The Works of Sir Thomas Browne Volume III Part 50

A scolopax or sea woodc.o.c.k of Rondeletius was giuen mee by a seaman of these seas, about 3 inches long and seemes to bee one kind of Acus or needlefish answering the discription of Rondeletius.

The Acus of Aristotle lesser thinner corticated and s.e.xangular by diuers calld an adderc.o.c.k and somewhat resembling a snake ours more plainly finned then Rondeletius discribeth it.

A little corticated fish about 3 or 4 inches long, ours answering that which is named piscis octangularis by Wormius, cataphractus by Schoneueldeus; octagonius versus caput, versus caudam hexagonius.

The faber marinus sometimes found very large answering the figure of Rondeletius, which though hee mentioneth as a rare fish and to be found in the Atlantick and Gaditane ocean yet wee often meet with it in these seas commonly calld a peterfish hauing one black spot on ether side the body conceued the perpetuall signature from the impression of St Peters fingers or to resemble the 2 peeces of money which St Peter tooke out of this fish remarkable also from its disproportionable mouth and many hard p.r.i.c.kles about other parts.

A kind of scorpius marinus a rough p.r.i.c.kly and monstrous headed fish 6 8 or 12 inches long answerable vnto the figure of Schoneueldeus.

A sting fish wiuer or kind of ophidion or Araneus slender, narrowe headed about 4 inches long with a sharpe small p.r.i.c.kly finne along the back which often venemouslv p.r.i.c.keth the hands of fishermen.

Aphia cobites marina or sea Loche.

Blennus a sea millars thumb.

Funduli marini sea gogions.

Alosae or chads to bee met with about Lynne.

Spinachus or smelt in greatest plentie about Lynne b.u.t.t where they haue also a small fish calld a primme answering in tast and shape a smelt and perhaps are b.u.t.t the yonger sort thereof.

Aselli or cods of seuerall sorts. Asellus albus or whitings in great plentie. Asellus niger carbonarius or coale fish. Asellus minor Schoneueldei, callarias Pliny, or Haydocks with many more also a weed fish somewhat like an haydock b.u.t.t larger and dryer meat. A Ba.s.se also much resembling a flatter kind of Cod.

s...o...b..i are makerells in greate plentie a dish much desired b.u.t.t if as Rondeletius affirmeth they feed upon sea starres and squalders there may bee some doubt whether their flesh bee without some ill qualitie.

Sometimes they are of a very large size and one was taken this yeare 1668 which was by measure an ell long and of the length of a good salmon, at Lestoffe.

Herrings departed sprats or sardae not long after succeed in great plentie which are taken with smaller nets and smoakd and dryed like herrings become a sapid bitt and vendible abroad.

Among these are found Bleakes or bliccae a thinne herring like fishe which some will also think to bee young herrings. And though the sea aboundeth not with pilchards, yet they are commonly taken among herrings, b.u.t.t few esteeme thereof or eat them.

Congers are not so common on these coasts as on many seas about England, b.u.t.t are often found upon the north coast of Norfolk, and in frostie wether left in pulks and plashes upon the ebbe of the sea.

The sand eels Anglorum of Aldrouandus, or Tobia.n.u.s of Schoneueldeus commonly called smoulds taken out of the sea sands with forks and rakes about Blakeney and Burnham a small round slender fish about 3 or 4 inches long as bigge as a small Tobacco pipe a very dayntie dish.

Pungitius marinus or sea bausticle hauing a p.r.i.c.kle one each side the smallest fish of the sea about an inch long sometimes drawne ash.o.a.re with netts together with weeds and pargaments of the sea.

Many sorts of flat fishes. The pastinaca oxyrinchus with a long and strong aculeus in the tayle conceued of speciall venome and virtues.

Severall sorts of Raia's skates and Thornebacks the Raia clauata oxyrinchus, raia oculata, aspera, spinosa fullonica.

The great Rhombus or Turbot aculeatus and leuis.

The pa.s.ser or place.

b.u.t.ts of various kinds.

The pa.s.ser squamosus Bret Bretc.o.c.k and skulls comparable in taste and delicacy vnto the soale.

