i62 SWORD FISH. Class IV. 



MamalTu di pajanu, 

 Paletta di pajanu, 

 MajufTu di ilignela, 

 Palettu di paenu pale. 

 Pale la ftagnetta, 

 Mancuta ftigneta. 

 Pro nallu, vardu, preiTu da. 

 Vifu & da terra. 



But this ufe of charmed words is not confined to 

 Sicily ; the Irijb have their fong at the taking of 

 the razor Ihellj and the Cornijh theirs, at the 

 taking of the whiftle fifh. 



The Iword fifh is laid to be very voracious, and 

 that it is a great enemy to the Tunny, who (ac- 

 cording to Belon) are as much terrified with it as 

 fheep are at the fight of a wolf. 



Ac durus Xiphlas, iciu nor. mitior enjis ; 

 Et pauiiii magna fugientes agmine Thunni. 



Ovid. Halieut. 97. 



Sharp as a fword the Xiphias does appear ; 

 And crowds of flying Tunnies ftruck with fear. 



Size. It grows to a very large fize \ the head of one, 



with the pectoral fins, found on the fhore near 

 Laugharn^ in Caermarthenjhire^ alone weighing fe- 

 venty-five pounds : the fnout was three feet long, 

 rough, and hard, but not hard enough to pene- 

 trate fhips and fink them, as Pliny pretends *. 



* Xiphlam, id ejl^ Gladium, rcjiro mucronato ejfey ab hoc 

 ' r.aijes psrfojfas mergi in oceano, Plin. Lib, xxxii. c. 11. 



The 



