Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/107

Rh The flesh of such specimens as have from time to time found their way to our markets has been considered good, though rather dry. In the Mediterranean, however, it has been very highly esteemed, from the earliest times, and bears the title of King's fish, from its reputed excellence. "It appears always to have been in great request with epicures; and as, on account of its large size, it was always sold in pieces, the fishermen of Rome were in the habit of presenting the head, which was considered the finest part, as a sort of tribute, to the three local magistrates who acted for the time as conservators of the city."

A curious story is told of the travels and adventures of a Maigre's head that was presented to the magistrates in the pontificate of Sextus X. The conservators offered it as an acceptable present to the Pope's nephew ; by whom it was sent to one of the Cardinals; the latter sent it as a propitiatory offering to a banker to whom he was deeply in debt; and the banker presented it to his mistress. The interest of the story rests chiefly on the ingenuity of a dinner-hunter, who contrives to trace the savoury dish through all its migrations, and succeeds at length in obtaining an invitation to partake of the dainty.

The two hard bones that are lodged in the sides of the head, commonly known as the ear-stones, have been supposed by the vulgar, and by the scientific in former times, to possess medicinal powers. They were called colic-stones; and their virtues as curative of this disorder were supposed to be exercised by being worn round the neck, usually mounted in gold. But then it was indispensable that they should have been received as