Chapter V: ANIMALCULES Are destitute of tentacula or feelers, and are generally (8)

These delicate fish are found in shoals, near several of the shores of Europe. They are usually caught about the month of August; and are so plentiful on some parts of the French coast that fishermen have been known to take two or three hundred of them at a single haul of their nets.

The French consider them to be dry and insipid eating; but in England they are often more esteemed than whitings. The inhabitants of Greenland frequently salt them: they also salt and dry the _roes_; and are particularly partial to the _livers_, which they dress and serve to table with crowberries (_Empetrum nigrum_).

209. _The CAPELAN, or POOR_ (Gadus minutus), _is a fish of the cod tribe,
which seldom exceeds the length of six or seven inches, and differs from
all others of the same tribe by being black in the interior of the
abdomen._

_It has three dorsal fins, a small beard on the chin, and nine punctures
on each side of the lower jaw._

In the Newfoundland fishery these fish are of considerable importance, as supplying bait for the taking of cod. They are also found in considerable numbers in the Mediterranean, the Baltic, and the North Sea, and wherever they appear they are a source of great joy to the fishermen, since they are believed to announce an abundant supply of valuable fish, which pursue and prey upon them.

It is stated that, in the year 1545, the French coasts in the Mediterranean were visited, for two months, by such myriads of capelans, that many of the inhabitants were obliged to collect together and bury those that were thrown ashore, to prevent any evil consequence that might occur from the corruption of so great a mass of animal matter. These fish are sometimes caught on the coast of Cornwall.

They are considered very delicate food; and when salted are peculiarly excellent. A few barrels of salted capelans are occasionally sent from Newfoundland, as presents to the friends of the merchants in England, but the fish are too small to be salted there as an article of profit. They are caught both with lines and nets.

210. _The WHITING_ (Gadus merlangus) _is distinguished from other fish of
the cod tribe by having three fins on its back, no beard on the chin, its
upper jaw longer than the lower, the tail-fin somewhat hollowed, the back
dusky, and the rest of the body silvery white._

_Its weight seldom exceeds two pounds._

The chief season for whiting is during the first three months of the year, though they are frequently, brought to market till after Midsummer. They are sometimes caught with nets, but the hook and line are generally preferred, on account of the depth of the water at which they are usually found. The baits are lugworms, and muscles, whelks, or other shell-fish. The shoals of whiting, which approach within two or three miles of our shores, are sometimes extremely numerous. The Dutch fishermen use lines, for catching them, of immense length, and each containing about 250 hooks. These are laid near the bottom of the water; and when taken up have, in many instances, a fish at each hook.

It has been remarked that the flesh of the whiting, which is usually considered very delicate eating, varies much with the season and the kind of shore where the fish are caught. Those which frequent sandy flats, at a little distance from the shores, are smaller and much better flavoured than others that are taken on banks distant from the sea-coasts. They should be chosen for the table by the redness of their gills, the brightness of the eyes, and the general firmness of the body and fins.

In the neighbourhood of Bruges and Ostend whitings are frequently salted; and conveyed for sale into the interior of France and Germany, where, in general, they are considered preferable to salted cod.

211. _COAL-FISH, or PILTOCKS_ (Gadus carbonarius), _are a kind of cod
with three dorsal fins, no beard on the under jaw; the under jaw longer
than the upper, the side line straight, and the mouth black within._

_They are frequently two or three feet long, and twenty pounds and
upwards in weight._

These fish are indebted, for their name, to the dark colour which their body generally assumes when they have attained their full growth. To the inhabitants of the Orkney Islands, and of the extreme northern parts of Scotland, they afford a most important supply of food, at a season of the year when the poor are deprived of almost every other means of subsistence. At the approach of winter, when the seas are stormy, myriads of these fish run into the bays; and they continue in the immediate neighbourhood of the same coasts till the months of February and March. They are nearly as important an object of pursuit on account of their _livers_ as for their _flesh_. From these is obtained a considerable quantity of oil, which is used for burning in lamps, and for numerous other purposes. The young Coal-fish approach the Yorkshire coasts in the months of July and August, and, when four or five inches in length, they are much esteemed as food; but the older fish are so coarse and bad, that, where other food is to be obtained, few people will eat them. By being salted and dried, however, they are rendered firm and palatable.

Coal-fish are usually caught with lines. The best bait for them is a sprat or a limpet parboiled. The Shetlanders use the latter; and, seated on the rocks projecting over the water, or in boats, they are very expert in catching them. A man, holding a rod in each hand, will frequently draw them up as fast as he can put down his lines. He keeps a few limpets in his mouth, and baits his hook at a single motion with one hand, assisted by his lips, and with the greatest ease and certainty. The fish thus caught are generally those of the second year's growth, and are not much larger than herrings.

212. _POLLACK_ (Gadus pollachius) _is a fish belonging to the cod tribe,
with three dorsal fins, no beard to the under jaw, the under jaw longer
than the upper, the tail-fin forked, and the side line much curved._

_The usual weight of the pollack is six or seven pounds, but it sometimes
much exceeds this._

In the Baltic Sea and the Northern Ocean, particularly in those parts where the bottom is rocky, and the sea much agitated, these fish appear, at stated seasons, in great shoals, playing about on the surface in all directions and in the most sportive and agile manner. Near Lubec and Heligoland they are sometimes caught, in immense numbers, in nets, or with lines and hooks baited with a feather, a small fish, or a bit of the skin of an eel. They frequent some of the southern parts of our coasts in the summer, and the eastern shores of Yorkshire in winter.

