Part I. 
Of Fijhes. 
113 
excepting the Sturgeon. Of all our European Fifhes, it feems' 
to come neareft to the Cok-Fijh or Blacl^Cod. 
The SCALES (perhaps) of the fame Fifh. They are 
almoft circular, above three inches in Diameter, and an- 
fwerably thick. Like other Scales, they are horny, tranf- 
parent, and elaftick or fpringy. That part of their edge 
which is inferted into the Skin, bluntly Toothed. They 
have a great many exceeding fmall Stria, hardly vifible, 
but by holding them up againft the light. 
The FILE-FISH. CAPRISCUS. It was fent from the 
Bermudas. Curioufly pi&ur d and defcribed by Salvian. (a) C<0 Hift 71; 
I call it the File-Fifb, from the likenefs which the foremoft 
Bone upon his Back hath to a hie. There are three of them : 
which, faith Salvian, he raifes and dcpreffes at his pleafure .5 
yet fo, as not one alone, but altogether. And although 
you prefs the foremoft, and greateft never fo hard, it will 
not ftir : but if you deprefs the laft and leaft of all never 
fo foftly, the other two immediately fall down with it : 
juft as when a Crofs-Bow is let off By pulling down the 
Tricker. For which reafon alfo the filh is called, at Rome, 
Pefce Baleftra. 
Another thing peculiar to this fifh is, that his Scales ( as 
Salvian calls them) are feparated by cancellated lines , or 
Lattice- wife. I add, and that they are all incruftated, and 
rough-caft with little round knobs. So that the cover of 
this fifh, is near a kin to that of the Square-Fifb 3 that be- 
ing only one entire Cruft , this divided into many little 
ones. 
It may be noted, That where Salvian defcribeth this 
filh to be comprejfum (5? latum , atq$ fere orhicularem , he 
hath not properly expreffed his fhape. For he is not Broad, 
but Tall 3 and much nearer to a Rhombus or Diamond- 
fquare. 
This fifh feems to be the fame which the People of Bra- 
file call GUAPERUA 3 defcribed and piciur d by Marg- 
gravius and Pifo, and out of them by John/ion. (b) (b) Tab. 34. 
The TALLEST FILE-FISH. This feems to be that 
Species particularly defcribed by Salvianus. It differs from 
the foregoing only in being taller and narrower: and 
in having the Tail-Fin with longer horns. 
The PRICKLE or longeft FILE-FISH. It is a young 
<X One. 
