76 
ACANTHOPTERYGII. — MULLID^. 
colour is a delicate pink, interrupted by three or j 
four pale yellowish bands which run down the ] 
sides. The scales, however, which are very large, i 
are removed with a slight degree of force ; and I 
wherever this occurs, there is a deposit of blood I 
at the injured part below the outer skin ; mani- j 
fested by the colour becoming then of a purplish 1| 
red, and hence we so commonly see this fish, | 
especially after it has been handled, marbled with i 
patches of purple and scarlet upon the delicate 
rose-colour of the ground. 
The Surmullet is much esteemed for the table ; i; 
the fiesh is of agreeable flavour, and easy of di- 
gestion. It is customary to prepare it for cooking 
without drawing, like the Woodcock ; the reason 
in both cases being that the food consists of soft 
molluscous or annellidous animals, of which little 
traces remain in the intestines. The Romans 
carried their admiration of this fish to a most 
extravagant pitch in the luxurious times of the 
Empire. The satirical poets, lashing the vices 
and follies of the age, have given us some par- 
ticulars of this mania, only surpassed by the 
Tulip-madness which raged in Holland in the 
17th century, when a sum equal to 425/. sterling, 
together with a carriage, horses, and harness, was 
given for a single bulb. One Calliodorus gave a I 
sum of money equal to ten guineas for a Surmul- | 
let of four pounds’ weight; one of six pounds was j 
bought for 48/.; one still larger for 64/.; and | 
three of equal size were purchased by the Em- j 
peror for the same entertainment at the enormous I 
price of 243/. IO 5 . At length Tiberius attempted 
to restrain the extravagance by imposing a tax j 
upon all provisions brought to market. 