As an article of food, pollacks are usually considered inferior to whiting, but, in some places, they are much esteemed. On the Continent they are sometimes salted, and eaten during Lent by the inferior classes of people.

213. _LING_ (Gadus molva) _are a species of cod which have two dorsal
fins, a small beard on the under jaw, the under jaw longer than the
upper, and the tail fin rounded._

_They are caught in great numbers in the Northern Ocean, and about the
northern coasts of Great Britain and Ireland; and when full grown are
three or four feet in length._

The importance of these fish in a commercial view, is very great. Their size, the numbers in which they are caught, the excellence of their flesh when salted, and the value of the oil that they yield, all contribute to render them an object of eager pursuit by fishermen in those countries on the coasts of which they are found. More than 900,000 pounds' weight of ling are annually exported from the coasts of Norway. In England they are fished for and cured in the same manner as cod (205): and it is said that they bear carriage to great distances much better than cod.

Ling are in season from February until about the end of May. Vast numbers of these fish are salted in the northern parts of England, for exportation as well as for home consumption. When they are in season the _liver_ is white, and yields a great quantity of fine and well-flavoured oil. This is extracted by placing it over a slow fire; but if a sudden heat be applied, very little oil can be obtained. As soon as the fish are out of season the liver becomes red, and affords no oil. A kind of isinglass is made from the _air-bladders_. The _tongues_ are eaten either fresh, dried, or salted.

214. _The BURBOT_ (Gadus lota, Fig. 60) _is a somewhat eel-shaped species
of cod with two dorsal fins, a single fleshy beard on the under jaw, the
jaws nearly equal in length, and the tail rounded._

_This fish is found in some rivers of England, and in rivers and lakes of
the Continent; and when full grown weighs two or three pounds._

Although the burbot is esteemed a very delicate fish for the table, it is so common in the Oder, and in some other rivers of Germany, that the fishermen, unable otherwise to dispose of all they catch, not unfrequently cut the fattest parts of the fish into slips, and, after drying them, burn them instead of candles. The _livers_ are large and of peculiarly excellent flavour. It is related of a Countess de Beuchlingen, in Thuringia, that she was so partial to the livers of burbots as to expend a great portion of her income in the purchase of them. If suspended in a glass and placed near a hot stove, or in the heat of the sun, they yield an oil which was formerly in great repute as an external application for the removal of swellings. The _air-bladders_, which are so large as often to be nearly one-third of the whole length of the fish, are employed in some countries for making isinglass.

ORDER III.--THORACIC FISH.

215. _The JOHN DOREE_ (Zeus faber, Fig. 65) _is a fish very much
compressed at the sides, with large head, wide mouth, long filaments to
the rays of the first dorsal fin, the tail rounded, and a roundish black
spot on each side of the body._

_This fish is an inhabitant of most seas, and is usually about a foot and
a half in length; but it is sometimes known to weigh so much as ten or
twelve pounds._

It has only been within about the last half century that this delicious, though hideous-looking, fish, has had a place at our tables; and the first person who brought it into notice was the well-known actor and bon-vivant, the late Mr. Quin.

Near the coasts of Devonshire and Cornwall, dorées are caught in great number both in nets and with lines; and they are principally in season during the months of October, November, and December. Their name is a corruption from the French _jaune dorée_, and signifies golden yellow fish, this being their colour when first taken out of the water.

216. _The HOLIBUT_ (Pleuronectes hippoglossus) _is a flat fish of
considerably lengthened shape, of olive or blackish colour above, with
smooth body, and the tail hollowed at the extremity. The eyes (as viewed
from the head toward the tail) are on the right side._

_These, the largest of all the European species of flat fish, inhabit
both the European and American seas, and frequently weigh from 100 to 300
or 400 pounds each._

As the holibut is found only at the bottom of the water, the usual mode of catching it is with hooks and lines; and its size is so great that, for sale in the markets, it is customary to cut it into pieces. The season in which it is most esteemed is during the months of October, November, and December.

Though, in general, a coarse food, the parts which are near the side fins are fat and delicious, but too rich for any one to eat much of them. The inhabitants of Greenland eat of these fish both fresh and dried. They also eat the _skin_ and the _liver_; and the _membrane of the stomach_ serves instead of glass for windows. The Swedes and Icelanders make of holibut a food called _raff_ and _roechel_; the former consisting of the fins with the fat skin to which they are attached; and the latter of pieces of the flesh cut into stripes, salted, and dried on sticks in the air. Holibuts are also salted in the same manner as herrings, which is said to be the best mode of curing them; but, in this state, they are coarse and bad eating.

217. _The PLAISE_ (Pleuronectes platessa) _is a kind of flat fish easily
known by a row of six bony protuberances behind the left eye, and its
upper side being marbled with olive and brown, and marked with orange
spots_.

