34 8 
The Animal-Lore of ShaJcspeare s Time. 
The Brill was generally known by the names Bert, 
B Bret, or Burt Fish. It was found in the same 
localities as the turbot, but was more common, 
and consequently not so much esteemed. 
The Dory, as well as the haddock, claimed the name 
of St. Peter’s Fish, and for the same reason. 
This is probably the fish referred toby Sir 
Thomas Browne, though he does not give the English 
name:—- 
“ The faber marinus, sometimes found very large, answering the 
figure of Rondeletius, which though he mentioneth it as a rare fish, and 
to he found in the Atlantic and Gaditane Ocean, yet we often meet with 
it in these seas, commonly called a Peter-fish, having one black spot on 
-either side the body; conceived the perpetual signature, from the 
impression of St. Peter’s fingers, or to resemble the two pieces of money 
which St. Peter took out of this fish; remarkable also from its dispro- 
portionable mouth, and many hard prickles about other parts.” (Vol. 
iv. p. 330.) 
The probable derivation of the name of this fish is from 
the French doree , on account of its golden tinge. Harrison 
spells it dorreie, and other authors dorray, dorrey, doree, 
and dorn. The name John is said to have been bestowed 
on this fish by Quin, the actor and epicure, as a. mark of 
his esteem for its good qualities. We meet with this 
name, however, in the sketch of the character of the poor 
fiddler, in Bishop Earle’s Microcosmography, the first edition 
of which was published in 1628 : “Hunger is the greatest 
pain he takes, except a broken head sometimes, and the 
labouring John Dory ” (p. 170, ed. Philip Bliss, 1811). 
Mr. Bliss explains the name to mean a tune. 
