NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 



151 



feen hanging about him. Sometimes they don't leave him till 

 they have flript him to the bone; and then, without doubt, 

 they deftroy him. After this the fifhermen find a deal of the 

 Whale's flefh and fat floating on the water, which is a good 

 prize to them; for the Spek-huggern does not eat the flefh, but 

 only delights in plaguing the larger Fifh.' Thefe deflroyers are, 

 however, themfelves deftroyed in their turn; for when they are 

 obferved to run into a narrow creek between the rocks the 

 fifhermen then clofe up this place with a net, and fo take them. 

 Their fat is melted down for train oil, and their flefh is fome- 

 times eaten, and is faid to be tolerably well tailed. 



Spring-hvale, the Spring-Whale. See Hvalfisk. s P rin g -hvaie, 



SECT. VI. 



Steenbider, the Stone-biter, Lupus Pifcis, the Wolf-fifh, fo steenbidcr. 

 called, becaufe 'tis faid it can bite pebble-flones to pieces with its 

 exceflive fharp teeth. Againft thefe the fifhermen are obliged to be 

 upon their guard ; for when they once fatten upon a man, they 

 never quit their hold till the bone cracks. Their length is about 

 a foot and a half, or two feet; their skin is of a dark colour 

 and as fmooth as that of an Ee], which they refemble in the 

 hinder part, excepting that they are fomething broader, and 

 have a fort of hanging fins along the back. The head, which is 

 thick and round, has an odd appearance, and is not unlike that 

 of a cat, with two rows of teeth, in the upper and lower jaw. 

 The flefh of it is hard, but fat ;. and is much efleemed by the 

 common people. It is caught with a line, and often fluck with 

 a Salmon-fpear, when it is feen through clear water, on the 

 fandy bottom, where they continually harrafs and devour the 

 Lobflers. 



The Steen-Brofmer, alfo called Tangfperling, becaufe it lives steen-Bror- 

 generally amongft weeds, and, perhaps feeds upon them, is long mer ' 

 and narrow like an Eel, but the head is almofl; like that of a 

 Pike, and is fpeckled with dark fpots. The back, as well as 

 the belly, has feveral broad and flrong fins running the whole 

 length of it. They are moflly found in Nordland, and are there 

 look'd upon as an eatable Fifh. In tafle they are much like the 

 Lamprey. The roe is the mofl efleem'd part. This is, indeed, 

 well tailed, and fat in appearance, and feems to be the fame Fifh 

 which the Dutch call Sandkroeper. By fome authors it is 

 reckoned a kind of Torpedo. 



The Steen-Ulk ? Rana Pifcatrix, the Frog- fifh, by the Englifh steen-uik, 

 and the Sicilians called the Sea-Devil, becaufe of its frightful 



fhape 