_Though usually of small size, this fish sometimes grows to the weight of
twelve or fourteen pounds, and is found on the shores of almost all the
countries of Europe._

The best and largest plaise are said to be caught on some parts of the coast of Sussex. They are in greatest perfection from December to March, and in July, August and September. Those that are of tolerably large size are firm and well-flavoured, but the small and thin fish become gluey by boiling. The flesh of the former is bluish, and of the latter reddish white. Plaise are generally caught with nets called seine nets, which are hauled upon the shores.

In some countries these fish are salted and dried as articles of commerce; and in others the best of them are skinned, dried, and pressed into particular forms, and, when eaten, are cut like cheese.

218. _The DAB_ (Pleuronectes limanda) _is a species of flat fish, of
yellowish brown colour, with the eyes on the right side of the body, the
scales hard and toothed, and the lateral line, at its commencement,
curved round the pectoral fin._

_It is in general much smaller than the plaise._

Although very common on the shores of the Baltic and Mediterranean seas, the dab is much more scarce on the British shores than the plaise. When in best season, during the months of February, March, and April, it is considered preferable to that fish. In the summer-time its flesh is soft and of bad flavour. The Dutch and Scots fishermen sometimes salt and dry these fish.

219. _The BRILL is a flat fish somewhat like the turbot (222), but with
its eyes on the right side of the body, the whole surface of the body
smooth, and a laceration at the beginning of the dorsal fin._

These fish are not uncommon, in somewhat deeper water than the plaise, and the flounder, along the coasts of Dorsetshire, Hampshire, and some of the eastern parts ot England. They are very common at Billingsgate, and in other markets; are considered an excellent fish for the table, being white, firm, and well-flavoured; and are chiefly in season in the months of October and November.

220. _The FLOUNDER_ (Pleuronectes flesus) _is a flat fish which differs
from the plaise (217) principally in wanting the six protuberances behind
the left eye, in having the lateral line rough, short spines at the base
of the upper side of the fins, and a great number of rough points on
almost the whole upper surface of the body._

_Its weight seldom exceeds two or three pounds._

There are few species of fish so common on the flat and somewhat muddy shores of this country as the flounder. It enters the harbours, and ascends the rivers to a considerable distance from their mouth. It is even caught in places where the water is perfectly fresh, and it is said to be much sweeter and better for the table when taken at a distance from the sea than in salt-water. On this account chiefly it is that the flounders caught in the river Thames have obtained great celebrity. They are in best season from January to March, and from July to September.

Flounders are generally caught with nets in the same way as other flat fish. But sometimes the fishermen catch them by walking gently in the shallow waters, where they abound, and stabbing an iron prong or fork through their bodies, as they lie in the mud. The places where they lie are known by the exposure only of their eyes and mouth, all the other parts of their body being concealed. Small flounders are frequently used by fishermen as bait for crabs and lobsters.

221. _The SOLE_ (Pleuronectes solea) _is a flat fish, the body of which
is oblong and rough, and the upper jaw longer than the lower._

_It is found off the sandy shores of nearly all parts of the world; and,
though in England, it does not often exceed the might of three or four
pounds, in hot climates it frequently weighs as much as seven or eight
pounds._

The sole is a fish in great request for the table, and, except the turbot, is usually considered the most firm and delicate fish of its tribe. Though exposed for sale during nearly the whole year, it is in highest perfection about Midsummer. By the ancient laws of the Cinque Ports no person was allowed to catch soles from the first of November to the fifteenth of March; nor was any one permitted to use nets betwixt sun-setting and sun-rising, that the fish might not be disturbed in their feeding. Soles when good are of thick form, and their under parts are cream-coloured; if the latter are bluish, the fish are flabby and bad. These, unlike most other fish, may be kept several days, even in hot weather, without becoming putrid; and they are always skinned before they are eaten. The _skins_ are sometimes dried, and used for the clarifying of coffee.

222. _The TURBOT_ (Pleuronectes maximus, Fig. 66) _is a species of flat
fish, distinguished by its eyes being on the left side, the body being
broad, marbled with brown and yellow above, and rough with bony
protuberances._

_The weight of these fish is from four or five to betwixt twenty and
thirty pounds._

_They are chiefly caught in the European and Mediterranean seas._

It has been calculated that more than 10,000 pounds' weight of turbots are annually consumed in London. These are chiefly caught off the northern coasts of England, and off the coast of Holland. Notwithstanding the high repute of turbot for the tables of the most wealthy and luxurious inhabitants of this country, it has only of late been relished in Scotland, and many persons there still prefer the holibut (216) to it. There are now, or were very lately, living in one of the coast-towns of Scotland several poor people who were accustomed to derive a great part of their subsistence from the turbots which the fishermen threw away upon the beach as of no value. A general officer in the English army first taught the inhabitants of Fifeshire that these fish were eatable; and astonished the fishermen of that country by offering so great a sum as a shilling a piece for the largest of them.

