LETTER IX. THE FORMS AND COLOURS OF FISHES AND OTHER INHABI- LETTER THE Fishes, which are most abundant and varied most frequent in our sight, have pleasing forms. Some are more picturesque than beautiful. Occasionally, we find grotesque ones;' and a few with that structure and look which are called deformity. But what we deem ugliness in nature, is very often rather contrast and peculiarity, than absolute defect. We know nothing of beauty and elegance, but from the figures, colours, movements, arrangements and appearances of created things. These are purposely so constructed and diversified by their great Author; and there is such a profusion of what excites feelings of pleasure and admiration within us, that we consider as inferior, and we depreciate or dislike, whatever is of a dissimilar or opposite nature. If the more attractive objects had not been in existence, and The Sea Bat of Edwards, and the Horned Fish of Willughby, are of this sort. The latter has no spinal or other bone, but is covered with a thick and strong horny case. The Brasilian Guaperva, which may be seen in the Planches Enluminées,' has a strange figure, of a dull red colour. The Sea Unicorn, Monodon Monoceros, seventeen feet long, with a horn resembling ivory, protruding seventeen feet further, and having a skin like polished marble, is a picturesque animal, not unpleasing. 2 The Frog-fish, or Common Angler, Lophius Piscatorius, called also the Sea Devil, resembles the tadpole of a frog or toad, but enlarged to the size of four or five feet. The Hammer-headed Shark, and the Sea Porcupine, may be deemed ugly, or only grotesque, according as our imagination inclines to estimate them. IX. known to us, we should have admired and valued LETTER what now, from the comparison, is considered to be deformity, and becomes our aversion. But, exclusive of figure, the largest number of the Fish tribes are very agreeable objects to our sight; and many, eminently beautiful in their colours, and in the general appearance of their neat and glossy skin and scales. Tho dwelling in a watery medium, yet the marvellous light, from whose component rays all beauty of colour and splendor proceed, often richly combines its adorning beams in their exterior surface; and emanates from them, by some inexplicable process, its softest and sweetest brilliance. Our commonest fish are often highly pleasing. Several have a golden hue or spots, difficult to account for; and many, a silvery gloss, as tho particles of these two metals were diffused among their skin." 4 3 There is not one that exceeds the Mackarel in the brilliancy of its colours, or in the elegance of its shape. The fine deep blue upon the back is crossed by many black streaks, and accompanied by a tinge of green, which varies as the fish changes its position. The bright silver colour of the abdomen, and the varying tinge of gold green which runs along the sides, are eminently beautiful in this species; but are only to be seen to perfection, when it is first taken out of the water, as death impairs the colours.' Wood's Zoography, vol. 2, p. 170. 4 The Coryphæna Hippuris, six feet long, in the Mediterranean, is sea-green, spotted with orange. When alive in the water, it has a fine golden splendour, which vanishes when dead. Turt. Linn. 741. The Plumieri, of the same genus, is golden on the sides and silvery beneath; the upper part brown, with blue curved lines. 742. The Scomber Auratus, of Japan, is a fine gold colour. 825. The Arabian Speciosus, of the same genus, is a pale golden. 826....The Paru, of South America, is a gold colour on his back, with a silvery belly. 716. The John Doree has the name from its resplendency; it seems as if it were gilt. 760. The Sparus Auratus has a semilunar gold spot between its eyes, which occasions it to be called 'Gilt Head.' p. 783. The Coryphæna Fasciolata is a beautiful fish, milk white, with a silvery hue. The Velifera, near Southern India, is as silvery, as to IX. LETTER Others display a fine tinge of blue. Some, very pleasing tints of green." Delicate gradations or diffusions of other colours make other species interesting to us. The effect of the whole is, that the general 8 to colour. The Rupertus, round Greenland, has a silvery body. T. L. 743, 4. ... The Polynemus, of the Nile, is covered with scales of a brilliant silver colour, like spangles lying close together. Shaw, Nat. Mis..... The Arabian Ferdau Scomber is silvery, with golden dots at the sides; another is shining silvery without the spots. 826. The body of the Trichiurus is entirely silvery. p. 712. The two species of the Controgastor are silvery. 829. The Indian Kurtus appears as if covered with silver scales. 737. The Striped Surmullet has silvery scales, streaked with tawny. 830. The Stylophorus has a rich silvery body. 718. Many others display the hue of this pleasing metal. The air bladder of the Argentina Sphyræna appears as if it were covered with silver leaf. It is used in manufacturing artificial pearls. 863. The Squalus Glaucus displays a fine blue in the upper part of his long body, and a silvery white below. T. Linn. 919. It is peculiar to this Shark to shine by night. An Arabian species of the Scomber is of a shining pale blue body, with golden spots at the sides. 825. The Thunny is a steel blue above, and silvery in his body. 825. The Perca Punctulata is dotted with blue. 815. 