%66 



The ninth Booke of 



braunchcsaiid tendrils of a vine braimch ;and that in fiich plentie^ that when they are killed Q 

 they are noc able to receive and containcthemultitudeoftheireggesin the concavitie or ven- 

 tricle of their head and belly, which they bare when they were great. They hatch them in fiftie 

 daies, but many of them prove addle and never come to good^thereis fuch a number of thenii 

 The Lobfters and the red with thin {hellsjlay eggc after cgge^and fit upon them in that manner. 

 The female Pourcuttlej one while fittech over her eggesj another while fhecovcr^h thecranie 

 or gutter where (he hath laid them, with her clawes and arms enfolded croffe one over another 

 lattife-wife.The Cuttle laieth alfo upon the drie land among the reeds, or els wherefoever fhec 

 can find any (ea- weeds or rcits to grow ^ and by the fifteenth day hatcheth . The Calamaries lay 

 cgges in the deepe,which hang clofe and thicke togither,as the Cuttles doe. The Purples,Bur- 

 rets^and fuch like, doe lay in the (pring . The fea Vrchins are with egge every full moone in the n 

 winter time \ and the winkles or cockles are bred in the winter likewife. The Crampfifh is found 

 to have fourelcore young at once within her, and hatcheth her tender and foft egges within her 

 bodie,i"hifting them from one place of the wombeto another Jn like manner doe all they which 

 arc called Cartilagineus,or griftly.By which it commeth to pafle, that fiih alone both conceive 

 with eggc, and yet bringforth a living creature. The malefhcath-fifh or river- whale Silurus, of 

 all others onely is fokind as tokeepe and looke to the egges of the femaje after they be laid,ma- 

 ny times for fiftie daies after/orfeare they fhould be devoured of others.Other females hatch in 

 three daies,if the male touch them. The Horne-beakes or Needle-fillies Belonse, are the onely 

 fiflies which have within them fo great egges that their wombe cleaveth and openeth when they 

 iTnouId lay them : but after that they be difcharged of them, it groweth togither and unitcth a- 

 gaine. A thing ufuall(as they fay) in Blind-wormes.The fiih called Mus Marinus,diggeth a gut- I 

 terorditch within the groundjand there laieth her egges,and the fame fhe covcreth over with 

 earth,andfo lets them alone for thirtiedaiesjthen (be commeth and openeth the place againe, 

 findeth her egges hatched, and leadeth her little ones to the water. 



Chap. Lii, 



Offjhes mmbcs^ 



THe fhell-finics Ery thini and Chanx,havc their wombs or matrices. As for that fifh which 

 in Greeke is called Trochos [/. the top] is thought to get it fclfe with youngThe frie of all 

 water creatures, at the firft,fee not* K 



Chap, liii. 

 ^ of the excecditiglong life of fijhes, 



ITis not long fince that we heard of one fifhesmemorableexample, which prooved the long 

 life of fifhes. There is afairehoiife of retreat and pleafure called Paufiiupum, in Campaine 

 not far from Naples ; where (as Amem Semca wtitetb) there died a fifh in the fifh-pooles of 

 Cafar^ thteefcore yceres after that it had been put in by Pollio Vedim : and there remained two 

 « more of that-age and of the fame kind, which lived ftill.And fince we are c»me to make mention £ 

 of fill>ponds,rae thinkes I fliould doe we 11 to write fomewhat more thereof, before I give ovei 

 this difcourfe of fifties and water creatures. 



Chap. iiin. 

 of Ojjler-pts^ andrvhofrft devifed them* 



THe firfl that invented ftewes and pits to keepe oyfters in,was Sergim Orata^viho made fuch , 

 about his houfe in Bajanum, in the daies of L.Craffm that famous oratour, before the 

 Marfians warre. And this the man did not for his belly and to maintain gourmandife, but 

 of a covetous mind for verie gaine. And by this and fuch wittie devifes, hee gathered great reve- ^ 

 nues : for he it was that invented the hanging baines and pooles to bath in aloft upon the top of 

 an houfe: and thus when hee had fet out his manour houfe for the better fale, hee would make 

 good merchandife of them, and fell them againe for commoditie and gaine. Hee was the firft 

 man that brought the Lucrinc Oyfters into name and credit for their excellent taft , For fo it is, 



" ' " "~ that 