Many of the vessels, which carry fish to the Thames, are employed in fishing for turbot even so far north as the Frith of Forth, and, in the wells of these vessels, they are brought alive to the London markets. Turbot are caught off the Yorkshire coast with hooks and lines. At Scarborough each fisherman takes, in his boat, three lines coiled upon flat oblong pieces of wicker-work, the hooks being baited and placed in the centre of the coils. The lines are usually furnished with 280 hooks, placed at the distance of six feet two inches from each other. In this fishing there are always three men in each boat, and nine of these lines are fastened together, extending in length nearly three miles, and furnished with 2520 hooks. They are placed in the sea, across the current, and secured by anchors or large stones at the end of every three lines. Their situation is marked by floats or buoys made of leather or cork. The lines are always placed at the turn of the tide; and they are suffered to continue until the next tide, and consequently remain upon the ground about six hours. The best bait for turbot is a fresh herring, though the Dutch fishermen prefer the lesser lampreys (255) to them, and have been known to purchase of the English fishermen, for this purpose, more than 700l. worth of these lampreys per annum. Small pieces of haddocks, sand-worms, and some kinds of shell-fish, are also occasionally used; and, when none of these are to be had, bullock's liver is adopted.

Turbots are in season during nearly the whole summer. When in perfection, they are thick, and the under part of the body is of yellowish white colour. If they are thin, or this part has a bluish tinge, they are bad. These fish are generally considered better if kept in a cool place for a few days before they are eaten.

223. _The COMMON PERCH_ (Perca fluviatilis) _is a fresh-water fish,
distinguished by having sixteen soft rays to the second dorsal fin,
fourteen spiny ones to the first dorsal fin, the upper gill-covers
serrated at the edges, and the sides marked by five broad and upright
bars of black._

_This fish seldom exceeds the weight of four or five pounds._

_It is found in rivers and lakes both in Europe and Siberia._

With the ancient Romans the perch was a very favourite fish. Though somewhat bony, it is white, firm, and well flavoured, and is considered an excellent food for persons in a weak state of health. Perch are generally found in rapid streams where the water is somewhat deep. They are caught both with nets and with hooks and lines, and are in greatest perfection, from January to March, and again in October and November. In Lapland and Siberia they are sometimes found of enormous size. The Laplanders, in one of their churches, have the dried head of a perch which is nearly a foot in length. The Dutch are particularly fond of perch when made into a dish called _water souchy_.

From the _skins_ of perch a kind of isinglass is made which surpasses that made from any other fish. The Laplanders use it to stiffen their bows and make them durable. As this substance might be rendered of use for various purposes of domestic economy, it may not be altogether unimportant to detail the mode of its preparation. The skins are first dried, and afterwards softened in cold water to rid them of the scales. The Laplanders generally take four or five of the skins at a time, put them into a rein-deer's bladder, or wrap them in pieces of the bark of the birch-tree, so that they may not come in contact with the water. They place these in a pot of boiling water, putting on them a stone to keep them at the bottom of the pot; and in this situation they are boiled for an hour. When they have become soft and glutinous, they are taken out, and are then in a state fit for use.

Perch may be bred and fattened in ponds; but care should be taken not to put them with other fish, as their voracity renders them extremely destructive to any that are weaker than themselves; or they should be accompanied by such only as are intended to furnish them with food. A pond may be stocked with perch by putting only the eggs or spawn into it; and if the situation and circumstances be favourable, the increase in a few years will be extremely great.

These fish are so tenacious of life that instances have occurred of their being packed in wet straw and carried alive to a distance of fifty miles and upwards.

224. _The BASSE is a sea-fish somewhat resembling a perch, with a short
and sharp spine on the posterior plate of the gill-cover, fourteen rays
to the second dorsal fin, the back dusky tinged with blue, and the belly
white._

_This fish sometimes attains the weight of twenty and even thirty
pounds._

_It is found in the Mediterranean, the British Channel, the Northern
Ocean, and the Baltic._

These voracious fish are caught during nearly all the year; but the months of August, September, and October, are considered most favourable for taking them. They not only approach the shores, but even ascend the rivers to great distances. Though their flesh is in general woolly and insipid, the Romans preferred them to many other kinds of fish, and sometimes paid high prices for them. Those which they chiefly esteemed were caught in the Tiber, betwixt the bridges of Rome.

The eggs or _roes_ of the basse have sometimes been used in France and Italy to make what is called _Boutargue_ or _Botargo_.

225. _The COMMON MACKREL_ (Scomber scomber) _is known from other fish by
having five small and distinct fins betwixt the dorsal fin and the tail._

_Its usual length is from a foot to eighteen inches, and its weight
seldom exceeds two or three pounds._

The mackrel fishery is an object of great commercial importance to the inhabitants of most of the countries on the shores of which these fish abound. During the summer season they approach our coasts in immense shoals, and are generally caught in what are called seine nets. From June to August many of our markets are supplied with them; but as mackrel become putrid sooner than most other fish, they cannot be carried to any great distance, nor be kept for any great length of time. On this account it is that they are allowed to be sold in the streets of London on Sundays, and in catholic countries on Sundays and festivals.

When quite fresh mackrel are an excellent fish for the table, and are in best season from May to July. Both in Italy and England they are often pickled with vinegar and spices, and sometimes with bay leaves intermixed. By the inhabitants of many parts of the north of Europe they are salted; and, in this state, they constitute a cheap and very important article of subsistence. In Scotland they are frequently cured in the same manner as herrings. It was with these fish chiefly that the ancient Romans formed their celebrated pickle called _garum_. This in the ancient world constituted a very considerable branch of commerce, not only from its being used as an highly esteemed sauce, but also as it was considered a remedy for various diseases. In the Mediterranean the _roes_ of mackrel are salted, and used for _caviar_.

