of fishes, I will follow M. Gouan's system; the terms of which, as well as of all the former systems, require some explanation. I do not love to multiply the technical terms of a science, but it often happens that names, by being long used, are as necessary to be known as the science itself.

If we consider the substance of the fin of a fish, we shall find it composed, besides the skin, either of straight, hard, pointed, bony prickles or spines, as in the pike; or of soft, crooked, or forked bones, or cartilages, as in the herring. The fish that have bony prickly fins are called Prickly finned Fish; the latter, that have soft or cartilaginous fins, are called Soft-finned Fish. The prickly-finned fish have received the Greek newformed name of Acanthopterigii; the soft-finned fish have likewise their barbarous Greek name of Malacopterigii. Thus far Artedi has supplied M. Gouan with names and divisions. All spinous fish are divided into Prickly-finned fish, and Soft-finned fish.

Again, Linnæus has taught him to remark the situation of the fins; for the ventral or belly fins, which are those particularly to be remarked, are either wholly wanting, as in the eel, and then the fish is called Apodal (a Greek word signifying without feet); or the ventral fins are placed more forward than the pectoral fins, as in the haddock, and then the animal is called a Jugular fish; or the ventral fins are placed directly under the pectoral fins, as in the father-lasher, and then it is called a Thoracic fish; or lastly, the ventral fins are placed nearer the tail than the pectoral fins, as in the minnow, and then it is an Abdominal fish.

Possessed of these distributions, the French naturalist mixes and unites them into two grand divisions. All the prickly-finned fish make one general division; all the soft-finned fish another. These first

HISTORY OF

are distinguished from each other, as being either apodal, jugular, thoracic, or abdominal. Thus there are prickly finned apodal fishes, prickly-finned jugu lar fishes, prickly-finned thoracic fishes, and pricklyfinned abdominal fishes. On the other hand, the softfinned fishes fall under a similar distribution, and make the other general division. Thus there are softfinned apodal fishes, soft-finned jugular fishes, softfinned thoracic fishes, and soft-finned abdominal fishes. These general characters are strongly marked, and easily remembered. It only remains, therefore, to divide these into such tribes as are most strongly marked by nature, and to give the distinct characters of each, to form a complete system with great simplicity. This M. Gouan has done; and the tribes into which he bas distributed each of these divisions exactly amount to fifty. Thus the reader, who can contain in his memory the characteristic marks of fifty kinds, will have a tolerable idea of the form of every kind of spinous fish. I say, of the form; for as to the history and nature of the animal itself, that can only be obtained by experience and information.

SECTION I.

PRICKLY-FINNED APODAL FISH.

1. THE Trichurus. The body of a sword-form; the head oblong; the teeth sword-like, bearded near the points; the fore-teeth largest; the fin that covers the gills with seven spines; the tail ending in a point without fins; an inhabitant near the Oriental and

American shores; of a silvery white; frequently leaping into the fishermen's boats in China.

2. The Xiphias or Sword fish. The body round; the head long; the upper jaw terminating by a long beak, in form of a sword; the fin that covers the gills with six spines; an inhabitant of Europe; an enemy to the whale.

3. The Ophidium or Gilt-head. The body swordlike; the head blunt; the fin covering the gills with seven spines, the opening of the mouth side-wise; the fins of the back, the anus, and the tail, all joining together; the most beautiful of all fishes, covered over with green, gold, and silver; it is by sailors called the dolphin, and gives chase to the flyingfish.

PRICKLY-FINNED JUGULAR FISH.

4. The Trachinus or Weever. The body oblong; the head obtuse; the bones covering the gills jagged at the bottom; the fins covering the gills with six spines; the anus near the breast; buries itself in the sands, leaving only its nose out; and if trod upon, immediately strikes with the spines that form its dorsal fins, which are venomous and dangerous.

5. The Uranoscopus. The body wedge-like; the head almost round, and larger than the body; the mouth flat; the eyes on the top of the head; the fin covering the gills with six spines; the anus in the middle of the body; an inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea.

6. The Callyonymus or Dragonet. The body almost wedge-like; the head broad, and larger than the body, the mouth even with the body; the bony covering of the gills close shut; the opening to the gills behind the head; the fin covering the gills with six spines; an inhabitant of the Atlantic Ocean.