CHAP. 24.—FISHES WHICH HAVE A STONE IN THE HEAD; THOSE WHICH KEEP THEMSELVES CONCEALED DURING WINTER; AND THOSE WHICH ARE NOT TAKEN IN WINTER, EXCEPT UPON STATED DAYS.
All fish have a presentiment of a rigorous winter, but more especially those which are supposed to have a stone2376 in the head, the lupus,2377 for instance, the chromis,2378 the sciæna,2379 and the phagrus.2380 When the winter has been very severe, many fish are taken in a state of blindness.2381 Hence it is, that during these months they lie concealed in holes, in the same manner as land animals, as we have already2382 mentioned; and more especially the hippurus,2383 and the coracinus,2384 which are never taken during the winter, except only on a few stated days, which are always the same. The same with the muræna2385 also, and the orphus,2386 the conger,2387 the perch,2388 and all the rock-fish. It is said that, during the winter, the torpedo,2389 the psetta,2390 and the sole, conceal themselves in the earth, or rather, I should say, in excavations made by them at the bottom of the sea.