HABITS OF THE GREEKS. 83 



marine animals of the iEgean is, however, very 

 scanty. This is especially the case so far as 

 the invertebrata are concerned : and much yet 

 requires to be done to clear up the allusions 

 in Greek authors to the fishes of their country. 



The ancient, like the modern, Greeks seem to 

 have been a fish-eating people, and great hunters 

 of cuttle-fishes. Hence the abundance and 

 minuteness of information respecting the fishes 

 and cephalapods of his native shores, contained 

 in the zoological writings of Aristotle. The 

 religion of the present inhabitants of Greece 

 favours the preservation of their ancient habits ; 

 and the number of fasts enjoined by their church, 

 compels them to seek in the sea for unproscribed 

 food. The Turks, on the other hand, are essen- 

 tially terrestrial in their habits, and do not 

 naturally venture on the waters, or feed on the 

 creatures that live beneath them. Except where 

 there are resident Greeks, we find no boats on 

 the coast of Lycia, and no fisheries. Hence a 

 traveller under ordinary circumstances would 

 scarcely be able to make acquaintance with the 

 submarine population of the neighbouring portion 

 of the iEgean. The facilities, however, afforded 

 by the Beacon and its surveying operations, 



G 2 