226. _The THUNNY, or ALBICORE_ (Scomber thynnus, Fig. 61), _is a large
fish of the mackrel tribe, of steel-blue colour above, and silvery white
beneath; and is particularly known by having from eight to eleven
distinct fins betwixt the dorsal fin and the tail._

_These fish measure from six to ten feet in length, and frequently weigh
from 400 to 1200 pounds._

_They are chiefly caught in the Mediterranean._

We are acquainted with no species of fish, of size equal to the thunny, which supply mankind with so palatable a food. The thunny fishery is pursued with great ardour, by the inhabitants of nearly all the shores of the Mediterranean; but, particularly, by those of Spain and Sardinia. It constitutes one of the principal objects of diversion to the inhabitants of Sardinia; and, for the purpose of attending it, many persons of distinction come even from distant countries. The nets, which are of great size and value, are prepared in April, and are consecrated by the priests previously to being thrown into the sea. On the preceding evening the persons employed draw lots for the name of the Saint who is to be considered the patron of the fishing for the ensuing day; and this Saint, whoever he maybe, is alone invoked to promote the success of the undertaking.

Notwithstanding their great size, these fish swim in shoals of sometimes more than 1000 together. Pliny, the Roman naturalist, asserts that the fleet of Alexander the Great attempted, in vain, to pass through a shoal of them, in any other manner than closely arranged in order of battle. Of the immense numbers of thunnies some idea may be formed when it is stated that 300,000 or 400,000 of them are supposed every year to pass through the straits of Gibraltar. These fish are not uncommon on the western shores of Scotland, but not in shoals as in the Mediterranean.

The flesh of the thunny differs much, according to the season, and the place where it is taken; hence in Sardinia it is called by different names according with this difference. When raw it is in general red like beef, but, on being boiled, it assumes a pale colour; and when in perfection, its taste somewhat resembles that of salmon. These fish are salted, and sent, in great quantity, to Constantinople and the Greek islands. The thunny was so much esteemed by the ancient Greeks that they consecrated it to Diana.

227. _The BONITO_ (Scomber pelamis) _is a large species of mackrel, of
thick form, with seven small distinct fins betwixt the dorsal fin and the
tail, and several large scales below the pectoral fin._

_This fish measures eighteen inches or two feet in length, and is ten
pounds and upwards in weight._

_It is principally found in the seas of tropical climates._

Sometimes these fish approach the European shores; and one of them was caught a few years ago at Christchurch, in Hampshire. To mariners in hot climates they often afford an important supply of food. Their flesh is fat and white, but inferior in excellence to that of the thunny, except when salted. A very lucrative fishery of bonitos is carried on at Cadiz. The fishing commences about the end of April, and continues until the beginning of July; and, in general, affords occupation for about a hundred persons.

228. _The RED SURMULLET_ (Mullus barbatus) _is a fish known by its large
and loose scales, the general red colour of its body, and its having two
fleshy beards on the under jaw._

_It frequents the European seas, and seldom exceeds the length of eight
or ten inches._

229. _The STRIPED SURMULLET_ (Mullus surmuletus, Fig. 67.) _has large and
long scales, is of red colour, with four yellowish stripes along its
sides, and two beards on the under jaw._

_This fish inhabits both the European and the American seas, and is from
ten or twelve inches to two feet in length._

The prices at which the surmullet was sometimes purchased by the Romans were enormously great. We read of a Roman consul having given at the rate of more than 64l. of our money for one of them; and of one of the Roman emperors having paid upwards of 240l. for another--to such an absurdity of extravagance did this people arrive before the dissolution of their empire. But it went further:--they are said to have considered even the surmullet of little value unless it died in the very hands of their guests. Some of the most luxurious of the Romans had stews formed even in their eating-rooms, so that the fish could at once be brought from under the table and placed upon it. Here they were put into transparent vases, that the guests might be entertained with their various changes of colour, from red to violet and blue, as they expired. The parts chiefly admired for the table were the head and the liver.

Both the above species of surmullet occasionally visit our coasts during the summer season. Their flesh is white, firm, and well-tasted; but they cannot long be kept without becoming putrid.

230. _GURNARDS_ (Trigla, Fig. 62.) _are fish with a large angular and
bony head; and two or more distinct appendages near the pectoral fins._

Of about fifteen known species of gurnards, five are caught near the British coasts. These are the GREY GURNARD, RED GURNARD, PIPER, TUB-FISH, and STREAKED GURNARD, of which the two former are considered best for the table. Their flesh is white, firm, and good, though somewhat insipid; and they are thought to be in greatest perfection from about the beginning of May to the end of July.

ORDER. IV.--ABDOMINAL FISH.

231. _The COMMON SALMON_ (Salmo salar, Fig. 68) _is a fish known by its
forked tail, the upper jaw being somewhat longer than the lower, and by
the extremity of the under jaw, in the male, being hooked and bent
upward._

_All the fish of the salmon tribe have their hindmost dorsal fin fleshy._

At an early season of the year salmon begin to leave their winter haunts in the ocean, and to pass up the fresh water rivers, sometimes to vast distances, to deposit their spawn. And it is in these peregrinations that they are chiefly caught. The British rivers that are most celebrated for salmon are the Tweed, the Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, and the Thames. Sometimes they are taken in nets, sometimes in traps or engines, and sometimes by harpoons. They have been known to ascend the rivers to the distance of more than 200 miles.

