

 portion of the year, a fish which, strange to say, is able to 