7 The Scomber Collas, of Sardinia, has a body varied with fine green and blue. 824. The Perca Volgensis is a green gold colour. 816. The Scarus Viridis is green. 792. The King-fish, Luna, off the coast of Normandy, is the most rich and splendid in its colour of all European fish; its body is beautifully green and red, or purple, with oval white spots. 760. The Angel fish and lunulated Gilt Head have a pleasing green tint. In the Trigla Hirundo, its pectoral fins are a pale green, edged and spotted with a rich blue, while its body is above, a greenish brown, and below silvery, with sides tinged with red. 833. The Labrus Viridis is green, with a blue line on each side. The L. Pavo's body is varied with green, blue, and blood red-both Mediterranean fishes. pp. 797, 794. The Esox Viridis, of Carolina, is green. 859. The Labrus Trimaculatus is red, with three large spots; so is the L. Variegatus, with four olive stripes and four blue ones. 800. Others display the red colour. The Sciena Hamrur, red, with a copper gloss. The S. Bohar, reddish, with white dots; and the S. Rubra, dusky red, and beneath white. 804, 5. The Perca Miniata is scarlet, with blue dots. 816. The Trigla Cuculus is red above, dotted with black, and silvery beneath. 833. The Surmullet, when deprived of his scales, is found to have a red body. Nothing is IX. appearance of the Fish Creation, in their forms, co- LETTER lours, brilliancy, gliding movement, rapid and changeful activity, and universal animation and vigour, excites sentiments of pleasure and admiration in every fair and sound mind that beholds them, in their free and spontaneous motions, in their native element. To us with the exception of a few, principally the Shark tribe-they are wholly inoffensive, as even Sharks are in some places. None of them leave their element to attack us. Not many, even in their own domain, would molest us; but all, even the most hostile, remain there, helpless and indefensible against our power, however great their magnitude may be. All are at our mercy. The fiercest cannot long resist our means of annoyance." We kill and take what we please. None can either master or escape us. The Divine command, that man should have dominion over the fish of the sea,' has been unceasingly fulfilled in all parts of the world, and in every generation, both of their races and of our own.' 10 is more beautiful than the colour of this fish when dying. It was esteemed such a delicacy by the Romans, that it was often bought for its weight in pure silver. p. 830. Of other colours, the Labrus Coquus is purple and dark blue above, and yellow below. The L. Mixtus is variegated with yellow and blue. The L. Cynedus is a pale yellow, with a purple back. The L. Varius is diversified with purple, green, blue, and black. 803. The Sciena fulvi flammus is yellowish, with golden stripes; and the L. Kasmira yellowish, with four large blue stripes on each side. p. 804. Many pleasing combinations of colour might be thus enumerated. No fish seems fiercer or more dangerous than a Shark, yet a single Negro, with only a sharp knife, will sometimes voluntarily attack it. The animal must turn on its side to give the fatal gripe, and while he is making this motion, the courageous Black dives beneath, and stabs him in his belly, repeating the blows till the creature becomes his victim. Golds. N. Hist. vol. 3, p. 475. 19 Even the Shark seems not habitually or willingly to attack the human race; for Captain Portlock mentions that he saw five or six large LETTER IX. The general character of Fish is not that of voracity and hostility. It is gentleness, harmlessness, sociality and animation. They are peacful animals; happy in themselves, and for the most part harmonizing together, without any general display of savage cruelty or malignant passions. Such as are appointed to be the food of others, die in that way, and are sought and taken for that purpose, when the appetite actuates, but no farther. But they cannot be justly stigmatised as voracious, for this habit, more than ourselves for taking and eating them and cattle, sheep, fowls, game, venison, and other living creatures. We are carnivorous, but not voracious. We kill and cook the animals we feed on, but we have no malice, or ill-will, or hostility in such action or diet, any more than in plucking the apple, grinding the corn, or boiling the potatoe. It is therefore unjust to impute peculiar voracity and destructiveness to these tribes, because some feed on smaller fish, and others on the molluscæ, worms and insects that they find." These latter animals appear to be as specially provided for such as use them, as slugs and caterpillars are for birds, and grass for cattle; for, at particular seasons, large Sharks swimming about the ship at a time when a hundred Indians, male and female, were in the water: they never offered to molest these people, tho they seized greedily the bait thrown to them by the sailors; nor did the Islanders show any fear at the presence of the Sharks. Portl. and Dixon's Voy. to South Seas. Wood, p. 225. "Even the Shark's alleged voracity seems to be but occasional, for, Captain B. Hall mentions, that of those taken the stomach was generally empty,' tho it is excitable to swallow what it does not want and cannot digest. Thus, one caught in the Alceste was found with the baskets, shavings, cordage, ducks, hens, and buffalo hide in his inside, which had been thrown overboard that morning. Frag. Voy. 2d series, 1, p. 277. |