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.
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 ofdried 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.
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.
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 bonyand 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.
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 antipathyto 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.
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 calledbotargueorbotargo. 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 fishdistinguished 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.
241.The HERRING(Clupæa harengus)is a small fishdistinguished 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. TheEmperor 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 arepickled, and others are dried. In the preparation of the latter (which have the name ofred 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.
It will afford some idea of the astonishing supply of these invaluable fish, when it is stated that, about seventy years ago, near 400,000 barrels of herrings were annually exported from different parts of the coast of Norway; that, previously to the late war, about 300,000 barrels were annually cured by the Dutch fishermen; and that a considerably greater quantity than this is every year obtained on the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland.
There is, in some countries, a considerable trade in theoilthat is obtained from herrings during the process of curing them. The average annual quantity of this oil exported from Sweden is about 60,000 barrels.
242.The PILCHARD(Clupæa pilcardus)is a fish of the herring tribe, and so nearly resembling the common herring, that the best mode of distinguishing the one from the other appears to be by the situation of the dorsal fin. If the pilchard be held by this fin, the head will dip downward; the herring held in similar manner continues in equilibrio.The length of the pilchard is from eight to about ten inches.These fish annually appear in vast shoals off the coast of Cornwall, and some other south-western parts of England. Their utmost range seems to be the Isle of Wight in the British, and Ilfracomb in the Bristol channel.
242.The PILCHARD(Clupæa pilcardus)is a fish of the herring tribe, and so nearly resembling the common herring, that the best mode of distinguishing the one from the other appears to be by the situation of the dorsal fin. If the pilchard be held by this fin, the head will dip downward; the herring held in similar manner continues in equilibrio.
The length of the pilchard is from eight to about ten inches.
These fish annually appear in vast shoals off the coast of Cornwall, and some other south-western parts of England. Their utmost range seems to be the Isle of Wight in the British, and Ilfracomb in the Bristol channel.
To the inhabitants of Devonshire and Cornwall the pilchard fishery is of as much importance as that of herrings is to the people on the eastern and northern coasts of Britain. Many hundred families are almost wholly supported by it. The first appearance of the fish is generally about the middle of July, and they usually continue until the latter end of October.
As soon as the pilchards are caught they are conveyed to a warehouse, where they are covered with bay-salt, and suffered to lie for three weeks or a month. After this they are washed in sea-water and dried. As soon as they are dry the fish are closely pressed into barrels to extract the oily particles from them, which drain through holes that are made in the bottom. Thus prepared they become fit for use, and, when properly dressed, they are considered preferable to herrings.
Pilchards are generally caught in nets. These are sometimes 200 fathoms in length, and about eighteen fathoms deep. The approach of the shoals is known by great numbers of sea-birds which accompany and prey upon them; and the progress of the shoals is marked by persons who are stationed on the cliffs to point them out to the fishermen, and who are calledhuers, from their setting up a hue for this purpose.
The principal towns in the neighbourhood of which pilchards are caught are Fowey, Falmouth, Penzance, and St. Ives; and the average annual quantity that is sent to market is about 30,000 hogsheads.
243.The SHAD(Clupæa alosa)is a species of herring known by the belly being strongly serrated and covered with large transverse scales, the sides being marked with round black spots placed longitudinally, and the under jaw sloping upward.These fish weigh from half a pound to four or five pounds and upwards.They are found on the shores of all the temperate and warmcountries of Europe, and, at certain seasons of the year, they ascend the rivers, to considerable distances, in order to deposit their spawn.
243.The SHAD(Clupæa alosa)is a species of herring known by the belly being strongly serrated and covered with large transverse scales, the sides being marked with round black spots placed longitudinally, and the under jaw sloping upward.
These fish weigh from half a pound to four or five pounds and upwards.
They are found on the shores of all the temperate and warmcountries of Europe, and, at certain seasons of the year, they ascend the rivers, to considerable distances, in order to deposit their spawn.
