thick and prominent; the head is of moderate size, and the eyes large; the jaws of equal length, the lower one bearded at the tip by a single cirrus; in the jaws and palate are numerous sharp teeth; the dorsal and anal fins are rather large, the pectoral rather small; the ventral small and slender; the tail of moderate size, and even at the end, the first ray on each side being short, strong, and bony. The usual colour of this fish is cinereous on the back and sides, and commonly spotted with dull yellow; the belly white or silvery; but the colours occasionally vary very considerably, and instances are often seen in which a yellow, orange, or even red tint prevails on the upper parts of the body, while the spots are lighter or deeper according to the different seasons in which the fish is taken; the lateral line, which is one of the principal dis. tinctive marks of the species, is broad and whitish, and the scales are somewhat larger than in the other genus.

The food of the cod is either small fish, worms, testaceous or crustaceous animals, such as crabs, large whelks, &c. its digestion is so powerful as to dissolve the greatest part of the shells it swal. lows: it is very voracious, catching at any small body it perceives moved by the water, even stones and pebbles, which are often found in the stomach. The fishermen are well acquainted with the use of the air bladder or sound of this fish, and dexterously perforate the living fish with a needle, in order to let out the air contained in that part; for without this operation the fish could not be kept under water in the well-boats, and brought fresh to market. The sounds when salted, are reckoned a delicacy, and are often brought in this state from Newfoundland. A species of isinglass is also prepared from this part of the fish by the natives of Iceland. [Shaw. Pennant.

SECTION V.

Mackrel.

Scomber scomber.-LINN.

THIS beautiful fish is a native of the European and American Seas; generally appearing at stated seasons, and swarming, in vast shoals, round particular coasts. Its great resort however seems to be within the Arctic circle, where it resides in innumerable troops,

grows to a larger size than elsewhere, and is supposed to find its favourite food, consisting chiefly of marine insects, in far greater plenty than in warmer latitudes. During the severity of the northern winter, it is said to lie imbedded in the soft mud, beneath the vast crusts of ice surrounding the polar coasts; being thus sufficiently protected from the effects of frost; and, on the return of spring, is generally believed to migrate in enormous shoals, of many miles in length and breadth, and to visit the coasts of more temperate cli mates in order to deposit its spawn. Its route has been supposed nearly similar to that of the herring; passing between Iceland and Norway, and proceeding towards the northern part of our own island, where a part throws itself off into the Baltic, while the grand column passes downwards, and enters the Mediterranean through the straits of Gibraltar.

This long migration of the mackrel, as well as of the herring, seems at present to be greatly called in question: and it is thought more probable that the shoals which appear in such abundance round the more temperate European coasts, in reality reside during the winter at no very great distance; immersing themselves in the soft bottom, and remaining in a state of torpidity*; from which they are awakened by the warmth of the returning spring, and gradually recover their former activity. At their first appearance their eyes are observed to appear remarkably dim, as if covered with a kind of film, which passes off as the season advances, when they appear in their full perfection of colour and vigour.

The general length of the mackrel is from twelve to fifteen or sixteen inches; but in the northern seas it is occasionally found of far greater size, and among those which visit our own coasts in. stances sometimes occur of specimens far exceeding the general size of the rest. The colour of this fish, on the upper parts, as far as the lateral line, is a rich deep blue, accompanied by a varying tinge of green, and marked by numerous black transverse streaks, which in the male are nearly straight, but in the female beautifully undulated; the jaws, gill-covers, and abdomen, are of a bright

* Of this the Count de Cepede adduces the testimony of an eye-witness; viz. Mons. Pleville-le-Peley, who, about the coasts of Hudson's Bay, observed the mud, at the bottom of the small clear hollows encrusted with ice round those coasts, entirely bristled over by the tails of mackrels imbedded in

silver colour, with a slight varying cast of gold-green along the sides, which are generally marked in the direction of the lateral line by a row of long dusky spots; the scales are very small, oval, and trans. parent; the pinnules or spurious fins are small, and are five in number both above and below. The shape of the mackrel is highly elegant, and it is justly considered as one of the most beautiful of the European fishes. Its merit as an article of food is universally established, and it is one of those fishes which have maintained their reputation through a long succession of ages; having been highly esteemed by the ancients, who prepared from it the parti. cular condiment or sauce known to the Romans by the title of ga rum, and made by salting the fish, and after a certain period, straining the liquor from it. This preparation, once so famous, has been long superseded by the introduction of the anchovy, for similar

purposes.

[Willoughby. Pennant. Shaw.

SECTION VI.

Remora, or Sucking-Fish.

Echeneis remora.-LINN.

