THE SAND-LAUNCE, OR EEL.

THE head of this fish is oblong, compressed sideways, and thinner than the trunk; the upper lip double; it has no teeth, but in the throat are two rugged bones, of an oblong shape, destined to retain food: the aperture of the gills is wide: the cheeks, sides, and belly, are of a silver colour; the nostrils are double, lying midway between the eyes and mouth; the eyes are small, having a black pupil within a silvery iris. The back is round, with a furrow destined to receive the long dorsal fin: the anus is nearer the end of the tail than the head; the lateral line goes straight along the middle of the trunk; but there is another near the back, and another near the bottom of the belly: the rays of all the fins are soft, and united by a thin membrane; they are simple in the dorsal and anal fins, and divided at the ends in the pectoral and tail, which last opens with a cleft.

This fish is found in the North Sea and the Baltic; and is frequently dug out of the sand near the British shores. The sand is its usual dwelling, from whence it derives its name; it lies sometimes a foot or two from the surface. It lives on water-worms, which it digs up with its sharp snout; it feeds also on the young of its own species, and some of about two inches long have been found in its stomach. It rarely comes to the surface of the water; but in fine weather it may be seen coiled up like a snake, with its head pressed into the sand. The voracious fishes are its destroyers, especially the mackerel. They spawn in May, laying their ova on the sands not far from the shore. They are dug out of the sands at the reflux of the tide, with hooks made on purpose; they are mostly used for bait, though sometimes eaten.

Some naturalists say they are thin and dry, and very indifferent food; while others assert that they are delicate eating. The Greenlanders eat them both fresh and dried, but more frequently bait their hooks with them. The scales of these fishes are very small and thin.

THE TRUMPET-FISH.

THE body of this fish is short and broad, narrower at the sides, and very much resembles a pair of bellows in shape; it is of a pale red colour: the head, which is broadish above, ends in a bent cylinder below; and the aperture of the mouth, which is small, is at the end of the long beak; the aperture is closed by the lower jaw, which shuts into the upper like the lid of a snuff-box: the nostrils are double, and lie near the eyes; the eyes are large, with a black pupil, and a pale red iris: the gill-covert is single; the aperture is large, and covers the membrane which lies underneath. This fish can hide its small ventral fins in a furrow which lies behind them: all the fins are of a grey colour. This fish haunts the Mediterranean sea: it is tender, well tasted, and easy of digestion; but, being very thin, it is generally sold with other small fish at a low price. As the fins are very small in proportion to the other parts, so that it cannot swim fast enough to avoid its enemies, Providence has given it a moveable serrated spine for its defence, which is the first ray in the dorsal fin; with this it will successfully defend itself against almost any fish, unless taken by surprise.

THE TOBACCO-PIPE FISH.

THIS species is known in the seas of both Indies and at Brazil. The head is very long, quadrangular, and adorned with rays; the aperture of the mouth is wide,

and in an oblique direction; the lower jaw is somewhat longer than the upper; the teeth are small; the tongue moveable; the nostrils double, and near the eyes, which are large, with a black pupil and silvery iris: the body is devoid of visible scales, flat in the front part, and rounded towards the tail: the lateral line has a straight direction: the anus is much nearer the tail-fin than the head; the belly long; the fins short, the rays mostly four-branched. This fish is brown, spotted with blue on the back; the sides and belly silvery; the fins are red.

It grows three or four feet long, living on small fry and lobsters; it is very plentiful, but lean, therefore only eaten by the poor.

THE NETTED EEL.

THE head and mouth of this beautiful species is small, without barbles: the eyes are near the upper lip, of a blue and white colour: the teeth stand apart from each other, and those in front are the longest: the body is variegated with black and white spots, like net work, and the dorsal fin extends the whole length of the back.

This species is from two to three feet in length, and was found near the coast of Tranquebar: but little is known of its natural history.

THE COMMON EEL.

This evidently forms a connecting link in the chain of nature, between the serpents and fishes, possessing not only, in a great measure, the serpent form, but also many of their habits.

This is frequently known to quit its element, and to wander in the evening or night, over meadows in search of snails and other prey, or to other ponds for change of habitation. This will account for eels being found in waters that have not been in the least suspected to contain them. The usual haunts of eels are in mud, among weeds, under roots or stumps of trees, or in holes in the banks or the bottom of rivers: they are partial to still water, and particularly to such as is muddy at the bottom.

Eels are best in season from May to July, but may be caught with a line till September. When the water is thick with rains, they may be fished for during the whole day; but the largest and best are caught by night lines. The baits generally used, are wasp-grubs, dew-worms, minnows, and gudgeons.

The common eel seldom exceeds a foot in length: the head is compressed, and narrower than the body; the upper jaw is narrower than the under, and the body is cylindrical, with scales hardly perceptible.

THE CORDATED EEL.

THIS fish inhabits the West-Indian seas; its whole length is about thirty-two inches, of which the process at the end of the tail measures twenty-two; the body rich silvery; flexible part belonging to the snout, brown; fins and caudal process paler brown: the snout is connected to the back part of the head by a flexible leathery duplicature, which permits it to be extended so that the mouth points upwards, or to fall back so as to be received into a sort of case, formed by the upper part of the head; eyes close to each other, and with short columns of a clear chestnutbrown, with a coppery gloss: below the head on each side, is a considerable compressed semicircular space, the forepart of which is bounded by the gill-cover, which seems to consist of a moderately strong membrane; the body gradually diminishes as it approaches the tail, which ter minates in a process or string of enormous length, ending in a very fine point; the pectoral fins small, and situate behind the cavity on each side the thorax; the caudal fin has five spinous rays.

THE BUTTERFLY-FISH.

THE head is long, narrowed at the sides, and large: the eyes are large, prominent, with a black pupil, and orangecoloured iris; the mouth is large; the jaws are of equal length, with a row of very narrow teeth standing close to each other; the tongue is broad, but short: the gills wide; the cheeks are large, and of a silver colour: the back is round, and of a dark-green; the belly is short, but broad: the ground colour of the fish is a dirty green, with brown spots; there are some, however, whose principal colour is a clear blue. This fish inhabits the Mediterranean sea; and at Marseilles, Sardinia, and Venice, is common in the markets with other small fish. It attains to the length of six or eight inches; the flesh is lean, and therefore not much esteemed. It lives near the shores, among the rocks and weeds, and feeds on crabs and small shell-fish. Its scales are hardly visible. Some naturalists describe this fish as having two dorsal fins; while others say it has but one; this contradiction must arise from these fins being sometimes united by a membrane, and sometimes not.

THE DACE.

THIS fish has a lengthened body, small head, middling sized scales, grey fins, forked tail, and the lateral line curved downwards; the fish is of a silver colour, except the back, which is brownish, and rounded; the pupil of the eye is black, iris yellowish, and near the organs of hearing and respiration: the aperture of the mouth is middle-sized; the coverings of the gills are two thin laminæ all the fins are white. This fish is found in the South of Germany, as well as in France, Italy, and England.