THE EUROPEAN SEAS. 



121 



others. This arises from the profusion in which 

 the individuals of certain species in these families 

 occur ; while the species which compose the other 

 families are in general poorer considerably in this 

 respect. The commonest edible fishes of the island 

 are found in the three families just named, as well 

 as the more gregarious and prolific species. 



"Thus the European visitor on entering the 

 markets, or examining the boats, is struck at once 

 with the almost total absence of the flat-fishes, 

 salmon and cod-fish tribes, which more especially 

 characterize our stalls in England, and with the 

 unwonted form of the Sargus, Pagrus, Box, Oblada, 

 Smarts, Thynnus, Prometheus, Lichia, &c, or with 

 the brilliant hues of the Serranus, Beryx, A cams, 

 &c, or the grotesque deformed Scorpcena and Se- 

 bastes. 



" This impression will be somewhat different at 

 different seasons. The spring is characterized by 

 the common appearance of the splendid-coloured 

 Beryx in the streets ; attracting notice no less by 

 its form and hues of silver, scarlet, rose, and pur- 

 ple, than by the extraordinary size and opaline or 

 rather brassy lustre of its enormous eyes. With 

 this, or even earlier, appears abundantly the com- 

 mon herring of Madeira (Glupea Madeiriensis) ; and 

 as the season advances the mackarel (Scomber scom- 

 brus) ) the scarlet Peixe Cao, or dog-fish of Madeira 

 (Crenilabrus caninus) ; Carneiro, or mutton-fish 

 (Scorpcena scrofa), and Requime (Sebastes Kuhlii) ; 



