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NATURAL HISTORY. 



The night-fishing of the modern Greeks is similar to that of the 

 ancients. Branches of pine, or pieces of wood steeped in pitch and 

 lighted, or horn-lanterns with lamps in them were placed at the 

 extremity of a boat to attract the fish. A fisherman in one of the 

 old comedies speaks of xsgarivov te ^mrtpaaov Xv^vou a-eXag. 



The night-fishing is also mentioned by Plato, (Sophist.) and there 

 are some verses in Oppian (ax. 1. ult.) on the same subject. At this 

 day the inhabitants of Amorgos break pieces of the Cyprus leaved 

 cedar (cedrus folio cupressi major, Tournef. Letter vi.), and lay it 

 over the stern of the boat at night and burn it ; the fishes drawn by 

 the light are struck with a trident. 



Mr. Stanhope informs us, that there are four modes of fishing 

 employed by the modern Greeks; 1. by beating the water and driving 

 the fish within the nets ; 2. by fire ; this is lighted during the night 

 upon a vessel, and is called -7re^(pa.veog ; the fish assemble round it ; 

 3. by means of oil which is poured upon the sea to render it more 

 calm ; the fishermen are thus enabled to discern the fish and to spear 

 them ; 4. by means of ipxopog, great Tithymal ; the water is dammed 

 up, and some of the herb thrown in; the fish become intoxicated and 

 float on the surface, and are easily taken by the hand. For want of 

 phlomos, aconitum is used for the same purpose. 



EXTRACTS FROM DR. SIBTHORFS JOURNALS. 



Sept. 16. — We rowed out from the coast of the Thracian Chersonesus 

 to some small boats ; the men in them were employed in searching for 

 sponges ; each of the boats had two men at least, one rowed, the 

 other was furnished with an oil cruet and a sharp prong ; with the 

 one he smoothed the surface of the water to render the objects at the 

 bottom more visible, with the other he reached the sponge, and took 

 it from the rock. Most of the boats had made large captures, and 



