i 5 o NATURAL HISTORY of NO RTF AT. 



Hedemarken, and other places ; but it does not bear any 

 great price. 



soeKat. The Soe-Kat, the Sea-Cat, or Gattorugive of the Mediter- 



ranean, found in Nordland, but not frequent, is a Filh unknown 

 to moft of my correfpondents. It is about two feet long * 

 the head is quite round ; the eyes are large ; the belly thick, but 

 tapering towards the tail, which ends in three points. Near the 

 gills it has broad fins on the back; of an unequal fize, and two 

 fmall ones under the mouth. The nofe has two long griftly flips, 

 like whifkers, from which, perhaps, the Fifh takes its name. 

 The fkin is brown and fmooth, like an Eel's. The beft part of 

 this Fifh is the liver, from which is extracted an oil, reckoned an 

 incomparable liniment for the eyes. 



soiv-Fifk. The Solv-Fifk, a name by which I mall call a fmall Sea-fifh 



found in Bergens-fund , of which nobody could tell me any other* 

 name. It is about a finger and a half long, hardly half a finger 

 thick, roundifh, and without any great difference between the 

 tail and the fore-part, but with a little kind of beak at the 

 head. The ikin has no fcales, and is all over white, and fhining 

 like polifhed filver. Concerning the internal parts of this Fifh I 

 can fay nothing, becaufe I have only feen it dry, with the entrails 

 taken out Mr. Willoughby, Lib. iv. p. 210, fpeaks of a 

 defcription that was given him of a fmall Fifh, of much the fame 

 colour and fhape, called JEtherina ; and p. 229 of another, 

 which (as this is named by fome) he calls Argentina. Of this 

 Fifh the jewellers at Rome are faid tomakefalfe pearls. Whether 

 either of thefe be the fame with our .Solv-Fifk I cannot fay. 

 " Exterius pulchre velut argento politiflimo obduclus refplendet. 

 Hums ufus eft gemmariis ad margaritas artificiales efficiendas, 

 quse naturales & genuinas mentiantur." 



spek-hugger. The Spek-hugger, or Vahu, is in fhape much like a Porpefle, 

 and about four feet long. It has a fharp fnout and very keen 

 teeth ; which, with its long projecting jaws, makes it fomewhat 

 refemble the Crocodile. This is a troublefome Fifh to others-: 

 'tis his principal pleafure to harrafs and plague the great Whaks, 

 which, on account of their large fize, are leaft able to turn about, 

 or defend themfelves againft thefe lefTer creatures. Sometimes 

 one may fee half a fcore or more of thefe together, fall eagerly 

 upon the Whale, and faften on his fides : they will hang there 

 an hour without loofing their hold, till they have each tore out a 

 mouthful of flefh of a foot fquare. During this attack the Whale 

 makes a difmal noife, and will fometimes jump up five or fix feet 

 above the furface of the water ; at which time thefe Fifh are 



feen 



