Of the first kind, then, the genus gadus affords the most prominent instance. It contains the cod, the ling, the whiting, the haddock, the sea burbot, the pollack, the rawlin pollack or coal fish, the dorsk, g. cellarius, and the bibb, g. luscus. The meat of these species is firm, solid, and easily digestible; nor is there, in the whole list, any striking exception. The flakes are white, firm, and conchoidal. The genus mullus affords a species of a similar nature, though not equally firm. Of these, the firmest is the surmullet, m. barbatus, or red mullet; called the woodcock of the sea, both from its superior flavour and from the custom of using the trail as sauce. This fish is easily bruised, and soon spoiled: so that it is little known in this metropolis. The genus clupea, containing the herring, sprat, anchovy, and pilchard, are more oily, and less easily digested. The scombri, whose most common species is the mackarel, are still stronger, but of a more delicate flavour. The genus trigla affords the piper, the gurnard, which is occasionally gray, but generally red, and the sea lantern. These are apparently less, gross, but we do not find that they afford an easily digestible nutriment. The zeus faber, St. Peter's fish, or the John dorey, (jean dore, from its shade of gold mixed with green,) belongs to the whiting tribe; and its connexion, from the firm, flaky flesh, with the whitings, prevented our dividing them into the flat and rounded fish.

There is a class which, from the firm solidity of the flesh, approach the whiting tribe, though often hard and indigestible; viz. the cartilaginoes fish. The genus accipenser (sturgeon) affords the common sturgeon, the isinglass and caviare sturgeon, and the tuke. They are, like the piper, firm, but not easily digestible. The various skates are not very dissimilar; and of this genus, raia, we find five edible species. We have alluded to the practice of crimping; and, as the skates are usually subjected to this operation, we shall now explain it. While the irritability of the muscles remains, the fish is cut across in a direction perpendicular to the fibres: these portions consequently contract, and the fish is more firm. It is chiefly employed in the skate, because the fibres easily separate longitudinally; and, from their want of firmness, much of the flavour is The same operation is sometimes performed on the whiting and salmon; but this is only useful when these fish are long kept. They are firm when taken out of the water; but the fat separating diminishes the connexion of the longitudinal fibres, and renders the flavour less pleasing. The Iamprey is one of the cartilaginous fish which belongs to this class. It is high flavoured, but gross and indigestible. Three species are eaten, but the sea lamprey is preferred. The fish-fowl, lophius piscatorius, derives its name from the resemblance of its flesh to that of chicken; and the lump fish, cyclopterus lumpus, is not very different. The conger eel, when divested of its rankness by soaking and salt, approaches animal substances, and particularly hard, ill-fed veal. The shark, of which many species are eaten, is still more dry, hard, and disgusting.

The turbot tribe are much more alluring; but they are confined to one single genus, the pleuronectes. The softest and most digestible is the plaise; then follow the flounders, the dabs, the sole, the holibut, the brill, and the turbot, nearly in the order of their digestibility. The holibut, indeed, is dry and woolly; the brill is often similar; yet, when fresh, they appear sweet to the taste, and seem to be easily assimilated. We find some other edible species, of which we have no experience, viz. two species of sparus, the gilt and laxative fish; two of labrus, the sea pullet and sea peacock; the sea pike, esox bellona; the trachinius draco (the weaver), mentioned with high encomia by Duhamel; and the mugil cephalus, whose ova make the Italian botargo. The caviare sturgeon furnishes a similar substance from its roe; but it is hard, dry, and indigestible.

We have, in compliance with the arrangement of some respectable authors, separated the river from the sea fish: we think, however, without reason; for several river fish are truly inhabitants of the sea, and are caught in rivers while reaching a secure asylum to deposit their spawn, or while returning to the sea. The young ones are also occasionally caught in their way to their natural habitation, the ocean; and, we suspect, have been sometimes considered as distinct species. River fish have been considered as more easy of digestion than those of the sea. If we advert to the distinc-tion just noticed, we should form a very different opinion. We have hinted that the river fish are only the degenerate offspring of those of the sea; and, were this a place for such discussions, we could render this opinion highly probable. We have seen the herring in some inland lakes of Asia; but in a state that we could scarcely recognise it, except by its determined specific characters. The trout of the sea is greatly superior to that of rivers, and the salmon from the ocean is a fish of much higher flavour than when it has resided some time in fresher water. To this there' is only a single objection; the char, from the lakes of Westmoreland, is a fish of considerable flavour, and equals or excels the other species of salmo, to which it belongs.

The chief genera of what are styled river fish are the salmo and cyprinus, though the last is only strictly such. From the genus salmo we select the salmon, the salmon trout, the trout, the char, the salmarine, the redling, the grayling, the huch, the salvelin, the smelt, the white fish, and the oxyrinchus. We have placed them nearly in the scale of general estimation; but tastes differ, and these we cannot dispute: excepting the salmon, they are of sufficiently easy digestion; but this fish, from its richness, if kept more than a day, disagrees with weak stomachs; and the fat, rising to the surface, occasions sickness and disagreeable eructations. From the genus cyprinus we receive the carp, the tench, the roach, the dace, the gudgeon, with many similar fish of little estimation, which, in general, owe their attractions to the cook, as, without the most poignant sauce, they are dry and insipid. The perca (perch) affords several species, not more attractive. The wolf fish, and the ruffe, p. labrax and cernua, are two of these, little valued. The pike, the devouring monster of the river or pond, scarcely admits of a better character; and the stickleback, gasierrosseus acu-leatus, and the shad-fish, silurus glamis, the giant of the rivers, are chiefly sought after when sea fish are not to be procured.