N o r th , v iz twice o f Schotland ( * ) , once o f
Northumberland, one in F ile ij-B a ij, IJorkshire;
und a fifth was caught at Brisham in Torbaij
in 1772. T h e last weighed a hundred and for-
tij pounds. T h e lenght was 4 feet and | ; the
breadth 2 feet | ; the greatest thicknesf onlij 4
inches, Its general color was a transparent
fcarlet varnisch over burnifched g o ld , befpan-
gled with oval filver fpots o f various fizes. T h e
breast was an hard b o n e , refembling the keel
o f a fh ip . T h e fiesch looked and tasted like
beef ( f ) .
I find a more ample description o f another, bij
M r . rob. Harrison o f Newcastle.
Newcastle Sept. i ? . 1769. On faturdaij last was
thrown upon the fands at Blijth a verij rare
und beautifull f isch, weighing between feventij
and eigthij p o u n d s , f haped like the fea bream.
T h e length was 31 fee ts; the breadth from
back to bellij almost 2 fe e t; but the thicknesf
from fide to fide not above 6 inches. T h e
mouth fmall for the fize o f the fisch, forming
a fquare opening and without anij teeth in the
jaw s . T h e tongue th ic k , refembling that o f a
man,
( * ) The fisch engraved bij Sir r o b , s i b b a l d ,
hist. Scot. tab. 6, and thus described is o f this kind;
Piscis maculi§ aureis asperfus non fcriptus, pollices 42
longns,
( t ) This description was fent to me bij a gentleman,
Who faw the fisgh foon after he was taken.
man, but rough and thick fet with beards or
prickles pointing b ackw ard s, fo that anij thing
might eafilij pasf d ow n , but could not eaftlij
return b a c k , therefore thefe might ferve inttead
o f teeth t to retain its preij. T h e eijes remarkably
la rg e , covered with a membrane and fh i-
ning with a glory o f g o ld . T h e cover o f the
gills like the falmon. T h e bodij diminishes v e rij
much to the ta il, wich is fo rk ed , and expands
12 inch. T h e gillfius are b ro ad , about
eight inches lo n g , and play horizontally. A
little behind their infertion the backfin takes
its original; where it is about 7 inch high,
but ilopes awaij verij fuddenlij, running down
verij near the tail , and at its termination becomes
a little broader. T h e bellij fins are verij
ftrong, and placed near the middle o f the bodij.
A narrow fin alfo runs from the anus to the
tail. All the fins and alfo the tail are o f a fin
fcar let; but the colors and beautij o f the rest
o f the body, wich is frnooth and covered with
almost imperceptible fc a le s , beggars all descriptio
n ; the upper part being a kind o f bright
green, variegated with whitisch fp o ts , and enriched
with a fhining golden h u e , like tlje
fplendor o f a peacocks feather; this bij degrees
varishes in a bright filverij, and near the belly
the gold again predominates in a lighter ground
than on the back.