Vast numbers of salmon are annually pickled at Berwick for the London markets, and for sale on the Continent. These are packed in small tubs, and are usually sold under the name of Newcastle salmon.

The season for catching salmon commences towards the end of the year, but the principal capture is in the month of July; and instances have occurred in which more than 1000 fish have been caught at one haul of a net. Fresh salmon are frequently sent to London from the northern rivers packed in ice. The Severn salmon are earlier in season than those of any other river in England, though not so early as what are caught in some parts of Scotland and Ireland. The Thames salmon are principally taken near Isleworth, and are sold at a most extravagant rate in London. In Ireland the most considerable salmon fishery is as Cranna, on the river Ban, about a mile and a half from Coleraine. At a single haul of one of the nets, about the year 1776, there were taken as many as 1356 fish; this circumstance was so extraordinary as to be recorded in the town books of Coleraine.

In the Severn, Trent, and some other northern rivers of England, no salmon measuring less than eighteen inches from the eye to the middle of the tail is allowed to be caught; nor any whatever betwixt the eighth of September and the eleventh of November (except in the Ribble, where they may be caught betwixt the first of January and fifteenth of September), under the penalty of 5l. and forfeiture of the fish. And no salmon of less weight than six pounds are permitted to be sent by fishmongers to their agents in London, under a similar penalty.

When these fish, about the beginning of May, are five or six inches in length, they are called _salmon smelts_, and, when they have attained the weight of from about six to nine pounds, they have the name of _gilse_.

Salmon are a very general and favourite article of food. When eaten fresh, they are tender, flaky, and nutritive; but are thought to be difficult of digestion. The flesh of the salmon is of red colour, and the beauty of its appearance is increased by soaking slices of it in fresh water before they are cooked. Immediately after the salmon have deposited their spawn they become so flabby and bad as to be unfit for food. Raw salmon is a favourite dish with even the first nobility of Stockholm, insomuch that they seldom give a great dinner in which this food is not presented on the table. It is prepared by merely cutting the fish into slices, putting these into salt, and, when salted, leaving them for three days in a wooden dish, with a little water. In this state it is said to be very delicious eating.

The modes of curing salmon are various, but these are chiefly by _drying_, _smoking_, _salting_, and _pickling_. Near the bay of Castries (in the Strait of Saghalier) the Tartars tan the _skins_ of large salmon, and convert them into a very supple kind of clothing.

232. In South Wales, and in the rivers of the north of England which fall into the sea, a kind of salmon, called _SEWEN_ (_Salmo esiox_), is frequently found. It is known by having nearly an even tail, and being marked with ash-coloured spots. These salmon are chiefly caught from July to September, and seldom weigh more than ten or twelve pounds. They are much inferior to the common salmon in delicacy of flavour.

233. _SALMON TROUT, SEA TROUT, or BUDGE_ (Salmo trutta), _is a species of
salmon chiefly characterized by the tail being hollowed, by having seven
rays to the anal fin, black spots encircled with ash-colour on the head,
back, and sides; and the jaws of equal length._

_It inhabits the sea, and rivers adjacent to the sea; and sometimes
weighs eight or ten pounds, or more._

The flesh of the salmon trout is red and good, but not so highly flavoured as that of the salmon; and it varies much, according to the quality of the water in which the fish are taken. Salmon trout are caught chiefly with nets; and the fishing for them generally commences about the beginning of May, and continues till after Michaelmas.

In some of the northern countries of Europe, where these fish are very numerous, they are cured by _salting_, _pickling_, and _smoking_; and in these different states they are articles of some commercial importance. The smoking of these and other fish is performed in a tub without bottom, which is pierced at the top and round the sides with holes. This tub is raised on three stones; and the fish being suspended within it, they are exposed, for three days, to the smoke of burning oak-branches and juniper berries, which are lighted beneath.

234. _The FRESH-WATER TROUT_ (Salmo trutta) _is a species of salmon
which has its tail somewhat hollowed, eleven rays to the anal fin, the
upper parts of the body and the sides marked with red spots encircled
with brown, and the lower jaw somewhat longer than the upper._

_These fish inhabit fresh-water rivers, streams, and lakes, but
particularly those of mountainous countries; and their weight is seldom
more than four or five pounds._

In clear and cold streams the fresh-water trout multiplies very fast, and chiefly because such streams do not contain any voracious fish of greater power than themselves. Such is the excellence of these fish that it has frequently been considered desirable to keep them in ponds or preserves. These should have the water clear and cold, a gravelly or sandy bottom, and be constantly supplied by a stream. The ponds should, if possible, be shaded with trees; and should have, at the bottom, roots of trees or large stones, amongst which the fish may find shelter, and deposit their spawn. They should also be supplied with gudgeons, loaches, roach, minnows, and other small fish. To stock these ponds it is recommended to place in them the spawn of the trout, and not the fish themselves, as the former will bear carriage much better than the latter.

Trout are chiefly caught with lines. Their flesh is red, tender, and of excellent flavour; and the colder and more pure the water is the better they are. The best season for trout is from April to June: and, during the winter, their flesh is white and ill-tasted. In many countries the nobility reserve these fish for their own use, and the capture of them is forbidden under very severe penalties.