In the Thames and Severn these fish are generally found in the months of April, May, and June. Those that are caught in the Thames are coarse and insipid; whilst such as are caught in the Severn, especially that part of it which flows by Gloucester, are generally sold at a higher price than salmon. Shad that are taken in the sea are thin and of bad flavour, and the longer they continue in the rivers the fatter and more eatable they become. They are generally caught in nets, but sometimes with lines having an earth-worm for a bait. The London fishmongers are frequently supplied with shads from the Severn. These are distinguished by the name ofallis, oralose, the French name for shad.
244.The SPRAT(Clupæa sprattus)is a very small fish of the herring tribe, distinguished by its belly being strongly serrated, the dorsal fin having seventeen rays, the anal fin nineteen, and the ventral fins each six.It seldom exceeds the length of about five inches, and is generally much smaller.These fish are caught on most of the British shores, and they ascend the river Thames nearly as high as London Bridge, in the beginning of November, and leave it in the month of March.
244.The SPRAT(Clupæa sprattus)is a very small fish of the herring tribe, distinguished by its belly being strongly serrated, the dorsal fin having seventeen rays, the anal fin nineteen, and the ventral fins each six.
It seldom exceeds the length of about five inches, and is generally much smaller.
These fish are caught on most of the British shores, and they ascend the river Thames nearly as high as London Bridge, in the beginning of November, and leave it in the month of March.
To the lower classes of inhabitants in London, during the winter, sprat a afford a cheap and very acceptable supply of food. They are caught in nets, and, in some instances, as many have been taken at a single haul as would have filled thirty barrels. Sprats are generally eaten fresh, though, both at Gravesend and Yarmouth, they are cured in the manner of red herrings. In some countries they are pickled, and, in this state, they are little inferior to anchovies, though the bones will not dissolve like those of anchovies.
Immense numbers of sprats, larger in size than ours, are every year caught on the coast of Sardinia.These are salted, packed in barrels, and exported to various parts of the world under the name ofSardines.
245.The ANCHOVY(Clupæa encrasicolus)is a small fish of the herring tribe, known from all the others by its upper jaw being considerably longer than the under jaw.These fish seldom exceed the length of four or five inches.They are chiefly caught in the Mediterranean, and the principal fishery for them is on the shores of Gorgona, a small island west of Leghorn. They are also caught off the coast if France, and occasionally off our own shores.
245.The ANCHOVY(Clupæa encrasicolus)is a small fish of the herring tribe, known from all the others by its upper jaw being considerably longer than the under jaw.
These fish seldom exceed the length of four or five inches.
They are chiefly caught in the Mediterranean, and the principal fishery for them is on the shores of Gorgona, a small island west of Leghorn. They are also caught off the coast if France, and occasionally off our own shores.
There are few persons fond of good eating to whom the anchovy, either in the form of sauce or as an article of food, is unknown. With us, however, it is seldom eaten in a recent state, the greater proportion of the anchovies consumed in this country being brought in pickle from the Mediterranean.
They are generally caught in nets during the night, being attracted together by fires lighted on the shore, or by torches fixed to the boats which are engaged in the fishery. As soon as they are caught the heads are cut off and the entrails taken out; after this they are salted, or pickled, and packed in barrels or earthen vessels for exportation.
In the choice of anchovies such should be selected as are small, round-backed, fresh pickled, whitish on the outside and red within. The most effectual method of concentrating the excellences of these fish is to reduce the fleshy part to a soft pulp, and to boil this gently, for a few minutes, with a certain proportion of water and spices. The substance thus prepared is denominatedessence of anchovies.
246.The CARP(Cyprinus carpio, Fig. 70)is a fresh-water fish known by having one dorsal fin, three bony rays to the gill membrane, the mouth with four fleshy beards, the second ray of the dorsal fin serrated behind, and the body covered with large scales.These fish sometimes grow to a very large size.They inhabit slow and stagnated waters in various parts ofEurope and Persia, and were first introduced into England about the year 1514.
246.The CARP(Cyprinus carpio, Fig. 70)is a fresh-water fish known by having one dorsal fin, three bony rays to the gill membrane, the mouth with four fleshy beards, the second ray of the dorsal fin serrated behind, and the body covered with large scales.
These fish sometimes grow to a very large size.
They inhabit slow and stagnated waters in various parts ofEurope and Persia, and were first introduced into England about the year 1514.
