inds as those of the ocean. Soals, and flat-fish in
general, are scarce. Here are some mullets, both grey and red. We
sometimes see the dory, which is called St Pierre; with rock-fish,
bonita, and mackarel. The gurnard appears pretty often; and there is
plenty of a kind of large whiting, which eats pretty well; but has not
the delicacy of that which is caught on our coast. One of the best fish
of this country, is called Le Loup, about two or three pounds in
weight; white, firm, and well-flavoured. Another, no-way inferior to
it, is the Moustel, about the same size; of a dark-grey colour, and
short, blunt snout; growing thinner and flatter from the shoulders
downwards, so as to resemble a soal at the tail. This cannot be the
mustela of the antients, which is supposed to be the sea lamprey. Here
too are found the vyvre, or, as we call it, weaver; remarkable for its
long, sharp spines, so dangerous to the fingers of the fishermen. We
have abundance of the saepia, or cuttle-fish, of which the people in
this country make a delicate ragout; as also of the polype de mer,
which is an ugly animal, with long feelers, like tails, which they
often wind about the legs of the fishermen. They are stewed with
onions, and eat something like cow-heel. The market sometimes affords
the ecrivisse de mer, which is a lobster without claws, of a sweetish
taste; and there are a few rock oysters, very small and very rank.
Sometimes the fishermen find under water, pieces of a very hard cement,
like plaister of Paris, which contain a kind of muscle, called la
datte, from its resemblance to a date. These petrifactions are commonly
of a triangular form and may weigh about twelve or fifteen pounds each
and one of them may contain a dozen of these muscles which have nothing
extraordinary in the taste or flavour, though extremely curious, as
found alive and juicy, in the heart of a rock, almost as hard as
marble, without any visible communication with the air or water. I take
it for granted, however, that the inclosing cement is porous, and
admits the finer parts of the surrounding fluid. In order to reach the
muscles, this cement must be broke with large hammers; and it may be
truly said, the kernal is not worth the trouble of cracking the shell.
[These are found in great plenty at Ancona and other parts of the
Adriatic, where they go by the name of Bollani, as we are informed by
Keysler.] Among the fish of this country, there is a very ugly animal
of