The Miraculous Draught of Fishes

Abstract

To the several names of the Sea of Galilee, Prof. Gudger, in his very interesting letter (NATURE, October 28, P. 572) has thrice added “Lake of Tiberius,” evidently by mistake for “Lake of Tiberias.“ Also he omits any reference to the important paper by Prof. Théod. Barrois, “Contr. à l'étude de quelques lacs de Syrie” (in Rev. Biol. du Nord de la France, tome vi., 1894), which usefully summarises what is known of the fauna of the lake in modern times from Belon in 1553 to his own date in 1894. The lake, it appears, contains twenty-two species of fish, some small fishes and some large ones in vast abundance. As of old, it is subject to sudden squalls, dangerous to navigation. Some of its inflowing waters for their healing properties have, says Prof. Barrois, from the most remote antiquity, attracted patients suffering from eczema, arthritis of every kind, and other afflictions. But, with regard to Prof. Gudger's ingenious explanation of the miraculous draught of fishes, coupled with Lortet's description of the behaviour of grebes over a shoal of large Chromids and Canon Tristram's account of their dorsal fins as seen at the surface, surely the wonder is that experienced fishermen like St. Peter should have needed outside assistance, let alone superhuman aid, as is implied in the narrative of St. John's Gospel.