Carp are a useful species of fish for the stocking of ponds, and for the supply of the table. In Polish Prussia they are an important article of commerce; being sent alive in well-boats to Sweden, Russia, and other parts. They are bred by the principal landholders of the country, to whom, in many instances, they yield a very important revenue. If the rearing of carp were better understood and practised in the marshy parts of England than it now is, they would amply repay every expence and trouble that might be bestowed upon them. The increase of these fish is very great: we are informed by Bloch that four male and three female carp, put into a large pond, produced in one year an offspring of no fewer than 110,000 fish. They are also extremely long lived, instances having occurred of carp living to the age of considerably more than 100 years. To fatten carp and increase their size, the growth of vegetation in the ponds where they are kept should be particularly attended to, as, during the summer-time, they principally feed upon this. In winter, when the ponds are frozen over, care must be taken to break the ice, that they may have access to the atmospheric air, without which, if they are in great numbers, they will die.
Carp are much esteemed as food, but a principal part of their excellence depends on the mode in which they are cooked. They are best in season during the autumnal and winter months. The usual mode of catching them is with nets, and the most proper time at daybreak. These fish, if kept in a cellar, in wet hay or moss, and fed with bread and milk, will live many days out of the water, and will even become fat.
With the roes of carp, in the eastern parts of Europe, a kind ofcaviaris made, which is sold in considerable quantity to the Jews, who hold that of the sturgeon in abhorrence. Thesounds, or air-bladders, ofcarp are converted into a species of isinglass, and theirgallis in much repute, with the Turks, for staining paper and for making a green paint.
247.The TENCH(Cyprinus tinca, Fig. 63)is a fish of the carp tribe, distinguished by its mouth having only two beards, the scales being small, the fins thick, and the whole body covered with a slimy matter.The weight of these fish seldom exceeds four or five pounds, but instances have occurred of their weighing more than eleven pounds.They are found in stagnant waters in nearly all the temperate parts of the globe.
247.The TENCH(Cyprinus tinca, Fig. 63)is a fish of the carp tribe, distinguished by its mouth having only two beards, the scales being small, the fins thick, and the whole body covered with a slimy matter.
The weight of these fish seldom exceeds four or five pounds, but instances have occurred of their weighing more than eleven pounds.
They are found in stagnant waters in nearly all the temperate parts of the globe.
There are not many fresh-water fish that are more excellent for the table than these; yet the ancient Romans so much despised them, that they were eaten by none but the lowest classes of the people. In the kingdom of Congo, on the contrary, they were formerly so much esteemed that they were allowed only to be eaten at court, and any person was liable to the punishment of death who caught a tench and did not carry it to the royal cook. Such tench as are caught in clear waters are much superior to those which have inhabited muddy places. They thrive best in still waters, where there are weeds at the bottom; and they are in season from the beginning of October until the end of May.
248.The GUDGEON(Cyprinus gobio)is a small fish of the carp tribe, with a thick and round body, two fleshy beards near the mouth, and the dorsal and caudal fins spotted with black.Its length is usually about six inches, and its weight seldom more than three or four ounces.This fish is an inhabitant of gentle streams, with gravelly or sandy bottom, in most of the northern parts of Europe.
248.The GUDGEON(Cyprinus gobio)is a small fish of the carp tribe, with a thick and round body, two fleshy beards near the mouth, and the dorsal and caudal fins spotted with black.
Its length is usually about six inches, and its weight seldom more than three or four ounces.
This fish is an inhabitant of gentle streams, with gravelly or sandy bottom, in most of the northern parts of Europe.
The flesh of gudgeons is white, firm, and of excellent flavour; but the smallness of their size prevents these fish from being much in demand. They are found in small shoals near the bottom of the water; and are caught both with nets and lines. The bait that isused is generally a small earth-worm, which they seize with great eagerness. The season when they are in greatest perfection is from September till the end of the year.
Gudgeons are found to thrive well in ponds, if these be fed by brooks running through them. Under favourable circumstances they have sometimes attained an unusually large size. They feed on aquatic plants, worms, water-insects, and the spawn of fish.
