hack is t!uf!<y and dappled; the belly is filvery; 
and between the eyes and the peroral fins there 
are (Ireaks pointing downwards. The flcin is 
defticute of fcales; and the flefh is uncommonly 
rank. 
Care, fays Pennant, muft be taken not to con- 
found this with the 3im-Fifii of the Irilli, which 
in all refpe^ts diifers from it. The former, or 
Tetraodon IVlola of Linnsus, which this inge- 
nious naturalift calls the fliort drodon, differs 
froin the oth'^r in being fliorter and deeper; the 
back and anal fins are higher j and the aperture 
of the gills is not femilunar, but oval. 
One of thefe fifh, which weighed five hundred 
pounds, was taken, about fifcy years ago, near 
Plymouth ; and^ on boiling a piece of it, in order 
to try how it would tafte, it was found to be en- 
tirely converted, in the fpace of a few minutes, 
into a perfcdl jt'ly. This jelly, in colour and 
confidence, lefemMed boiled ftarch when cold, 
and had very little cf a fifliy flavour, but rather 
an agreeable tafte: it ftuck firmly to the lips and 
fingers, appearing remarkably glutinous; and as it 
is certain the ancij^nts had no other glue than that 
made from fifh, this jelly was tried, as to it's fbick- 
inf:; quality, both on leather and paper, and was 
found to anfwer as well as common pafte; but, 
by fome overfight, it's adhefive qualities were not 
tried on wood. 
It is probable, however, that a true ichthyo- 
colla might be prepared by boiling down this 
jelly; and, when an opportunity occurred, which 
is !^y no means frequent in this country, it would 
certainly be worth while to make the experiment. 
SURMULL£T; the Mullus Cirris Geminis 
of Linnieus. This fifh was highly valued by the 
Roman epicures, as may be fufficiently gathered 
from both Horace and Juvenal, who inveigh 
againft the luxury and extravagance of the age in 
which they refpeftively lived. It refembles the 
mulius barbatus in many refpedls; but differs 
from it in being twice as big, and often caught 
of the length of twelve or fourteen inches. The 
fins are yellowifh, having a flight bluHi of red 
mixed v^ith that colour; the fcales are large, 
broad, thick, and very firmly united to the flelh; 
and it has alfo three or four ftraight yellow lines, 
running down it's fides, parallel with each other. 
It is cau ght in the Mediterranean and Britifh feas, 
efpeciaily on the Cornifh coafts; and is every 
where efreemed a great delicacy. 
Pennant gives this ftlh the appellation of the 
Striped Surmullet; butexpreffes a doubt whether 
it is not a variety, as Gronovius ajiprehends, of 
the red Surmullet, or mullus barbatus. 
SURO. An appellation by which fome au- 
thors exprefs the rrachurus; a fifh of the cuculus 
kind, bearing a ftrong refemblance to the macka- 
rel in tafte and faape. 
SUS. See Hog. 
SUS AGRESTIS. See Wild Boar. 
SUS PISCIS. An appellation by which fome 
of the ancient Latinifts exprefs the caprifcus, or 
goat-fifh of the m.oderns. 
SWALLOW. A diftin61 genus of birds of 
the order of pafferes. The charadteriftics are: 
that the beak is extrem.ely fmall, a little bending, 
pointed, and depreffed at tlie bafe; and that the 
opening of the mouth is extremely large. Ray 
gives-the fubfequent charafters: the head is very 
large; the beak is very lliort; the mouth is very 
wide, and adapted for fwaliowing large infedts, 
Vol. n. 
SWA 
which are It's proper food ; the tail is Idhg afvi 
forked ; the eggs are white ; and it is a bird of paf- 
fage. LinnastiS eHiimierates twelve fpecies: of 
which four are hatiVes of England ; the hirund>'» 
domeftica, or hoUfc-fwdllow; the hirurido agie!- 
tis, or martin; the hirUndo fiparia, or fand-niar- 
rin; and the hiruiido apus, called the black mar- 
tin, or fwifr. 
The Swallow tribe mav be all eafily diflin- 
guifhed by the widenefs of their mouths, which 
are always open when flying. They are equally 
remarkable for their flhort, fleridef feet, and the 
immoderate length of their wings. 
The peculiar conformation of this tribe fccirs 
attended with a fimilar peculiarity of manners. 
Infefls conftitute their food, which they always 
purfue flying: in fine weather, therefore, when 
thefe animalcules are mofl: likely to be abroad. 
Swallows are continually on the wing, purfuing 
their prey with amazing fwiftnefs and agility. 
The fmaller animals in general find their fitety in 
winding and turning when they endeavour to avoid 
the greater: thus the lark eludes the hawk, and 
man the crocodile. Infeds on the wing endea- 
vour, in this manner, to avoid the Swallow. Bur 
Nature has admirably fitted this bird to purfue 
them through the fhortefl: turnings : for^ befides 
the uncommon length of it's wings, it is provided 
with a long tail,'Vl'hich, like a rudder, inflrantly 
turns it in it's moft rapid fhotions. 
When Spring begins to roufe the infeft tribi^ 
from their annual fiate of torpidity ; when the gnat 
and the beetle put off their earthly robes, and be - 
come denizens of the fky; the Swallow returns 
from it's long migration beyond the ocean. At 
firfl:, it feldom makes it's appearance, and flies 
heavily and feebly ; bur, as the weather grows 
warmer, and the number of infe(5ts increafes, it 
acquires additional activity and ftrcngth. A rainy 
feafon, indeed, by repelling the infedis, ftints the 
Swallow in it's food; it is then obferved to fkim 
flowly along the furface of the ground, and fre- 
quently to reft: after a flight of a few minutes: in 
general, however, it keeps on the wing, moving 
with extreme rapidity. When fair weather com.- 
mences, the infed: tribes feel the genial influence^ 
and make bolder flights: the Swallows purfue 
them in their aerial journies, and often rife to im- 
perceptible heights in the purfuit. Of the ap- 
proach of foul weather, however, infeds feem to 
have immediate intelligence; and, from the Swal- 
lows purfuing them near the earth, man is gene- 
rally apprized of the change that will fpeedily en- 
fue. 
Among naturalifts, three opinions have been 
formed and defended by their refpedive adherents 
with regard to the manner in which the Swallow 
tribes difpofe of themfelves after they have for- 
faken thofe countries which afforded them a refi- 
dence in fummcr. Herodotus mentions one fpe- 
cies which refides in Egypt the v.'hole year; Pro- 
fper Alpinus, in his Hiilory of Egypt, afferts the 
fame; and Mr. Loten, late governor of Ceylon, 
afiirms that thofe of Java never migrate. Thefe: 
excepted, every other kind we have heard of ob- 
ferves a periodical migration or retreat. The 
Swallows of Norway, North America, Kamr- 
fchatka, the temperate parts of Europe, of Aleppo, 
and Jamaica, all agree in this one particular ; of 
which natural hiftorians furnifh us with the moft 
unqueftionable proofs. 
A defed of infed food on the approach of win- 
4 L ter. 
