I7 8 .F i ATUR A LHI^ ^ rO o£ -N® R WAY.
, moft; remaskabfe’part. This has two fefge-nsje&ytod'a mouthdike
aibird’sbuakjtabove.whichrthere fendvigbi^long^àfms, Or feottis,
. lik e « ftar, xapdiSach horn ds oâangutar, antifeWeiM wiïh a- b'tfmb^r
oF'ifinall'Totmri. balls,:whichiare fomëthing larger fban;a pin’sbé&d.
Thereuare-atrtberbaekpaft af'the^he&d two'ôf^thefèfliôiAS, Wïêe
asilong'astthe and broader rtowards-the efcd. «Oh $â£h 'fide
of the body ethere -are -two Ikinny membranefe, wïth «Which the
•animal covers itFelF all over, being firft tolled together ; and it
-is fiird fthdtut can raife itfelf above -the furfaee o f thfe'wattliyand
deappretty »high, making afe dF thdfe'membranes dike wirigs. :
From.vhis.defcription we may'Conclude, that înatùte 'produces
b u t iFew animsUsof fo-extraordinary aftru&ure in the lèverai sparts.
The interior conftrtr&ioii o£ this «eatüre 'is ndtdëfe'WondélfiSl:
wehenùt isiopeneid there »is found 'hardly afiy fiéfh ' within thè ‘flsif&'j
-there runs a dong and flat bone th e whole'length 'of'thebadk, 'in
■fhape ahnoft '.like 'the blade of a knife. This boHe is 'known a t
<the.apothecaries b y s&he name - of Os Sepisfe, {as 'hasbeen nSfe'feibd
beFore in the article oF Whales j that Fife being greatly pbjgu’d
.lay this little creature. The fbre^part ©F th e body Or feinhybag,
cabosse-menûoHed, fe .quite filled w ith a black fiâidy Vvbiêh being
-feen through the fein, makes the Fife appear? é f a bîafe-'c&lbuS-,
-though the fluid is oF a fine black, and may ferve fot ink to
write with. When they are in danger thdft Creatures difeharge
th is black fluid. Hence they are called Spute, or Spoite, Which
makes the water all round them appear black and mutely ; and
thus the creature makes his efcape, by rendering itfelF, as it were
b y magic, invifibie to his puifaers.
This is a wonderful gift o f nature, for the -preferVafc&n ‘of a
.creature otherwife qisite unarmed and helplefs**. ƒ Ifi^tty etf 'this
black Fluid happens to drop upon »one’s hand-, it burns like a
caynftic 5 and this fenfation doubtlefs would he more violent,' i f it
was to. get into the eyes. The lame liquor is Very .good to dip
a bait infer a fifeing-hook, and the whole Fifh is excellent for
that pprpofe, which is the only trfe that is generally made of it.
Concerning this Fife’s method o f hreedmgj a very creditable tens
refpsndeat has given me a furprifing account, that is agreeable
to il» other properties. This gentleman, and many more wit»
General Colle&ion of Voyages and TraV«lst as alfo in the London Magazine for
MwhvVMcy p. i2Qr there i* a print-df -this Fifl»,‘by the name of the Ancotfnet, or
ooittlèrEm, where the tai], under the lharp pointed end, fpreads itfelf wide on both
fides, and forms a fort of a'crefcent.
y.iContra metum & vim fuis le aurais <quæque, défendit. Cornibüs, Taur% Apri
dentibus, morfu Leones, Allas fuga le, aliæ occultationë tutantur. Attramenti effu-
iione Sepjjp, torpojre Torpedines, Sec, Çiecro dç Nat. Deer. Lib. 11. ■, ...
neflès,