249.The BLEAK(Cyprinus alburnus)is a small fish of the carp tribe, with somewhat pointed muzzle, and no beards; and the scales thin, shining and slightly attached.It seldom exceeds the length of five or six inches.These fish inhabit fresh-water rivers, in nearly all the temperate parts of Europe, and are extremely common in many if those of our own country.
249.The BLEAK(Cyprinus alburnus)is a small fish of the carp tribe, with somewhat pointed muzzle, and no beards; and the scales thin, shining and slightly attached.
It seldom exceeds the length of five or six inches.
These fish inhabit fresh-water rivers, in nearly all the temperate parts of Europe, and are extremely common in many if those of our own country.
There is, in Paris, a great consumption of bleaks on account of theirscales, which are used in the manufacture ofartificial pearls. The scales are scraped off into clear water, and beaten to an extremely fine pulp. After this the water is several times changed until they are entirely free from colour. The silvery matter that is left precipitates to the bottom; and the water is carefully poured off from it, by inclining the vessel. This substance, mixed with a little size, is introduced, in small quantity, into thin glass bubbles, by a slender pipe, and moved about until their whole interior surface is covered. The remaining part of the bubble is then generally filled with wax. The inventor of this art was a Frenchman of the name of Jannin, a bead merchant in Paris.
In some countries bleaks are pickled in the manner of anchovies. When of large size they are well flavoured, but they are too bony to be in much request as food, even by the poor. They are considered in greatest perfection in the autumn.
250.The COMMON STURGEON(Acipenser sturio, Fig. 71),is a large kind of sea-fish with five rows of bony tubercles along the body; the mouth beneath the head, and four fleshy beards betwixt the mouth and the extremity of the muzzle.This fish sometimes growes to the length of sixteen feet and upwards.It inhabits the European and American seas, and annually ascends the rivers in the early part of the year.
250.The COMMON STURGEON(Acipenser sturio, Fig. 71),is a large kind of sea-fish with five rows of bony tubercles along the body; the mouth beneath the head, and four fleshy beards betwixt the mouth and the extremity of the muzzle.
This fish sometimes growes to the length of sixteen feet and upwards.
It inhabits the European and American seas, and annually ascends the rivers in the early part of the year.
It is to this and to a still larger species of sturgeon called theBeluga(Acipenser huso), which is found in the river Wolga, that we are indebted for much of the well-known substance calledisinglass. The mode of making isinglass was long kept a secret by the Russians, and has only of late years been made public. This article consists of certain membranous parts of fishes deprived of their viscous quality and properly dried. The sounds, or air bladders, are those of which it is chiefly made. They are taken out, while sweet and fresh, slit open, washed from their slime, divested of a very thin membrane which envelopes them, and then left to stiffen in the air. After this they are formed into rolls, each about the thickness of the finger, and put into the shape in which we see them, by small wooden pegs, and left to dry. The kind calledcake isinglassis formed of bits and fragments put into a flat metal pan with very little water, heated just enough to make the parts adhere, and subsequently dried in the air.
Although by far the greatest quantity of isinglass is obtained from the beluga, as being the largest and most abundant fish in the rivers of Muscovy, yet it has been ascertained that this substance may be made from the air-bladders of every species of fresh water fish. The principal consumption of isinglass is by brewers and others, for the fining of fermented liquors: this it appears to do merely by the mechanical effect of its organization, which forms a kind of strainer, orfine net-work, and carries the gross impurities before it, as it subsides. It is sometimes employed in medicine; and also in cookery, for making jellies, and other purposes.
Caviaris a kind of food made generally from the roes of the sturgeon. For this purpose they are washed, when fresh, by rubbing them, with the hands, in a sieve, to free them from the fibres by which the several eggs are connected together. They are then washed in white wine or vinegar, and spread out to dry. After some further processes, they are either formed into cakes, each about an inch in thickness and three or four inches in diameter, or they are packed in small kegs for use.
Thefleshof the sturgeon is firm, white, and of excellent flavour; and, by some persons, has been compared to veal. It is considered best when roasted; though it is commonly sold in a pickled state, and, in this state, is chiefly imported from the rivers of the Baltic and North America. All sturgeons that are caught near London are taken to the Lord Mayor, and are by him presented to the King. In Italy theback bonesof these fish are cut into pieces, salted and smoked for food. The Russians frequently convert theskinsof sturgeons into a kind of leather, which they use for the covering of carriages.
