Plinies Naturall Fliflorie, 



/i to breath a lively fpirit into itjand as it were befprinkleit witha yitall dewj as it flotetb iiJ)on the 

 watcr.But turne they it and tofle itjbreath they upon it as much as they wili5yet all ihofe little egs 

 of their fpawnc doe not bitand come to proofe : for if they did^ all feas and lakeSjand all rivers 

 and poolcs would be fopeftered full with fifhes^tbat a man Ayould fee nothing eis.ifoF ibetjb is.not 

 one ofthcfctoalesjbut at once conceiveth an infinite number in her belliei ' ' ' 



. i: .Chap. - . . 1 . /. , 



^ Mare as touhm^ \he^mrWm offfi^^ and tvUch tkj he ilrat i^rt^fjpijti^f?^"'''^- ■ ■ 



B 'T^He fpawnc or egs of fifhesin thefea,; do^ grow unto perfedion, fbraebf xheaiexceetjiVg 

 I foonCjas that of the Lampreies ; otbebrare later ere they doe fo. All fiatind broad fiflies, 

 fuch hamely as have no tails and lliarp pricks to hindeT(as have the Thiomback^Skaiejand 

 Tortoifes)when they engendetjlcape one another.The rnany-foot Pour cutcels in this a<3iQi1 fa- 

 one of their winding clawes to the nofeof the fen)ale.The Cuttels and GalraiiarieS dpe the 

 feat with their tongues or pipes rather thruft ihto their mouths,ciafping one another with their 

 aimesj3nd {\vimming one contrary to the other : and as they conceive at the m6uth,fo they de- 

 liver their fruit againe at the mouth. Thisonly is the dififcrenccjthat the fbee Calamaries injhis 

 bufinetfcjbeare their heads downeward to the earth. As for thoie that are fdft cruftcd^they doe it 

 backward as dogs.Thusthe Lobfters and Shrimpes engcnder.Crabs at the mouth; Frogs leaps 

 C one another ; the male with the forefeet claipeth the armc pits of the female^and \idi the hind- 

 ' feet the hanches. That which is engendred and brought forthy is as it were fomc little mites of 

 blackifh fleili jwhich they call Tadpoles orPolwigSj Ihewing no good forme, but that they have 

 fome fliew of eies onelyjand a taile. Some few dates after, their feet are framed^and then parteth 

 their taile in twaine, which ierveth for the feet; behind. Aada flrangc thing it is of them raftCE 

 they have lived fome fixe moneths, they refolve into a flime or mudjoo man feedi how : and af- 

 terward with thefirft raines in the Spring, returne againe to their former ftate, as they werefiiff; 

 fliapen^no man knowech after what iortjby a fecretand unknowne way incomprehenfible ; not- 

 withffanding it falleth out ordinarily fo every yeare. As for the Limpins^Muskles/and ScallopSj 

 they breed ot themfelves in the mud and fands of the fea.Xhofe which are of an harder coat, as 

 D thePourcclanes and Purples^of a certainc vifcous and flimie fubftance like a mufcilagg-As for 

 tiiat little Irie, refenibling fmall gnatsandfliesof thefca, ihey comeof acettaine putnLdion 

 and fowernelTe of the water; as the Apuce^which are the groundlings and Smics, ot the fome of 

 the fea fet in an heat & chafed after fome good ibewer.'i hey tha t are covered with a ftonie fhel, 

 as Oifters, breed of the rotien and putrified.ilime and nmd oi the fea : or of the fomc that hath 

 ffood long about fhips or If akesand polls fet fad in the waterjandeipeciaily if they be of Ilolmc 

 wood. Hbwbcitjit hath been foundjof late in Oilier pits, that there paiTeth from them iniieed 

 of Sperme a certain whidllj humor like milke. As for Yeeles^tbey rub themfelves agaiuft rdc'k| 

 anditonesjandthoieicrapings(asitwere)whicharefret[cdfrom ihemyin time^come to take life 

 and prove fnigs, and no other generation have they. Fillies of diverfe kinds engcndsr not one 

 E with anotherj uniefle it bee the Skate and the'Raiiilh : and of them there couimecha fifb^whiek 

 in the forepart refembleth a Kay, and in Grceke hath a name c.omp^)unded of both [Rhinoba* 

 tos.] Other fiflies there be that breed iodiferently on land apd.fea3a,<;cording to th.e warm feafbfs 

 of theyeare. InfpringtimeScallopSjSnaileSjandHorfeleechesdoe engerider,andby thefame 

 warmth quicken and come to life,but in Autumnethey turne to nothing.The Pike and Sardane 

 breed twice a yecr,like as all ilone- fifhes.The Barbels thrice^as alfb a kind of Turbit called Chal- 

 Cis5[^the Shad:] the Carpe fix times:the Scorpenes and Sargi twicc,namely,in Spring and Au- 

 tunine.Of flat broad fiiliiBs,the Skate onely twice in the yeer jto wk^in xhc A-i^ilmmp'h^^ttht (eu 

 ting or oecukaticn of the i^u Fe'^gtlU.lhc greateif number offiflies engciidcr fortfiree months 

 April,rviay,andIunC.TheCodsorStockfilhesin Autumne.The Sargi3CFiimp.fiflieSj.&Squfali3 

 F about the equino^tiall. Soft skinned fillies in the Springiand the Cutteljlin every mohtli. The 

 fpawne of this fiHiawhich hangeth together like a cjuflcrof grapes, by thciaicanesof a ceriaine 

 blacke glew orvifcofitielike ynke, the iVliker dooth blow avid breath upon before it can be^ 

 good, toroiherwifeiccommethto no proofe. The Pou^ Cuttles engetid^r in VVjr)jer, a^^ 

 the Spring J and then bring foorth afpawoecrifped and curk^ (a$ it vyere) like thewreatbing 



A a V , bran- 



