2. Those which are usually known by the name of perch, however, are fresh-water fish, and they have been celebrated from the time of Aristotle for their beautiful forms, and the excellence of their flesh as an article of food. Nor let the muse, in her award of fame, No daintier fish in ocean's pastures bred Swims thy compeer; scarce mullet may compete With thee for fibre firm and flavor sweet.-AUSONIUS. 3. In the Perch family are included no less than five different kinds of perch found in our waters, the pike-perch, numerous species of bass, the growler, or white salmon of Virginia, and many other species, exhibiting a great variety of form and coloring, found on the European and Asiatic coasts. Their general character, as to form and size, will best be learned from the representations given in the engraving at the head of this lesson. All the fishes of this family agree in the toothed or comb-like edges of their scales, and in having notched or spined gill-covers; but, while some have but one dorsal fin, in others there is a division, constituting two. 4. The European river perch, like our common yellow perch, is exceedingly voracious. An anecdote is related of a gentleman who, in fishing, lost a perch from his line, the hook tearing out the eye of the poor creature. He then adjusted the eye on the hook and replaced the line in the water, where it had hardly been a few minutes before the float was violently jerked under the surface. On landing the fish, he found he had captured a fine perch, which proved to be the very fish which had just been mutilated, and which had actually lost its life by devouring its own eye. It is quaintly observed by Izaak Walton, that "if there be twenty or forty in a hole, they may be at one standing all caught, one after another, they being, like the wicked of the world, not afraid, though their fellows and companions perish in their sight." 5. The incident related concerning the perch is one among many facts that might be given, showing how erroneous is the idea that "the worm on which we tread feels a pang as great as when a giant dies." On the contrary, the nervous organization of the lower orders of animals is such that they seem to suffer but little, compared with what man endures, in being maimed or killed. This is, assuredly, a most benevolent provision, greatly diminishing the amount of suffering that would otherwise be endured throughout all animated nature. 6. Of all the beautiful colored fish, several species of which belong to the Perch family, it may be remarked that they can never be seen in perfection except when newly taken from the water. Then their beauty is fresh and delicate, but it changes as soon as the fish dies; and the keeping for a day, or preservation in spirits, destroys all but the mere traces of their del icate markings. 7. Of the little spined serranus, which was well known to the ancients, and is still very abundant in the Mediterranean, very curious and remarkable stories are told; but as they are only fish stories, we can not insist that our readers shall believe them. It will be observed that the forward dorsal fin of this fish is armed with long and sharp spines, the third one of which is much the longest. From the supposed resem. blance of this spine to a razor, the French call this fish "The Barber." 8. The long spines of the serranus are considered a very formidable weapon of defense; and by the divers for marine productions the fish itself is regarded as sacred, because they declare that no other fish, however large, dare approach its retreats, and that there is always safety from the attacks of sea-monsters wherever this little fish is found. Moreover, the divers assert that whenever one of these fish is caught by a hook, the rest of the shoal immediately cut the line by rushing against it with their sharp spines, and thus relieve their companion. 9. In the Perch family is a small fish called the red surmullet, which is supposed to be the fish so celebrated among the Romans for the excellence of its flesh, its extreme beauty, and the extravagant sums paid for it. It appears to have been esteemed by the Roman epicures2 above every other article of food; and the larger ones, weighing five or six pounds, were obtained only at prodigious prices. Juvenal says: "Six scanty pounds the mullet weighed; Six thousand sesterces3 the wise man paid!" Seneca mentions that a surmullet of four pounds' weight was presented to the Emperor Tiberius, who sent it to the market, where it was purchased for five thousand sesterces; and at a later period one was sold for eight thousand sesterces, a sum equal to more than three hundred dollars of our money. 10. While with these Roman epicures the smaller the turbot the greater the prize, yet they eagerly sought for the largest specimens of the mullet that could be procured. Horace supposes this mere caprice, and asks, "Of carps and mullet why prefer the great, 11. It has been truly remarked that mullets stand pre-eminent in the annals of human luxury, cruelty, and folly. In their feasts the Romans reveled over the dying surmullet, while the bright red color of health passed through various shades of purple, violet, blue, and white, as life gradually ebbed, and convulsions put an end to the admired spectacle. They put these devoted fish into crystal vessels filled with water, over a slow fire, upon their tables, and complacently regarded the lingering sufferings of their victims as the increasing heat gradually prepared them for their pampered+ appetites. 