251.The SHARKS and DOG-FISH(Squalus, Fig. 64)constitute a tribe of sea-fish noted for their voracity, and peculiarly characterized by having, instead of gills, from four to seven breathing apertures, of curved form, on each side of the neck.They are found in all seas, and some of them are of enormous magnitude, measuring from twenty to thirty feet and upwards in length.
251.The SHARKS and DOG-FISH(Squalus, Fig. 64)constitute a tribe of sea-fish noted for their voracity, and peculiarly characterized by having, instead of gills, from four to seven breathing apertures, of curved form, on each side of the neck.
They are found in all seas, and some of them are of enormous magnitude, measuring from twenty to thirty feet and upwards in length.
Theskinsof nearly all these animals, which are rough, with hard and minute prickles, are in frequent use for polishing wood, ivory, and even iron. Those of the larger species are cut into thongs and traces for carriages; and, in Norway, a sort of leather is prepared from them, which is employed for shoes and many other purposes. The skin of theSpottedDog-fish(Squalus canicula) is converted into the well-known substance calledshagreen, orchagreen. For this purpose it is extended on a board and covered with mustard seed; and, after having been exposed for several days to the effects of the weather, it is tanned. The best shagreen is imported from Constantinople. This is of brownish colour, and very hard; but when immersed in water, it becomes soft and pliable, and may be dyed of any colour. Shagreen is often counterfeited by preparing morocco leather in the same manner as the skins of the dog-fish. Such fraud may, however, easily be detected by the surface of the spurious manufacture peeling or scaling off, whilst that of the genuine article remains perfectly sound. Shagreen is employed principally to cover cases for mathematical instruments, and was formerly used for watch-cases and the covers of books.Sharks' finsare an article of trade from the Arabian and Persian gulfs to India, and thence to China: they are generally packed in bales weighing each about 700 pounds.
Thefleshof all the species of sharks is hard, and in general unpleasant both to the smell and the taste; yet it is sometimes eaten by seamen, after having been macerated for a while in water to soften it. Theeggsof sharks are also eaten. Theliversof all the species yield a considerable quantity of oil, which is useful for burning and for other purposes. From the livers of some of the larger kinds as much as seven or eight butts of oil have been obtained, worth twenty or thirty pounds and upwards.
252.The SKATE(Raia batis, Fig. 72)is a species of ray of large size, with flat and somewhat diamond-shaped body, and the mouth on the under side: the teeth sharp, and a single row of spines in the tail.It is found in almost every part of the European ocean.
252.The SKATE(Raia batis, Fig. 72)is a species of ray of large size, with flat and somewhat diamond-shaped body, and the mouth on the under side: the teeth sharp, and a single row of spines in the tail.
It is found in almost every part of the European ocean.
No fish of its tribe is so excellent for the table as the skate, particularly when it is young and has not fed ina muddy part of the sea. The flesh is white and of good flavour, but is usually crimped before it is cooked. The best season for skate is from January to March; and from July to September. So great is the size which these fish sometimes attain, that Willoughby mentions one that would have served 120 men for dinner. In several parts of the Continent skate are salted and dried for sale. The fishermen also sometimes dry thestomachas an article of food; and extract from thelivera white and valuable kind of oil.
253.The THORNBACK(Raia clavata)is a species of ray, which differs from the skate chiefly in having blunt teeth, and a row of curved spines along the middle of the body and on the tail.This is a very common fish near all the coasts of Britain.
253.The THORNBACK(Raia clavata)is a species of ray, which differs from the skate chiefly in having blunt teeth, and a row of curved spines along the middle of the body and on the tail.
This is a very common fish near all the coasts of Britain.
The flesh of thornback is much inferior to that of the skate, yet it is sometimes eaten. That of the young ones, which have the denomination ofmaids, is however peculiarly excellent. The Norwegian fishermen catch thornbacks chiefly on account of theirlivers; from these they extract a considerable quantity of oil, which they sell with great advantage to strangers who frequent their harbours.
