NATURAL HISTORY of NOR W A Y. I05 



articles, to exprefs myfelf fufiRciently to convey a juft idea of 

 the vaft multitudes that have been obferved here. When I 

 firft came hither I could not believe it myfelf, till I was con- 

 vinced by ocular demonftration, as well as the teftimony of many 

 fubftantial witnefles*. 



There is no country in Europe fitter for the ftudy of Ichtyo- 

 logy, or for enquiring into the natural hiftory of Fifti, than 

 the diocefe of Bergen, and the manor of Nordland in the diocefe 

 of Troriheim. When we obferve the pains that Bellonius, Ron- 

 delete Salvian, Aldrovand, Gefner, and beyond them all, Wil- 

 loughby, took, to give a fufficient account of this important 

 part of the ftudy of nature, we cannot help wilhing that fbme 

 of thofe learned and indefatigable perfons, had been at thefe 

 places to make their obfervations, where they certainly would 

 have made more important difcoveries than the reader has 

 to expeQ: from me ; for it would require the whole life of an 

 accomplifh'd man. ^ I only write in general a Hiftory of the 

 Natural Curiofities in Norway, and confequently cannot enlarge, 

 as might be wiftied, upon every article in particular ; much lefs 

 can I, as the learned authors before-mentioned have done, enter 

 upon the anatomy of every particular Fifti j yet, neverthelefs, I 

 hope that thofe, who hereafter may endeavour to bring this 

 knowledge to a greater perfection, will find more of the effen- 

 tial articles collected in this narrow compafs, than in many 

 larger, and otherwife more particular defcriptions. What I 

 here relate for a certainty may be depended upon, and will 

 be found, on the niceft examination, to be every where ftri&ly 

 true : where I have been under the leaft doubt, I have not 

 pofitively affirmed the circumftance. 



SECT. II. 



Before I begin to treat of the feveral Fifties in particular I 

 fliall quote a few lines out of Rollin's Treatife, entitled 

 Phyfique des Enfans, or the Study of Nature, for the Service of 

 Youth, which conduce to -the glory of our Great Creator, my 



SHSfrf ^Jt-i^^^S^^ he%S ' " H0 ™4 Geneve- 



Kinds ot bilh of various fizes do the waters produce' I con .pmiesorV>. 

 " template all thefe, and it feems to n^ that there is 'nothing """' 

 but a head and tail ; they have no hands or feet, and their 



* FromKarfund near Stavanger, quite to Tromfen in Nordland, are, with God's 

 bleffing, annually catched fuch vaft quantities of Herrings, the feveral k nd nf Ov) 

 and other valuab e Filh, that this Commodity alone S b ring in, on a mod ^ 

 calculation, a million of nx-dollars, and fometimes more. moderate 



Part II. E e « head 



