Part I. 
Of Fifes. 
113 
excepting the Sturgeon. Of all our European Fifties, it feems 
to come neareft to the Cole-Fijh or Black-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 Striae , hardly vifible, 
but by holding them up againft the light. 
The FILE-FISH. CAPRISCUS. It was fent from the 
Bermudas. Curioufly pictur’d and defcribed by Salvian. {a) 00 Hilt. 71, 
I call it the File-Fifh, from the likenefs which the foremoft 
Bone upon his Back hath to a hie. There arc three of them: 
which, faith Salvian , he raifes and depreffes at his pleafure; 
yet fo, as not one alone, but altogether. And although 
you prefs the foremoft, and greatell 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-Boiv is let off by pulling down the 
Tricker. For which reafon alfo the filh is called, at Rome , 
Pejce Baleftra. 
Another tiling peculiar to this fifh is, that his Scales (as 
Salvian calls them) arcfeparatedby 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-Fijh ■, 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 Is latum , atq 3 fere orbicularem , he 
hath not properly exprefled his fhape. For he is not Broad, 
but Tall ; and much nearer to a Rhomb ns or Diamond- 
fquare. 
This fifh feems to be the fame which the People of Bra- 
file call GUAPERUA5 defcribed and pictur'd by Marg- 
grav'ms and Pifo, and out of them b y Johnfton. (ft) (bj Tat. 34. 
The TALLEST FILE-FISH. This feems to be that 
Species particularly defcribed by S aim anus. 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 
One. 