5 12. Probably the changes which the blood underwent in the minute capillaries, as it was gradually deprived of its life-preserving oxygen, produced those varied hues which the poet has so well described: The striped red mullet, a beautiful fish of a pale pink color, but somewhat larger than the one known to the Romans, is found in considerable numbers on the English coasts. The mullets, like the cod and some other fish which feed in deep water, are furnished with long feelers attached to the lower jaw, supposed to be delicate organs of touch, by which these fish are enabled to select their food on the muddy bottoms. 1 SAP'-ID, well-tasted; savory; palatable. 4 PAM'-PERED, fed to the full; glutted. 2 EP'-I-CURE, one who indulges in the luxu-5 CAP'-IL-LA-RY, a small blood-vessel; see LES. IV.-OTHER FAMILIES OF THE SPINE-RAYED FISHES. 1. Mailed Gurnard, Peristedion malarmat. 2. Big Porgee, Pagrus argyrops. 3. Banded Ephippus, or Three-tailed Porgee, Ephippus faber. 4. The Sheepshead (famed for its exquisite flesh), Sargus ovis. 5. Streaked or Rock Gurnard, Trigla lineata. 6. Axillary Sea Bream, Pagellus acarne. 7. Bearded Umbrina, Umbrina vulgaris. (The Umbrina is given as the representative of the family of the Maigres, which includes our Weakfish, Corvinas, the Chub, King-fish, and the Drum, the latter noted for the loud drumming noise which it makes, and the cause of which is still a mystery.) 8. Common Mackerel, Scomber scomber. 1. Of the remaining numerous families of the spine-rayed division of fishes, most of which are represented in the accompanying illustrations, only a very brief description can here be given. 2. The Gurnards, or Mailedcheeks, which are abundant on our northern coasts, are a numerous family of marine fishes, which have received their common name from the growling or grunting noise which they make when sporting in the water, or when recently taken from it. 1. Ten- (or Nine-) spined Stickleback, The Sticklebacks-a division of Gasterosteus pungitius. 2. Four-spined the same family, so named from the spines which arm their backs S., G. spinulosus. 3. Short-spined S., G. brachycentrus. and fins-are mostly small fishes, of from one to three inches in length, and very numerous both in fresh and salt water. They are exceedingly active and greedy, very destructive to small fish of other species, which they devour, and therefore very injurious in fish-ponds; and they also have furious contests with each other. The fifteen-spined stickleback, found on the English coasts, is noted for its nest-building propensities. The following account of the fighting habits of the sticklebacks is given by a contributor to an English maga zine: 3. "When a few are first turned into a large wooden vessel, they swim about, apparently exploring their new habitation. Suddenly one will take possession of a particular corner of the tub, or, as will sometimes happen, of the bottom, and will instantly commence an attack upon his companions; and if any one of them ventures to oppose his sway, a regular and most ferocious battle ensues: the two combatants swim round and round each other with the greatest rapidity, biting and endeavoring to pierce each other with their spines. 4. "I have witnessed a battle of this sort which lasted several minutes before either would give way; and when one does submit, imagination can hardly conceive the vindictive fury of the conqueror, who, in the most persevering and unrelenting way, chases his rival from one part of the tub to another, until fairly exhausted with fatigue. They also use their spines with such fatal effect, that, incredible as it may appear, I have seen one, during a battle, absolutely rip his opponent quite open, so that he sank to the bottom and died. I have occasionally known three or four parts of the tub taken possession of by as many little tyrants, who would guard their territories with the strictest vigilance; and the slightest invasion would invariably bring on a battle." 5. The tropical species of the large family of the "Scaly Fins," among which is included the New York porgee, are conspicuous for the extreme splendor of their coloring, which is thus spoken of by an eminent English naturalist, Dr. Hamilton: "If," he remarks, "the feathered tribes of the equatorial regions are bedecked with the most brilliant and gorgeous hues, the neighboring oceans contain myriads of the finny race which in this respect excel them. Upon the group of the Chetodons, especially, Nature has most profusely lavished The fifteen-spined stickleback, a salt-water fish, often called the sea-adder, sometimes attains a length of six or seven inches. This fish deposits its spawn amid the fine growing sea-weed. Around the eggs, which are of the size of small shot, it then gathers the branches, which it binds together in a compact mass with an exceedingly fine and tough elastic thread, which seems to be formed of some albuminous secretion. Other instances of this nest-building propensity are found in some Fifteen-spined Stickleback, nest and eggs. fresh-water fishes of Demerara, which not only construct nests of grass, but which also burrow in the banks of streams. |