a ship, a plank or piece of timber, fastened to a ship's mast or yard, to strengthen it; which is done by nailing it on with iron spikes, and winding ropes hard about them.

Fishes, in Heraldry, are the emblems of silence and watchfulness; and are borne either upright, inwound, extended, endorsed respecting each other, surmounting one another, fretted, &c.

In blazoning fishes, those borne feeding, should be termed devouring; all fishes borne upright and having fins, Fisher, fins, should be blazoned hauriant; and those borne transverse the escutcheon, must be termed naiant.

Fish Ponds, those made for the breeding or feeding of fish.

Fish ponds are no small improvement of watery and boggy lands, many of which are fit for no other use. In making of a pond, its head should be at the lowest part of the ground, that the trench of the flood-gate or sluice, having a good fall, may not be too long in emptying. The best way of making the head secure, is to drive in two or three rows of stakes above six feet long, at above four feet distance from each other, the whole length of the pond head, whereof the first row should be rammed at least about four feet deep. If the bottom is false, the foundation may be laid with quicklime; which flaking, will make it as hard as a stone. Some lay a layer of lime, and another of earth dug out of the pond, among the piles and stakes; and when these are well covered, drive in others as they see occasion, ramming in the earth as before, till the pond head be of the height designed.

The dam should be made sloping on each side, leaving a waite to carry off the over abundance of water in times of floods or rains; and as to the depth of the pond, the deepest part need not exceed six feet, rising gradually in shoals towards the sides, for the fish to run themselves, and lay their spawn. Gravelly and sandy bottoms, especially the latter, are best for breeding; and a fat soil with a white fat water, as the washings of hills, commons, streets, finks, &c. is best for fattening all sorts of fish. For storing a pond, carp is to be preferred for its goodmels, quick growth, and great increase, as breeding five or six times a-year. A pond of an acre, if it be a feeding and not breeding one, will every year feed 200 carps of three years old, 300 of two years old, and 400 of a year old. Carps delight in ponds that have marl or clay bottoms, with plenty of weeds and grass, whereon they feed in the hot months.

Ponds should be drained every three or four years, and the fish sorted. In breeding ones, the smaller ones are to be taken out, to store other ponds with; leaving a good stock of females, at least eight or nine years old, as they never breed before that age. In feeding ponds, it is best to keep them pretty near of a size.