The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. XVIII.

¶ Of the Barbil, the fish Coracinus, Stock-fish, and Salmon.

LIcinius Mutianus reporteth, That in the red sea there was taken a Barbell that weighed 80 [unspec M] pounds. Oh, what a price would he haue borne among our gluttons here with vs! What would he haue cost our prodigall spend thrifts, if hee had bin taken vpon our coasts neere Rome? Moreouer, this is the nature of fish, that some are chiefe in one place, and some in ano∣ther. As for example, the Coracinus in Egypt carieth the name for the best fish. At Gades in Spain, the Doree or Goldfish, called Zeus and Faber. About the Isle Ebusus, the Stock-fish is

much called for; whereas in other places it is counted but a base muddy and filthy fish; and [unspec A] which no where else they know how to seeth perfectly, vnlesse it be first well beaten with cud∣gels. In the country of Aquitaine or Guienne in France, the riuer Salmon passeth all other sea Salmons whatsoeuer.

Of fish, some haue many folds of guils, some single, others double. At these guils they deli∣uer again and put forth the water that they take in at the mouth. You may know when fish be old by their hard scales: and yet all fishes are not scaled alike. There be two lakes in Italy at the foot of the Alps, named Larius and Verbanus, wherein fishes are to be seen euery yeare at the rising of the star Vergiliae, thicke of scales, and the same sharp pointed like to the tongues of buckles, wherwith horsemen or men at arms do fasten their greiues: and neuer els but about that moneth do they appeare.