N A T U R A L H I S T R Y of N R tt? A A A 141 



The Rage-Kniv, Novacula, the Razor-fifh. This is a new Rag<i-Kniv. 

 name, hitherto not known ; but, according to the privilege that 

 all natural hifbrians take to give names to things that till then 

 had none, I will venture to give a name to a kind of Fifh but 

 feldom found here, which, according to the figure, appears to be 

 fomething like the blade of a razor, and hardly a fpan long : 

 it has a thin and flat body; the back, from the head down to 

 the tail, which is very fmall, is full of fharp fins or prickles. 

 There are others under the belly alfo, but much fewer ; and two 

 fmall ones under the head, which in this Fifh feems pretty- 

 broad, tho' but fmall in proportion to the mouth and eyes, 

 which are large. 1 have never feen any of them frefh, and my 

 correfpondents in the fifhing parts of Norway entirely omit 

 them; I cannot, therefore, give any certain account of their 

 colour, or whether they have fcales, for I do not perceive any 

 on the dry'd fample that I have before me : however, the fcales 

 may be dried in fo as not to be diftinguifhed from the skin. 

 If this Fifh has fcales, then, in my opinion, it is the fame as 

 Rondelet, p. 741, calls, after Pliny's authority, Novacula, or 

 the Razor-fifh. As thefe agree in almofl every particular, I 

 have taken the liberty to name our Norvegian Fifh after thofe 

 that are known in the Mediterranean* They are found there 

 in great numbers, and are reckon'd both wholefome and well 

 tafted. 



The Rod-Fisk, called alfo Cluer, is a middle-fized Fifh, and a Rod-Fife. 

 native of the ocean : in appearance 'tis much like a Carp, but it 

 has large fcales, and thofe of a very deep red colour : the eye 

 is remarkably large, and near the fins, both on the back and the 

 belly, there are fome large and fharp pointed bones. The flefh 

 of this is hard and pretty fat. It is caught with a hook and line 

 in deep water at all feafons of the year. 



The Rogn-Kal % and Rogn-Kexe are the male and female of Rogn-KaL 

 the fame kind; the Square-fifh, or Oftracion. This is a remark- 

 able falt-water Fifh : 'tis feldom much above a foot long, but 

 very broad, thick and clumfy. What is properly the body of 

 this Fifh is fmall; all the reft confifls of a thick fhell of a 

 cartilaginous or griflly nature, which makes it appear fhrivelled 

 and rough. This fhell, or cartilage, is covered with a reddifh 

 skin. There are feveral round bony knobs, difpofed longitudi- 

 nally in three rows, on the outfide of it. The head is, like 

 the body, thick and clumfy ; the mouth has a fort of a ring 



* Bellonius, Aldrovandus, Wormius, Clufms, and others, call this Fifh Oftracion* 

 but don't feem to have any right knowledge of it. 



Part II. O o <m 



