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Rh them dreadfully. Being a swift swimmer, it finds abundant prey, and soon attains to a considerable size. Willoughby observes, that small fishes of this species are rarely taken; and the same circumstance has been mentioned by later writers. During the winter it prefers deep waters; but in the spring, or about May, it quits this retreat, and approaches the entrance of great rivers, where it deposits its spawn between the crevices of stones and rocks.

"The fisheries for this kind of Sparus are carried on upon an extensive scale in the warmer parts of Europe. In the estuaries of Dalmatia and the Levant, the capture of this fish is an object of material consideration, both to the inhabitants generally as a wholesome and palatable food when fresh, and to the mercantile interest of those countries as an article of commerce. They prepare the fish, according to ancient custom, by cutting it in pieces, and packing it in barrels with vinegar and spices, in which state it will keep perfectly well for twelve months."

3. The Cantharina contain but a single genus, in which the teeth are numerous, minute, and conical, placed in several rows; those of the outer row larger and more curved than the others. Of this limited group, England possesses one species, the Black Sea-bream (Cantharus lineatus, ), which is by no means uncommon.

4. The Obladina have the foremost range of teeth compressed, placed close together, and armed with a cutting edge, which is more or less notched. This group contains only fifteen species, several of which, found in the Mediterranean, are distinguished by the metallic lustre of their