254.The TRUE LAMPREY(Petromyzon marinus, Fig. 73)is an eel-shaped fish having seven breathing-holes on each side of the neck, and somewhat oblong mouth with many rows of yellowish pointed teeth disposed in a circular form.These fish are of dusky colour, irregularly marked with dirty yellow; and they sometimes weigh four or five pounds each.They are sea-fish, but, at certain seasons, they ascend the rivers to deposit their eggs.
254.The TRUE LAMPREY(Petromyzon marinus, Fig. 73)is an eel-shaped fish having seven breathing-holes on each side of the neck, and somewhat oblong mouth with many rows of yellowish pointed teeth disposed in a circular form.
These fish are of dusky colour, irregularly marked with dirty yellow; and they sometimes weigh four or five pounds each.
They are sea-fish, but, at certain seasons, they ascend the rivers to deposit their eggs.
Lampreys are celebrated as forming an excellent dish for the table; and they have, at all times, been held in great esteem by epicures, particularly when potted or stewed. The death of one of our monarchs, Henry the First, has been attributed to a too plentiful repast which he made of these fish. Lampreys are in best season during the month of March, April, and May;at which time they are caught in the rivers. The Severn is peculiarly celebrated for them; and the city of Gloucester, which is situated on that river, is required, by ancient custom, to present annually to the King, at Christmas, a lamprey pie with raised crust. And as, at that early season, lampreys are very scarce, it is not without difficulty that the corporation is able to supply the proper quantity.
These fish are caught in various ways, but particularly in osier pots or baskets formed to entrap them, and also in nets. In some parts of the country they are boiled, and afterwards packed into barrels with vinegar and spices.
255.The LESSER LAMPREY(Petromyzon fluviatilis)is a fresh-water fish, distinguishable from the true lamprey by its much smaller size, the second dorsal fin being angular and connected with the caudal fin, and having a single row of teeth placed circularly in the mouth.This fish seldom exceeds the length of eight or ten inches.It is found in the rivers of most parts of Europe, America, and Asia; and particularly in those of Brandenburgh, Pomerania, Silesia, and Prussia.
255.The LESSER LAMPREY(Petromyzon fluviatilis)is a fresh-water fish, distinguishable from the true lamprey by its much smaller size, the second dorsal fin being angular and connected with the caudal fin, and having a single row of teeth placed circularly in the mouth.
This fish seldom exceeds the length of eight or ten inches.
It is found in the rivers of most parts of Europe, America, and Asia; and particularly in those of Brandenburgh, Pomerania, Silesia, and Prussia.
In the spring of the year these fish are frequently seen sticking, by their mouth, to stones in shallow water, from which they may easily be taken with the hand. They are considered a very delicious fish for the table, in whatever way they are cooked. The best season for them is betwixt the months of December and April.
Great numbers of Lesser Lampreys are caught in the Severn, the Dee, and the Thames; but particularly in the latter, near Mortlake in Surrey. Anterior to the late war more than 400,000 of them were annually sold to the Dutch as bait for cod, turbot, and other large fish.
256.The SPANISH FLY, or BLISTERING LYTTA(Lytta vesicatoria),is a coleopterous insect (12), about an inch in length, of shining blue-green colour with black antennæ.It is found in most parts of Europe, and feeds on the leaves of the ash, poplar, elder, lilac, and other trees.
256.The SPANISH FLY, or BLISTERING LYTTA(Lytta vesicatoria),is a coleopterous insect (12), about an inch in length, of shining blue-green colour with black antennæ.
It is found in most parts of Europe, and feeds on the leaves of the ash, poplar, elder, lilac, and other trees.
These insects, which are known in medicine by the name ofcantharides, are of incalculable importance to mankind, as the basis of blistering plasters, and also as an internal remedy against many diseases. We import them in a dried state, from Spain, Italy, and the South of France; in many parts of which countries, about the middle of summer, they are found in vast abundance. As they are generally in a torpid state during the day, they are easily collected, by shaking them from the trees upon a cloth spread on the ground to receive them. When a sufficient number has been collected they are tied in bags, and killed by being held over the fumes of hot vinegar. After this they are dried in the sun, and packed in boxes for sale. The odour which is emitted by these insects is peculiarly nauseous, and so powerful, that great injury has sometimes been experienced by persons employed in picking them, and by those who have even fallen asleep under the trees where they abound.
