The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Hippolyto Salviano (1514 - 1572)
"Italian ichthyologist, physician, poet and playwright. His great book on fishes was printed in his own house and was illustrated with copper engravings rather than woodcuts" (Dance, 219), Linked print sources: as Mentions or references - The Art of Natural History: Animal Illustrators and Their Work .References in Documents:
Galaeus acanthis
Spinaxof
Mustelas spinaxof
Zygæna Libella.
Curiously
pictur'd in
hath his Name not unaptly from the shape of his Head,
very different from that of all other Fishes, being spread
out
horizontally, like the Beam of a Balance; his eyes
standing at
the two extremes, as the iron Hooks do at the
end of the Beam.
He grows sometimes to the length of
four or five yards: but
this is a young one. They breed
in the
Galeus Acanthias. Because he
hath
two strong and sharp Spikes growing on his Back, behind
the two Finns, and pointing towards his Tail. See the
Finns which
grow on each side the Anus, the Males, saith
b) b)
the Anus.
But betwixt the Anus and the Tail there is no
under-Finn; by which he differs from the rest of the Dog
kind. He is said scarce to grow so big, as to exceed
twenty
pounds in weight. His Skin is rough with the like
Prickles,
Microscope. But easily felt by drawing your
hand towards
the head. The shape also of the Teeth is odd and
un
usual, being armed with little sharp Hooks on
each edge.
They are taken sometimes upon our
Galeus Acanthias. Because he hath
two strong and sharp Spikes growing on his Back, behind
the two Finns, and pointing towards his Tail. See the
Finns which grow on each side the
Anus, the Males, saith
b)
b)
the
Anus. But betwixt the
Anusand the Tail there is no
under-Finn; by which he differs from the rest of the Dog
kind. He is said scarce to grow so big, as to exceed twenty
pounds in weight. His Skin is rough with the like Prickles,
Microscope. But easily felt by drawing your hand towards
the head. The shape also of the Teeth is odd and un
usual, being armed with little sharp Hooks on each edge.
They are taken sometimes upon our
Squatina, sive Angelus
Marinus. The figure in
scription very short and
imperfect. That of
better, yet
not full. And either the Fish he describes is a
different
Species, or his Description of the Teeth is not
true.
This is above an Ell long. His Head about ¼ of a yard
or Ridges: His Mouth five inches over, his Lips almost
Semilunar.
Each of his Jaws are armed with about six and thirty
Rows of
most sharp Teeth, and in every Row there are
four Teeth. So
that in all they are about two hundred four
score and
eight, all couched a little inward.
About three inches behind his Nose-end stand his Eyes,
as it
were on the top of his Head, and three inches and ½
distant. Proportionably very small, sc. not
above ½ an inch
over. About an inch and quarter behind
his Eyes, and a
little lower, he hath two Spouts, one on each
side, above
an inch long, and convex before. His Neck ½
a foot over.
His Back before, three inches above a foot,
expanded (here)
on both sides, as if it were shoulder'd. His
Middle or Wast
about eight inches. The lower part of his Back,
ten inches,
spread like a pair of Buttocks. From his Shoulders
to the
bottom of his Buttocks about a foot and ½. The
length
of his Tail, as much: the forepart whereof above four
inches over, growing slenderer all the way to the end.
He hath seven Fins. His Shoulder-Fins with Cartilagi
nous
Rays, expanded ½ a foot out like a pair of Wings, and
almost square. His Buttock-Fins prolonged hinderly ½ a
foot, stand continguous to the Tail on both sides. On
the top of his Tail, two lesser; three inches high, and
couched backward. At the end a forked one ½ a foot
long, and almost as high. From hence half a foot forward,
the
Skin is as it were pinched up into a little Ridge or
Doublet
on each side.
Above he is very rough with innumerable small Prickles,
especially felt upon drawing your hand forward. And the
edges
of the four side-Fins are all thorny. But underneath
the Skin
is so thick or closely cover'd with little hard round
knobs,
as it seems almost smooth.
This Fish hath two Spouts, like the Saw-Fish, because of
the
breadth of his Head. His Teeth admirable for taking
sure hold
of the most slippery Prey. Those Doublets on
the sides of his
Tail, seem to add strength to the Muscules
which move the Tail-Fins. And so in some other Fishes.
