The Eleusinian mysteries & rites. - The Masonic Trowel

THE INITIATORY RITES 79
several kinds of fish—the whistle-fish, gurnet, crab,
and mullet. In all probabihty the whistle-fish
is that known as Scicena aquila, a Mediterranean
fish that makes a noise under the water which has
been compared to bellowing, buzzing, purring, or
whistling, the air bladder being the sound-producing
organ. The fish was greatly esteemed by the Romans.
There is a large ScicBna, not aquila, though very
like it, in the Fish Gallery of the British Museum
(Natural History) opposite the entrance from the
Zoological Library. The whistle-fish and crab were
held to be impure, the first because it laid its
eggs through the mouth, and the second because it
ate filth which other fish rejected. The gurnet was
rejected because of its fecundity as witnessed in its
annual triple laying of eggs, but, according to some
writers, it was rejected because it ate a fish which
was poisonous to mankind. It may well be that
other fish were interdicted, but Porphyry was probably
exaggerating when he said that all fish were forbidden.
Birds bred at home, such as chickens and pigeons,
were also on the banned list, as were beans and
certain vegetables which were forbidden for a mystical
reason which Pausanias said he dare not reveal
save to the initiated. The probable reason was that
they were connected in some way with the wander-
ings of Demeter. Pomegranates were, of course,
forbidden, from the incident of the eating of the
pomegranate seeds by Persephone.