2 or FISHES IN GENERAL. 
Even after nations have attained to fome degree of 
knowledge and civilization, many ages elapfe before they 
puih their inquiries far into the fubjeft of ichthyology, 
or acquire any conliderable acquaintance with the inha- 
bitants of the ocean. In the unfathomed depths of that 
turbulent and extenfive element, probably millions re- 
iide, of which the far greater part are fecluded from 
human obfervation ; and, even of the few which the in- 
duftry of man ha3, at laft, drawn from their hidden 
abode, we hardly know any thing, but the external fi- 
gure, and the names. Their food, their longevity, their 
method of propagating their kind, and the wdiole of their 
manners and economy, remain ftill among thole num- 
berlefs fecrets of Nature, ivhich human ingenuity has 
not hitherto been able to explore. Hence, the natural 
hiflory of fillies has feldom been found interefiing, be- 
eaufe it is defiitute of that information, which it is the 
province of hiflory to convey. It is more imperfeft 
and obfeure, than that of quadrupeds and birds, in pro- 
portion as the element, in which fifties refide, is more 
extenfive and inacceffible. 
Before the Chrijtian era, few writers had turned 
their attention to this difficult branch of Natural Hi- 
flory. Arijlotle , 7 hsophrojlus, Stralo, and Terentius 
Varro, had made their obfervations on fueh as were 
then known ; but they had fcarcely any idea of treating 
the fubjedt in a feientific manner. After that period, 
Appian , Ovid and Columella, deferibed the fifties of the 
JLuxine and Adriatic feas, as far as they had acccfs to ex- 
amine them. Pliny was the laft, and by far the moil 
copious writer upon this fubjeft, among the ancients. 
He is, indeed, too dilfufe ; while his credulity and love 
of the marvellous, confiderably weaken the authority of 
his narrative. An hundred and twenty-four ipecies, 
were 