Previously to being used they are pounded; and if, in this state, they be applied to the skin, they first cause inflammation, and afterwards raise a blister. The usual blistering plaster is formed with Venice turpentine, yellow wax, Spanish flies, and powdered mustard.
257.The PALM-TREE GRUB, or GRUGRU, is the larva or caterpillar of a coleopterous insect (12), the palm-tree weevil(Curculio palmarum),which is about two inches in length, of black colour, and has the elytra or wing cases shorterthan the body, and streaked or marked with several longitudinal lines.This insect is found in Cayenne, Surinam, and other parts of South America.
257.The PALM-TREE GRUB, or GRUGRU, is the larva or caterpillar of a coleopterous insect (12), the palm-tree weevil(Curculio palmarum),which is about two inches in length, of black colour, and has the elytra or wing cases shorterthan the body, and streaked or marked with several longitudinal lines.
This insect is found in Cayenne, Surinam, and other parts of South America.
It deposits its eggs on the summit of the palm-tree; and the grubs that issue from these eggs subsist on the soft interior parts of the tree. They become about the size of the thumb, and are much sought after in many places for the table. They are generally eaten roasted, and are considered a peculiar delicacy. We are informed, by Ælian, of an Indian king, who for a dessert, instead of fruit, set before his Grecian guests a dish of roasted worms taken from a plant: these were probably the present insects, or a kind nearly allied to them.
258.The LOCUST(Gryllus migratorius)is an insect, not much unlike our large grasshoppers, which is too common in most of the eastern countries.It is about two inches and a half in length, has a brownish body varied with darker spots, blue legs and jaws, the hind thighs yellowish, and the wings of yellowish brown colour spotted with black.
258.The LOCUST(Gryllus migratorius)is an insect, not much unlike our large grasshoppers, which is too common in most of the eastern countries.
It is about two inches and a half in length, has a brownish body varied with darker spots, blue legs and jaws, the hind thighs yellowish, and the wings of yellowish brown colour spotted with black.
We are informed, in the New Testament, that the food of John the Baptist in the wilderness was "locusts and wild honey." Some of the commentators have imagined the locusts here mentioned to have been a vegetable production—a species of pulse; but this opinion will scarcely be admitted when it is known that the insects of this name, even at the present day, serve as food to many of the eastern tribes. The Ethiopians and Parthians are recorded, from the earliest periods of antiquity, to have occasionally subsisted on this species of food. And the traveller Hasselquist, in reply to some inquiries which he made on this subject, was informed that, at Mecca, when there was a scarcity of grain, the inhabitants, as a substitute for flour, would grind locusts in their hand-mills, or pound them in stone mortars: that they mixed the substance thus formed with water, and made cakes of it; and that theybaked these cakes, like their other bread. He adds, that it was not unusual for them to eat locusts when there was no famine; but that, in this case, they boiled them first in water, and afterwards stewed them with butter into a kind of fricasee. The Hottentots delight in locusts as food, and even make their eggs into a kind of soup. Some of the African tribes pound and boil these insects with milk; and others eat them, after being merely broiled for a little while on the coals. Mr. Jackson says that, when he was in Barbary, in 1799, dishes of locusts were frequently served at the principal tables, and were esteemed a great delicacy. These insects are preferred by the Moors to pigeons; and it is stated that a person may eat 200 or 300 of them without experiencing any ill effects.
259.LAC is a resinous substance, the production of an hemipterous insect(Coccus ficus),which is found on three or four different kinds of trees in the East Indies.The head and trunk of the lac insect seem to form one uniform, oval, and compressed red body, about the size of a flea. The antennæ are thread-shaped, and half the length of the body. The tail is a little white point, whence proceed two horizontal hairs as long as the body.
259.LAC is a resinous substance, the production of an hemipterous insect(Coccus ficus),which is found on three or four different kinds of trees in the East Indies.
The head and trunk of the lac insect seem to form one uniform, oval, and compressed red body, about the size of a flea. The antennæ are thread-shaped, and half the length of the body. The tail is a little white point, whence proceed two horizontal hairs as long as the body.
