Copy 1, Volume 1

A history of British fishes / By William Yarrell ... Illustrated by nearly 400 woodcuts.

  • William Yarrell
Date:
1836
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A history of British fishes / By William Yarrell ... Illustrated by nearly 400 woodcuts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    133/464 (page 91)
    . MAIGRE. 9] eminently qualified by his great talents and acquirements, his excellent memory, and the extensive materials by which he was surrounded, forms one of the most valuable features of all that part of the work on fishes he was spared to accomplish. It may be sufficient here to state, that, in the Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, the three best known spe- cies of the Mediterranean Sea have been considered the types of three genera, two of which will belong to British Fishes. The name of Sctena, as a generic term, has been given to those species which exhibit the peculiarities included in the generic characters, of which Scena aquila, the Maigre of the French, forms the type, or most characteristic example. This fish, the largest and the most remarkable, is also the most common in certain localities ; and is celebrated for the goodness of its flesh. Salvianus has correctly described it under the name of Umbrina, but considered it the Maigre | of the French. Rondeletius calls it Pets Ret (Royal Fish). It appears always to have been in great request with epi- cures ; and, as on account of its large size it was always sold in pieces, the fishermen of Rome were in the habit of pre- senting the head, which was considered the finest part, as a sort of tribute to the three local magistrates who acted for the time as conservators of the city. Paulus Jovius relates a curious history of a head of one of these fishes, presented, as usual, to the conservators in the reign of Pope Sextus X.; given by them to the Pope’s nephew ; by him to one of the Cardinals; from whom it passed as a noble donation to his banker, to whom he was deeply indebted ; and from the banker to his courtesan. It was followed through all its migrations by a parasite, whose industry was rewarded by at length partaking in the feast. This story forms much of the underplot of Beau- mont and Fletcher’s ‘‘ Woman-Hater ;” where, as the con-