So numerous are trout in some of the mountainous parts of the Continent, that, having little or no sale for them, the inhabitants _salt_ and _dry_ them for their winter's food.

In certain lakes of the province of Galway, and other districts of Ireland, there is a kind of trout called _Gillaroo trout_, which are remarkable for the great thickness of their _stomachs_. These, from their resemblance to the organs of digestion in birds, are sometimes called gizzards; and, in the largest fish, they are equal in bulk to the gizzard of a turkey. The trout themselves are bad eating; but the stomachs are much esteemed for their fine flavour, and are in frequent request for the table.

235. _CHARR_ (Salmo alpinus?) _are a species of salmon which inhabit the
lakes of mountainous countries: there are three kinds or varieties of
them, called_ gilt charr, red charr, _and_ case charr. _Their bodies are
spotted; and those of the first are of a golden colour, of the second
full red, and of the case charr pale red. Their tails are forked. When
full grown these fish are about ten inches in length._

_They are found in Ullswater, Winandermere, and some other lakes in the
north of England, in a lake near Snowdon in North Wales, and in lakes of
several parts of the Continent._

There are no fish of the salmon tribe more esteemed for the table than these. The _gilt charr_ are considered in highest perfection, and are caught in greatest numbers, from the end of September until the end of November, and the _case charr_ about the month of May. During the summer-time all the kinds of charr sink to the bottoms of the lakes far out of the reach of the fishermen. They are usually caught with nets called breast-nets, which are about twenty-five fathoms long and five in depth.

Their flesh is of red colour, and their flavour peculiarly delicate. Great numbers of charr are potted every year, and sent to London. But of the fish which are sold under the name of potted charr many are trout; and, even in the pots which contain charr, trout are frequently to be found. In the river Petteril, which runs near Carlisle, there is a kind of trout which, both in size and colour, are so like charr that they can scarcely be distinguished from that fish.

236. _The SMELT, or SPARLING_ (Salmo eperlanus), _is a small fish of the
salmon tribe, known by its silvery and semi-transparent appearance, the
first dorsal fin being further from the head than the ventral fins, the
under jaw being longer than the upper and curved, and the tail being
forked._

_Its length seldom exceeds seven or eight inches._

_These fish abound on the shores of most of the countries of Europe; and,
during their spawning season, they ascend the rivers sometimes in immense
shoals._

About the month of November smelts begin to leave the deep water, and approach the coasts, for the purpose of depositing their spawn in the rivers. This they do in the ensuing months of March and April; and they are caught, in vast abundance, in the Thames, during this time. When in perfection, they are not only a delicious, but are considered as nutritious fish, and easy of digestion. Their name is derived from their very singular smell, and is nothing more than a contraction of "smell it." These fish are sometimes split, salted, and dried; and sold under the name of _dried sparlings_.

237. _UMBER, or GRAYLING_ (Salmo thymallus), _is a fish of the salmon
tribe, distinguished by having several longitudinal streaks upon its
body, the first dorsal fin nearer the head than the ventral fins, the
upper jaw longer than the lower one, the side line nearly straight, and
the tail forked._

_A fish of this species, which, weighed five pounds, was caught some
years ago in the river Severn._

_The umber inhabits clear and rapid streams of Europe and Siberia._

These fish are so much esteemed in some parts of the Continent, that they are exclusively reserved for the tables of the nobility. They are fattest in the autumn, but are best in season during the winter, particularly when the weather is cold; and they cannot be dressed too soon after they are caught. Many of the old medical writers strongly recommended umber as a wholesome fish for sick persons: they also stated that an oil prepared from its fat would obliterate freckles and other spots on the skin. By the Laplanders the intestines are frequently employed as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate the milk of the rein-deer, when used for the making of cheese.

These fish are in great esteem by anglers on account of their vivacity, the eagerness with which they rise at a bait, and their rapid motions in the water. They lurk close all the winter, and begin to be very active in April and May, about which time they deposit their spawn.

238. _The PIKE, or JACK_ (Esox lucius), _is a voracious fresh-water fish,
with large teeth, a compressed head and muzzle, the part of the head
betwixt the nape and the eyes elevated and rounded; and the dorsal, anal,
and caudal fins marked with black spots._

_These fish sometimes attain so large a size as to weigh upwards of
thirty pounds._

_They are found in deep rivers, and in lakes of nearly all parts of
Europe, in some of the northern districts of Persia, and in North
America._

Common as pike now are in our fresh-water rivers, it has been asserted that they were originally introduced from the Continent in the reign of Henry the Eighth. This, however, cannot be the fact, as they were known in England long before that period. Mr. Pennant speaks of these fish being formerly so rare in this country, that a pike, in the month of February, was sold for double the price of a house-lamb. If caught in clear and tolerably rapid waters, these fish, though bony and dry, are not bad eating. In some parts of Germany they are salted, smoked, and barrelled for exportation to other countries.

The modes of catching pike are very various, by nets, with lines, and snares of different kinds. Their voracity is so great that they not only eagerly seize a bait, but one pike has been known to choke itself by swallowing another of its own species, which proved too large a morsel.