THE extraordinary faculty which this fish possesses, of adhering at pleasure with the utmost tenacity to any moderately flat surface, was not unobserved by the ancients, and is described in terms of considerable luxuriance by Pliny in particular, who, giving way to the popular prejudices of his time, represents the remora as pos sessing the power of stopping a vessel in full sail, so as to render it perfectly immoveable in the midst of the sea.

"Ventum est ad summa naturæ," &c.

Let the reader take the translation in the words of Philemon Holland.

"Having so far proceeded in the discourse of Nature's historie, that I am now arrived at the very height of her forces, and come into a world of examples, I cannot chuse but in the first place consider the power of her operations, and the infininesse of her secrets, which offer themselves before our eyes in the sea for in no part else of this universal frame is it possible to observe the like majestie of nature: insomuch as we need not seeke any farther, nay we ought not to make more search into her divinitie, considering there

cannot be found any thing equall or like unto this one element, wherein she hath surmounted and gone beyond her own selfe in a wonderful number of respects. For first and foremost, Is there any thing more violent than the sea, and namely when it is troubled with blustring winds, whirlepuffs, storms and tempests? or wherein hath the wit of man been more employed (seeke out all parts of the whole world) than in seconding the waves and billows of the sea, by saile and ore? Finally, is ought more admirable than the ine. narrable force of the reciprocall tides of the sea, ebbing and flowing as it doth, whereby it keepeth a current also, as it were the stream of some great river?

"The current of the sea is great, the tide much, the winds vehement and forcible, and more than that, ores and sailes withall to help forward the rest, are mightie and powerfull and yet this one little sillie fish, named echeneis, that checketh, scorneth, and arresteth them all: let the winds blow as much as they will, rage the storms and tempests what they can, yet this little fish commaundeth their furie, restraineth their puissance, and maugre all their force as great as it is, compelleth ships to stand still: a thing which no cables be they never so big and able as they will, can performe. She bridleth the violence and tameth the greatest rage of this uni. versall world, and that without any paine that she putteth herselfe unto, without any holding and putting backe, or any other meane, save only by cleaving and sticking fast to a vessell: in such a sort as this one small and poore fish is sufficient to resist and withstand so great a power both of sea and navie, yea and to stop the passage of a ship, doe they all what they can possible to the contrarie. What should our fleets and armadoes at sea, make such turrets in their decks and forecastles? what should they fortifie their ships in warlike manner, to fight from them upon the sea, as it were from mure and rampier on firme land? See the vanitie of man! alas, how foolish are we to make all this adoe! When one little fish, not above half a foot long, is able to arrest and stay perforce, yea and hold as prisoners our goodly tall and proud ships, so well armed in the beake-head with yron pikes and brazen tines; so offensive and dangerous to bouge and pierce any enemie ship which they doe encountre. Certes, reported it is, that in the naval battaile before Actium, wherein Antonius and Cleopatra the queene

ship wherein M. Antonius was, at what time as he made all the haste and meanes he could devise with help of ores to encourage his people from ship to ship, and could not prevaile, until he was forced to abandon the said admirall and goe into another galley. Meanwhile the armada of Augustus Cæsar, seeing this disorder, charged with greater violence, and soone invested the fleete of An. tonie. Of late daies also, and within our remembrance, the like happened to the roiall ship of the Emperor Caius Caligula, at what time as he rowed backe, and made saile from Astura to Antium ; when and where this little fish detained his ship, and (as it fell out afterward) presaged an unfortunate event thereby: for this was the last time that ever this emperour made his return to Rome; and no sooner was he arrived, but his own souldiours in a mutinie fell upon him and stabbed him to death. And yet it was not long ere the cause of this wonderfull staie of his ship was knowne; for so soon as ever the vessel (and a galliace it was, furnished with five bankes of ores to a side) was perceived alone in the fleete to stand still, presentlie a number of tall fellows leapt out of their ships into the sea, to search what the reason might be that it stirred not? and found one of these fishes sticking fast to the very helme; which being reported unto Caius Caligula, he fumed and fared as an em. perour, taking great indignation that so small a thing as it, should hold him back perforce, and check the strength of his mariners, not. withstanding there were no fewer than foure hundred lustie men in his galley that laboured at the ore all that ever they could to the contrarie. But this prince (as it is for certain knowne) was most astonied at this, namely, that the fish sticking only to the ship, should hold it fast; and the same being brought into the ship and there laid, not worke the like effect. They who at that time and afterward saw the fish, report that it resembled for all the world a snaile of the greatest making; but as touching the form and sun. drie kinds thereof, many have written diversly, whose opinions I have set downe in my treatise of living creatures belonging to the waters, and namely in the particular discourse of this fish; neither doe I doubt but all the sorte of fishes are able to do as much; for this we are to beleeve, that pourcellans also be of the same vertue, since it was well knowne by a notorious example, that one of them did the like by a ship sent from Periander to the cape of Gnidos: in regard whereof, the inhabitants of Gnidos do honour and conse.