328 
The Animal-Lore of SkaJcspeare’s Time. 
holybut: round, pilcherd, herring, pollock, mackrell, gurnard, illek,, 
tub, bream, old-wife, hake, dog-fish, lounp, dinner, rockling, cod, 
wrothe, becket, haddock, gilt-head, rough-hound, squar-scad, seal, 
tunny, and many other. 
“ The sheath, or razor-fish, resembleth in length and bigness a man’s 
finger, and in taste the lobster, but reputed of greater restorative. 
The sea-hedgehog, of like or more goodness, is enclosed in a round 
shell, fashioned as a loaf of bread, handsomely wrought and pincked, 
and guarded by an outer skin full of prickles, as the land urchin.” 
{Survey of Cornwall , 1602, p. 97, ed. Tonkin, 1811.) 
We may form some idea of the variety of fish con¬ 
sidered appropriate for the table from the contributions 
which were sent as presents to the Judges on the Western 
and Oxford Circuits during the years 1596-1601. 
“ Of the sturgeon, pieces were sent at Taunton, Dorchester, and 
Exeter. The salmon was usual in February and in July in all the 
western counties. Salmon peale were also general in the west and at 
Gloucester. The shewings, or sea-trout, appear at Hereford. The 
dolphin appears once at Dorchester in February; a piece of porpoise, 
to be roasted or cooked like the sturgeon, once at Launceston; and the 
dory at Oakhampton and Taunton. The conger was eaten at Taunton, 
Oakhampton, and Exeter. The cod was used fresh, and also salted 
and dried, and a cod’s head is not unfrequent ; whilst the milwell, a 
fish allied to the cod, appears in Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and Corn¬ 
wall ; turbot were not very frequent, but are mentioned at Taunton, 
Dorchester, and Exeter. Braymes were used at Exeter and Glouce¬ 
ster ; basse, or sea-perch, at Exeter, Salisbury, and Dorchester, and 
also at Reading; mulletts were not unfrequent; and soles, plaice, 
haddock, herrings, whiting, the thornback or scate, and sprats were 
common. The other dried fish were the buckthorn, or whiting, split 
and dried; the haberdine, or salt cod; ling of various sorts, viz. the 
London, Devonshire, Organ, and green salt ling; herrings; and the 
dried and salted hake, once called in the account 4 a drie fish called 
Poor John,’ and most contemptuously treated by Shakspeare. The 
shell-fish included oysters of two sorts, one called at Salisbury and 
Chard the 4 long oyster; ’ lobsters, crabs, shrimps, cockles, mussels 
whelks, the razor-fish once, and craw-fish plentiful. The fresh-water 
fish were the Thames trout, at Reading, and trout frequently else¬ 
where ; the pike, carp, tench, perch, roach, flounders, barbel, lampreys 
in February, eels generally, and Holland eels, at Winchester, and 
flounders at Exeter.” 