These fish are chiefly partial to still and shady waters, where the bottom is of sand, clay, or chalk. They spawn in March or April. When in high season, their colours are green spotted with yellow; but, when out of season, the green changes to grey, and the yellow spots turn pale. The age to which they live has not been ascertained, though there appears sufficient evidence of their existing for more than a century. As to their size, we are informed that, in the river Shannon, in Ireland, they have been found of nearly seventy pounds in weight; and, in some of the continental lakes, they are said to be more than eight feet long, and from eighty to a hundred pounds in weight.

239. _The SEA-PIKE, or GAR-FISH_ (Esox belone, Fig. 69), _is a fish of
the pike tribe, of green colour on the upper part, serpentine shape, with
long and narrow jaws, the lower one considerably shorter than the upper.
The bones are of green colour when they have been exposed to strong
heat._

_These fish generally are about a foot and a half in length, and weigh
from one to three pounds. The late Sir William Hamilton, however,
mentioned one caught near Naples which weighed fourteen pounds, and was
sent to the King as a great curiosity._

_They are found in the ocean in nearly all parts of Europe._

The gar-fish begin to approach our coasts, in considerable shoals, about the month of March, shortly after which they deposit their eggs in smooth and shallow water. Their flavour is not much unlike that of mackrel, though many persons have a great antipathy to them, in consequence of the green colour of the bones.

240. _The WHITE, or COMMON MULLET_ (Mugil cephalus) _is a fish
distinguished by having the lower jaw angular upwards, several narrow and
dark-coloured stripes on each side of the body, a toothed process betwixt
the eye and the opening of the mouth, and the gill-covers angular behind
and covered with scales._

_The weight of these fish is four or five pounds and upward._

_They inhabit the seas of nearly all the southern parts of Europe, and
annually enter the mouths of almost all the great rivers._

Vast shoals of mullets are frequently observed, about the months of May, June, and July, swimming, near the surface of the water, in harbours, and in rivers adjacent to the sea. They are caught with nets, but are so cunning, that, even when entirely surrounded, they will sometimes nearly all escape, either by leaping over or by diving under the nets.

These fish are in considerable request for the table, and are in best season about the month of August. Their flesh, however, is, in many instances, woolly and bad; and the great quantity of oil which is found beneath the skin renders them, to some persons, very unpleasant. In several places on the coast of the Mediterranean mullets are dried and smoked for exportation.

Of the roes of mullets is sometimes made the kind of caviar called _botargue_ or _botargo_. For this purpose they are taken out and covered with salt, for four or five hours. Afterwards they are gently pressed between two boards or stones, to squeeze the water out of them. They are then washed in a weak brine, and lastly exposed to the sun for twelve or fifteen days to be dried. This substance is said to quicken a decayed appetite, and to give a relish to wine. It is much in request, in Greece, as food on the numerous fast-days of the Greek church.

241. _The HERRING_ (Clupæa harengus) _is a small fish distinguished by
its sharp and serrated belly, the body being without spots, the lower jaw
longer than the upper, and the dorsal fins so exactly situated above the
centre of gravity that, when taken up by it, the fish will hang in
equilibrio._

_These fish, which are in general from eight to ten inches in length, are
migratory, and found, at particular periods, in immense shoals, in nearly
all parts of the Northern Ocean._

So great is the supply of herrings, and such is the general esteem in which they are held, that they have almost equal admission to the tables of the poor and the rich. They have been known and admired from the remotest periods of antiquity; but, as our ancestors were ignorant of the means by which they could be preserved from corruption, they were not so profitable to them as they are to us.

The herring fishery, in different parts of the world, affords occupation and support to a great number of people. In Holland it has been calculated that formerly more than 150,000 persons were employed in catching, pickling, drying, and trading in herrings; and, on the different coasts of our own country, many thousands of families are entirely supported by this fishery. The principal of the British herring fisheries are off the coasts of Scotland and Norfolk; and the implements that are used in catching the fish are nets stretched in the water, one side of which is kept from sinking by buoys fixed to them at proper distances, and the other hangs down, by the weight of lead which is placed along its bottom. The herrings are caught in the meshes of the nets, as they endeavour to pass through, and, unable to liberate themselves, they continue there until the nets are hauled in and they are taken out.

Herrings are in full roe about the month of June, and continue in perfection until the commencement of winter, when they begin to deposit their spawn.

The art of pickling these fish is said to have been first discovered towards the end of the fourteenth century, by Guilliaume Beuchel, a native of Brabant. The Emperor Charles the Fifth, about 150 years afterwards, honoured this benefactor of the human race by visiting the place of his interment, and eating a herring on his grave.

Yarmouth, in Norfolk, is the great and ancient mart of herrings in this country. The season for catching them commences about Michaelmas, and lasts during the whole month of October; and generally more than 60,000 barrels are every year cured in the neighbourhood of that town. Some of these are _pickled_, and others are dried. In the preparation of the latter (which have the name of _red herrings_) the fish are soaked for twenty-four hours in brine, and then taken out, strung by the head on little wooden spits, and hung in a chimney formed to receive them. After this a fire of brush-wood, which yields much smoke but no flame, is kindled beneath, and they are suffered to remain until they are sufficiently dried, when they are packed in barrels for exportation and sale.