By the posture of the Fins he seems to make at the Prey, not
by a forward stroke, but by ascending as a Dog to his
the broad
Fore-Fins, saith Oppian, the Female shelters
her
Young, as a Hen her Chickens with her Wings. But
the Dogfish,
by receiving them into her mouth. He also
saith, That of the
Cartilaginous kind the Scate only beareth
twice in a year, sc. Spring and Fall.
a)
a)
50
deceived by the Authorities of
Aristotle, Epicarmus, Athenæus,
and
of this Fish is used for the polishing of
Wooden and Ivory
Works. He is taken, saith Mr.
his Bill, which
is an entire Pipe, shaped almost like that of
the Snipe-Fish. Acus
Aristotelis. Well described by
deletiusSexangular all along.
Whereas from the Head to the Anus
it is Septangular. The Scales are also
engraven with small
lines almost of an Elliptick figure.
he is not scaly. Another also of the same Species.
Acipenser.
Sturio, because one of the
greatest of edible Fishes; for
Stur, in the
Danish-Tongue,
signifies Great. (
a)
a)
mius
that of
his very long and sharp Snout, his little Mouth, to be seen
only when he lies on his back, and his thick and bony
Scales; which stand in Rows so, as to make the Fish al
most
Pentangular. The figure of most of the side Scales
Rhomboidal. It is affirmed by
a)
a)
Cibaria
of a
Sturgeonturn towards the Head; borrowing his
Error herein of
c)
d)
Mola Salviani Luna; Because the Tail-Fin
is shaped like a
Half-Moon, By which, and his odd trussed
shape, looking as if he were only the Head of some great
Fish cut off from his Trunk, he is sufficiently distinguished
from all others. Well described by
vian
Gill-Fins, as he observes, are so postur'd, as not to move
from Head to Tail, or
vice versa, but from Back to
& è contra. The use whereof seems to be, To ena
ble him to make a more direct and sudden descent; that
so when any Ravenous Fish makes full speed at him, he
may in an instant strike himself under his way, and so escape
him. It may also be noted, That being a tall Fish, and
with his sides much compressed, he hath a long Fin upon
his Back, and another answering to it on his Belly: by which
he is the better kept upright, or from swaging on his
sides.
what lesser. Neither of these is above ½ a yard long. But
that which
weight. They are taken, as
Ives
and
a) a)
I call it the File-Fish, from the likeness which the foremost
Bone
upon his Back hath to a file. There are three of them:
which,
yet so, as not one alone, but altogether. And
although
you press the foremost, and greatest never so hard,
it will
not stir: but if you depress the last and least of all
never
so softly, the other two immediately fall down with it:
just as when a Cross-Bow is let off by
pulling down the
Tricker. For which reason also the fish is
called, at
Rome, Pesce Balestra.
a)
a)
I call it the
File-Fish, from the likeness which the foremost
Bone upon his Back hath to a file. There are three of them:
which,
yet so, as not one alone, but altogether. And although
you press the foremost, and greatest never so hard, it will
not stir: but if you depress the last and least of all never
so softly, the other two immediately fall down with it:
just as when a
Cross-Bowis let off by pulling down the
Tricker. For which reason also the fish is called, at
.Rome ,
Pesce Balestra
Pesce Balestra
Another thing peculiar to this fish is, that his Scales (
Lattice-wise. I add, and that they are all incrustated, and
rough-cast with little round knobs. So that the cover of
this
fish, is near a kin to that of the Square-Fish; that be
ing only one entire Crust, this divided into many little ones.
It may be noted, That where
fish to be compressum & latum, atq; fere
orbicularem, he
hath not properly expressed his
shape. For he is not Broad,
but Tall; and much nearer to a Rhombus or Diamond
square.
Speciesparticularly described by
the foregoing only in being taller and narrower: and
in having the Tail-Fin with longer horns.
hinderly, grows a little short Prickle upon the centre of
every Scale, pointing backward. It is also ratably much
longer and lower, his Nose a great deal shorter, and less
steep, and his Tail-Fin less spread.
his Gill-Fins,
which reach to the end of his Tail, like a
pair of very long
Wings. By some, the Flying-Herring,
from a likeness in the shape of their Body. Perhaps
. But by
letius'sHirundo, by
whom it is well described. (a) a)
62
in other
fishes goes either from the Head or Branchiæ by
the sides to the Tail; here runs
from the Belly-Fins along
the Belly to the Tail.
the figure also which he gives, the Belly-Fins are
wanting.
And the Orbits of the Eyes,
which are extraordinary great,
he representeth little.