CHAP. XXIV.
¶ Of flat and broad Fishes.
OF flat and broad fishes there is another sort, which in lieu of a chine or backe bone haue a gristle. As the Ray or Skait, the Puffin like vnto it, the Maids or Thornbacke, and the Crampfish: moreouer, those which the Greekes haue termed by the names of their sea Cow, their Dog-fish, their Aegle and Frog of the sea. In this rank are to be ranged the Squali [unspec L] also, albeit they are not so flat and broad. All this kind in general Aristotle hath called in Greek Selache, and he was the first that gaue them that name: we in Latine cannot distinguish them, vnlesse we call them all Cartilaginea, that is to say, Gristly fish. But all the sort of them that deuoure flesh are such: and their manner is to feed lying backward, like as we obserued in the dolphins. And wheras other fishes cast spawn which resemble knots of egs; these gristly fishes only, as also those great ones which we call Cete, i. Whales, bring forth their yong aliue. And yet I must except one kind of them which they call Rana, i. sea Frogs.