These insects pierce the small branches of the trees on which they feed; and the juice that exudes from the wounds is formed by them into a kind of cell, or nidus for their eggs. Lac is imported, into this country, adhering to the branches, in small transparent grains, or in semi-transparent flat cakes. Of these the first is calledstick lac, the secondseed lac, and the thirdshell lac.
On breaking a piece of stick lac it appears to be composed of regular honeycomb-like cells, with small red bodies lodged in them; these are the young insects, and to them the lac owes its tincture; for, when freed from them, its colour is very faint. Seed lac is the same substance grossly pounded and deprived of its colouring matter, which is used in dyeing, and forother purposes; and shell lac consists of the cells liquefied, stained, and formed into thin cakes.
This substance is principally found upon trees in the uncultivated mountains on both sides of the river Ganges; and it occurs in such abundance, that, were the consumption ten times greater than it is, the markets might readily be supplied. The only trouble which attends the procuring of it is to break down the branches of the trees and carry them to market.
The uses of lac, in its different states, are various. It is employed in the East Indies for making rings, beads, chains, necklaces, and other ornaments for female attire. Mixed with sand, it is formed into grind-stones; and added to lamp-black or ivory-black, being first dissolved in water with the addition of a little borax, it composes an ink, which, when dry, is not easily acted upon by moisture. A red liquor obtained from lac is employed as a substitute for cochineal (260) in dyeing scarlet, and in painting. Shell lac is chiefly adopted in the composition of varnish, japan, and sealing-wax. A tincture prepared from lac is sometimes used in medicine.
260.COCHINEAL is a scarlet dyeing drug, which is chiefly imported from Mexico and New Spain, and is the production of a small hemipterous insect(Coccus cacti)that is found on the prickly pear(Cactus opuntia)and some other trees.The male is winged, and the female not. The latter is of an oval form, convex on the back, and covered with a white downy substance resembling the finest cotton. The antennæ are half as long as the body, and the legs are short and black.
260.COCHINEAL is a scarlet dyeing drug, which is chiefly imported from Mexico and New Spain, and is the production of a small hemipterous insect(Coccus cacti)that is found on the prickly pear(Cactus opuntia)and some other trees.
The male is winged, and the female not. The latter is of an oval form, convex on the back, and covered with a white downy substance resembling the finest cotton. The antennæ are half as long as the body, and the legs are short and black.
Cochineal is one of the most valuable substances that are used in dyeing. As imported into this country, it is in the form of a reddish shrivelled grain, covered with a white bloom or powder.
The cochineal insects adhere in great numbers, and in an apparently torpid state, to the leaves of the prickly pear. At a certain period of the year they arecarefully picked or brushed off, either by a bamboo twig shaped somewhat into the form of a pen, or by an instrument formed of a squirrel's or stag's tail: and so tedious is the operation, that the persons employed in it are sometimes obliged to sit for hours together beside a single plant. In some parts of South America the insects, after being collected in a wooden bowl, are thickly spread upon a flat dish of earthen ware, and cruelly placed alive over a charcoal fire, where they are slowly roasted, till their downy covering disappears, and they are perfectly dried. In other parts they are killed by being thrown into boiling water, by being placed in ovens, or being exposed in heaps to the sun.
The quantity of cochineal annually exported from South America is said to be worth more than 500,000l.sterling, a vast sum to arise from so minute an insect; and the present annual consumption of cochineal in England has been estimated at about 150,000 pounds' weight.
It is for dyeing scarlet that cochineal is chiefly in demand; but although a peculiarly brilliant dye is now obtained from it, this substance gave only a dull crimson colour until a chemist of the name of Kuster, who, about the middle of the seventeenth century, lived at Bow, near London, discovered the art of preparing it with a solution of tin. Cochineal, if kept in a dry place, may be preserved, without injury, for a great length of time. An instance has been mentioned of some of this dye, 130 years old, having been found to produce the same effect as though it had been perfectly fresh.
The attention of the East India Company has, for many years, been directed to the production of cochineal in the East, but hitherto with little success. That which has been brought from India is very small, and greatly inferior to what is imported from New Spain.
An imitation of cochineal is made by a preparation of bullock's blood, and some other ingredients.