Having hinted somewhat of the skin and covering of terrestrial Animals, I
shall next add an Observation I made on the skin and Scales of a _Soal_, a
small Fish, commonly enough known; and here in Fishes, as well as other
Animals, Nature follows its usual method, framing all parts so, as that
they are both usefull and ornamental in all its composures, mingling
_utile_ and _dulce_ together; and both these designs it seems to follow,
though our unassisted senses are not able to perceive them: This is not
onely manifest in the covering of this Fish, but in multitudes of others,
which it would be too long to enumerate, witness particularly that small
Sand Shell, which I mention’d in the XI. Observation, and infinite other
small Shells and Scales, divers of which I have view’d. This skin I view’d,
was flead from a pretty large _Soal_, and then expanded and dry’d, the
inside of it, when dry, to the naked eye, look’d very like a piece of
Canvass, but the _Microscope_ discover’d that texture to be nothing else,
but the inner ends of those curious Scolop’d Scales I, I, I, in the second
_Figure_ of the XXI. _Scheme_, namely, the part of GGGG (of the larger
representation of a single Scale, in the first _Figure_ of the same
_Scheme_) which on the back side, through an ordinary single Magnifying
Glass, look’d not unlike the Tyles on an house.
The outside of it, to the naked eye, exhibited nothing more of ornament,
save the usual order of ranging the Scales into a _triagonal_ form, onely
the edges seem’d a little to shine, the finger being rubb’d from the
tail-wards towards the head, the Scales seem’d to stay and raze it; But
through an ordinary Magnifying glass, it exhibited a most curiously carved
and adorned surface, such as is visible in the second _Figure_, each of
those (formerly almost imperceptible) Scales appearing much of the shape I,
I, I, that is, they were round, and protuberant, and somewhat shap’d like a
Scolop, the whole Scale being creas’d with curiously wav’d and indented
ridges, with proportionable furrows between; each of which was terminated
with a very sharp transparent bony substance, which, like so many small
Turnpikes, seem’d to arm the edges.
The back part KKK was the skin into which each of these Scales were very
deeply fix’d, in the curious regular order, visible in the second _Figure_.
The length and shape of the part of the Scale which was buried by the skin,
is evidenced by the first _Figure_; which is the representation of one of
them pluck’d out and view’d through a good _Microscope_, namely, the part
LFGGFL, wherein is also more plainly to be seen, the manner of carving of
the scolopt part of every particular Scale, how each ridge or barr EEE is
alternately hollowed or engraven, and how every gutter between them is
terminated with very transparent and hard pointed spikes, and how every
other of these, as AAAA, are much longer then the interjacent ones, DDD.
The texture or form also of the hidden part appears, namely, the middle
part, GGG, seems to consist of a great number of small quills or pipes, by
which, perhaps, the whole may be nourished; and the side parts FF consist
of a more fibrous texture, though indeed the whole Scale seem’d to be of a
very tough gristly substance like the larger Scales of other Fishes.
The Scales of the skin of a Dog-fish (which is us’d by such as work in
Wood, for the smoothing of their work, and consists plainly enough to the
naked eye, of a great number off small horny points) through the
_Microscope_ appear’d each of them curiously ridg’d, and very neatly
carved; and indeed, you can hardly look on the scales of any Fish, but you
may discover abundance of curiosity and beautifying; and not only in these
Fishes, but in the shells and crusts or armour of most sorts of _Marine_
Animals so invested.
* * * * *