The Buglossus solea or soale plana and oculata as also the Lingula or small soale all in very great plentie.

Sometimes a fish aboue half a yard long like a b.u.t.t or soale called asprage which I haue known taken about Cromer.

Sepia or cuttle fish and great plentie of the bone or sh.e.l.lie substance which sustaineth the whole bulk of that soft fishe found commonly on the sh.o.a.re.

The Loligo sleue or calamar found often upon the sh.o.a.re from head to tayle sometimes aboue an ell long, remarkable for its parretlike bill, the gladiolus or calamus along the back and the notable crystallyne of the eye which equalleth if not exceedeth the l.u.s.tre of orientall pearle.

A polypus another kind of the mollia sometimes wee haue met with.

Lobsters in great number about Sheringham and Cromer from whence all the country is supplyed.

Astacus marinus pediculi marini facie found also in that place, with the aduantage of ye long foreclawes about 4 inches long.

Crabs large and well tasted found also in the same coast.

Another kind of crab taken for cancer fluuiatilis litle slender and of a very quick motion found in the Riuer running through Yarmouth, and in Bliburgh riuer.

Oysters exceeding large about Burnham and Hunstanton like those of Poole St Mallowes or Ciuita Vechia whereof many are eaten rawe the sh.e.l.ls being broakin with cleuers the greater part pickled and sent weekly to London and other parts.

Mituli or muscles in great quant.i.tie as also chams or cochles about Stiskay and the northwest coast.

Pectines pectunculi varij or scallops of the lesser sort.

Turbines or smaller wilks, leues, striati, as also Trochi, Trochili, or scaloppes finely variegated and pearly. Lewise purpurae minores, nerites, cochleae, Tellinae.

Lepades, patellae Limpets, of an vniualue sh.e.l.l wherein an animal like a snayle cleauing fast unto the rocks.

Solenes cappe lunge venetorum commonly a razor fish the sh.e.l.l thereof dentalia.

Dentalia by some called pinpaches because pinmeat thereof is taken out with a pinne or needle.

Cancellus Turbinum et neritis Barnard the Hermite of Rondeletius a kind of crab or astacus liuing in a forsaken wilk or nerites.

Echinus echinometrites sea hedghogge whose neat sh.e.l.ls are common on the sh.o.a.re the fish aliue often taken by the dragges among the oysters.

Balani a smaller sort of vniualue growing commonly in cl.u.s.ters, the smaller kinds thereof to bee found oftimes upon oysters wilks and lobsters.

Concha anatifera or Ansifera or Barniclesh.e.l.l whereof about 4 yeares past were found upon the sh.o.a.re no small number by Yarmouth hanging by slender strings of a kind of Alga vnto seuerall splinters or cleauings of firre boards vnto which they were seuerally fastned and hanged like ropes of onyons: their sh.e.l.l flat and of a peculiar forme differing from other sh.e.l.les, this being of four diuisions, containing a small imperfect animal at the lower part diuided into many shootes or streames which prepossed spectators fancy to bee the rudiment of the tayle of some goose or duck to bee produced from it; some whereof in ye sh.e.l.l and some taken out and spred upon paper we shall keepe by us.

Stellae marinae or sea starres in great plentie especially about Yarmouth. Whether they bee bred out of the vrticae squalders or sea gellies as many report wee cannot confirme b.u.t.t the squalderes in the middle seeme to haue some lines or first draughts not unlike. Our starres exceed not 5 poynts though I haue heard that some with more haue been found about Hunstanton and Burnham, where are also found stellae marinae testacae or handsome crusted and brittle sea starres much lesse.

The pediculus and culex marinus the sea lowse and flie are also no strangeres.

Physsalus Rondeletij or eruca marina physsaloides according to the icon of Rondeletius of very orient green and purple bristles.

Urtica marina of diuers kinds some whereof called squalderes, of a burning and stinging qualitie if rubbed in the hand; the water thereof may afford a good cosmetick.

Another elegant sort that is often found cast up by sh.o.a.re in great numbers about the bignesse of a b.u.t.ton cleere and welted and may bee called fibula marina crystallina.

Hirudines marini or sea Leaches.