Rokke. 



142 NATURAL HISTORY of NO RTVAT. 



on each fide, and looks like a crefcent. The tail is quite even 

 at the end, and refembles a birch broom cut tranfVerfly : along 

 the back runs a fmall undulated ridge, and under the belly is a 

 piece of foft fpungy excrefcence, with which it flicks faft to the 

 rocks like a fnail ; and it requires fome ftrength to get it loofe. 

 The female, or Rogn-Rexe, is fome thing larger than the Rogn- 

 Kalen, or male, and of a blue colour. They ejeS their fpawn 

 in large quantities about Whitfuntide : hence the.Fifh has its 

 Norvegian name. The fatter it is the more it approaches to a 

 red colour, being otherwife greeniih. The body, as I obferved 

 before, is but fmall, and, as I am informed, very delicate food, 

 for I have never tafted it. The Otter is very fond of this Fifh, 

 and it often falls a prey to him. As the Rogn-Kallen never bites 

 at any bait, and loves deep water, it is feldom caught but by 

 accident in the Cod or Salmon nets. When they are feen 

 fvvimming near the furface of the water the fifhermen often give 

 them a blow on the neck with their oar, and fo take them ; but 

 they are only ufed as a bait for other Fifti, particularly the 

 Tarbot, who is very eager after them. 



Rokke, Rokkofifk, the Thornback, Raia Clavata, in Norway 

 called Skate. 'Tis a Sea-fifti of an extraordinary {hape, and not 

 unknown in Denmark, tho' it feems to differ a little from 

 ours * ; for there are various forts, all which, or moft of them, 

 are defcribed by Willoughby, Lib. iii. c. vii. p, 68, & fequ. 

 The Norvegian Skate in body is 3 like a large Flounder, quite 

 flat, with a (harp head : it is white under the belly, and 

 of a darkifh brown on the back ; and has prickles and fmall 

 circles on the Ikin. There are feveral broad fins projecting out 

 on each fide of this Fifh, like wings, larger than its whole body. 

 But what is moft remarkable, is a roundifh tail, of about two 

 foot long, full of angular knobs. The mouth is not placed^ as 

 in other Fifties, in the head, but underneath, fomething like that 

 of the Shark; befides, it has this in common with that Fifh, 

 namely, that it has no bones, but is of the cartilaginous kind. 

 It has pretty large eggs, from which its young are produced at 

 a proper time. The liver is large and fat, and yields a good 

 deal of train oil, which is the chief thing the fifhermen catch it 

 for : it is feldom eaten here, tho' fome people firft dry, and then 

 export them. They are generally caught with a hook and 

 line. 



* Earum alias funt laeves, alias afperas. Lasvium alias ftellatse, alias non. Afpera- 

 rum alias magis alias minus tales. Magnitudine inter fe differunt. Bicubitales ali- 

 qilando vidit Salvianus. Gafp. Schott. Phyf. curiofa, Lib. x. c. 40. 



sect. 



