XVlll] 
OF SELBORNE. 
59 
its dorsal fin large, containing eight spines ; its tail, where it 
joins to the tail-fin, remarkably broad, without any taperness, 
so as to be characteristic of this genus : the tail-fin is broad, 
and square at the end. Frorn the breadth and muscular strength 
of the tail it appears to be an active nimble fish." 
In my visit I was not very far from Hungerford, and did not 
ibrget to make some inquiries concerning the wonderful method 
GILBKIIT WHITES HOUSE FROM THK OAKDEN AS IT A I'l'lOA RED IN MIS TIME. 
of curing cancers by means of toads. Several intelligent persons, 
both gentry and clergy, do, I find, give a great deal of credit to 
what was asserted in the papers ; and T myself dined with a 
clertjyman who seemed to be persuaded that what is related is 
matter of fact; but when I came to attend to his account, 
I thought I discerned circumstances wliich did not a little in- 
validate the woman's story of the manner in which she came 
by her skill. She says of herself: " that labouring under a 
