THE whimsical denomination of Father Lasher, given to this fish, cannot be easily accounted for; perhaps it may be ascribable to the quick and repeated lashings of its tail, when the fish is caught and thrown upon the sand. The length is about eight or nine inches, and it is usually found under stones, on the rocky coasts of our island. In Greenland these fish are so numerous, that the inhabitants depend largely upon them for their food. When made into soup, they are nutritive and wholesome. The head is large, and armed with vast spines, by which this fish combats every enemy that attacks it, swelling out its cheeks and gill-covers to an unusual size. Its colour is a dull brown, mottled with white, and sometimes mixed with red; the fins and tail are transparent, and the lower part of the body a shining white.

THE MONK-FISH, OR ANGEL-FISH,
(Squatina Angelus,)

Is very voracious, and feeds upon all kinds of flat fish,

as soles, flounders, &c. It is often caught on the coasts of Great Britain, and of such a size as to weigh sometimes a hundred pounds. This fish seems to be of a middle nature between the rays and sharks, and is called by Pliny the Squatina; a name which seems to bring this species near that of the skate. Its head is large; the mouth has five rows of teeth, which are capable of being raised or depressed at pleasure. The back is of a pale ash-colour; the belly white and smooth. The shores of Cornwall are often frequented by this fish, but its flesh does not deserve to be praised, being hard, and of a very indifferent flavour.

It is supposed to have acquired the name of Angel-fish, from its extended pectoral fins bearing some similarity to wings; and of monk-fish, from its rounded head appearing as if enveloped in a monk's hood. The skin is rather rough, and is used for polishing, and other works in the Mr. Donovan says that the Turks of the present day make shagreen of it.

arts.

THE SAW-FISH. (Pristis antiquorum.)

THIS fish is found in the European and Atlantic seas. Its body is flattened anteriorly with four or five branchial openings below on each side; two spiracles behind the eyes; no anal fin; the head prolonged into a depressed bony beak, with strong pointed spines on each side; the lips are rough and sharp like a file, supplying the place of teeth. With its formidable weapon which resembles a toothed saw, this fish attacks the largest whales, and inflicts very severe wounds. The colour of its body is of a grayish brown above, and paler below;-its length about fifteen feet, the saw being about a third of the whole.

THE SWORD-FISH (Xiphias gladius) HAS received its name from its long snout resembling the blade of a sword It sometimes weighs above one hundred pounds, and is fifteen feet in length. The body is of a conical form, black on the back, white under the body, a large mouth, and no teeth; the tail is remarkably forked. The Sword-fish is often taken off the coast of Italy, in the Bay of Naples, and about Sicily. They are struck at by the fishermen, and their flesh is considered as good as that of the sturgeon by the Sicilians, who seem to be particularly fond of it. Other European seas are not destitute of this curious animal.

The Sword-fish and the whale are said never to meet without coming to battle; and the former has the reputation of being always the aggressor. Sometimes two Sword-fishes join against one whale; in which case the combat is by no means equal. The whale uses his tail in his defence; he dives deeply into the water, head foremost, and makes such a blow with his tail, that, should it take effect, it kills the Sword-fish at a single stroke; but the latter is in general sufficiently adroit to avoid it, and immediately rushes at the whale, and buries its weapon in his sides. When the whale discovers the Sword-fish darting upon him, he dives to the bottom, but is closely pursued by his antagonist, who compels him again to rise to the surface. The battle then begins afresh, and lasts until the Sword-fish loses sight of the whale, who is at length compelled to swim off, which his superior agility enables him to do. In piercing the whale's body with

the tremendous weapon at his snout, the Sword-fisn seldom inflicts a dangerous wound, not being able to penetrate beyond the blubber. This animal can drive its sword with such force into the keel of a ship, as to bury it wholly in the timber. A part of the bottom of a vessel, with the sword imbedded in it, is to be seen in the British Museum.

THE FLYING SCORPION.

How admirable is Nature! how extensive her power, and how various the forms with which she has surrounded the united elements of animated matter! From the uncouth shape of the wallowing whale, of the unwieldy hippopotamus, or ponderous elephant, to the light and elegant form of the painted moth or fluttering humming-bird, she seems to have exhausted all ideas, all conceptions, and not to have left a single figure untried. The fish represented above, is one of those, in the outlines and decorations of which appear the discordant qualities of frightfulness and beauty. Armed cap-a-pié, surrounded with spines and thorns bristling on his back, and fins like an armed phalanx of lancebearers; and decorated on the body with yellow ribands, interwoven with white fillets; and on the purple fins of his breast, with the milky dots of the pintado, the Scorpion presents a very extraordinary contrast. His eyes, like those of which poets sang when celebrating the

Nereids and Naiads, consist of black pupils, surrounded with a silver iris, radiated with alternate divisions of blue and black The rays of the dorsal fin are spiny, spotted brown and yellow, conjoined below by a dark brown membrane, and separate above; the ventral fins are violet with white drops, and the tail and anal fins are a sort of tessellated work of blue, black, and white, united with the greatest symmetry, and not unlike those ancient fragments of Roman pavements often found in this island.

This variegated fish is found in the rivers of Amboyna and Japan; its flesh is white, firm, and well tasted, like our perch, but it does not grow so large; it is of a very voracious disposition, feeding on the young of other fish, some of which, two inches in length, have been found in its craw. The skin has both the appearance and smoothness of parchment. To the tremendous armour of its back, fins, and tail, this fish owes the name of Scorpion.

The Butterfly Fish is about six or seven inches long, and inhabits the Adriatic Sea. In October it is not uncommon at Venice, where it is offered for sale among the great quantity of various fish which the coasts of Italy afford. It has no apparent scales, and is of a faint blue or ash-colour; the dorsal fin is elegantly spotted with black, and the flesh is well tasted and tender. This fish bears some resemblance and apparent affinity to the Scorpion, the Gurnard, and Father Lasher.

The Bull-head, or Cottus, has a body of a wedge-like form; the head is flat and broader than the body; the fin covering the gills has six spines; the head is furnished with prickles, knobs, and beards. It is of the pricklyfinned thoracic tribe.