5.98 



PETROMYZ1D/E. 



CHONDROPTEUYGIL 



PETROMYZWsE,* 



THE LAMPREY. 



Petromyzon marinus, LINNSUS. BLOCH, pt. iii. pi. 77. 



,, ,, La Grande Lamproye, CUVIEE, Regne An. t. ii. p. 404. 



Lampelra Rondeletii, WILLUGHBY, p. 105, G. 2, f. 2. 



Petromyzon marimif, Sea Lamprey, PENS-. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 102, pi. 10. 



,, ,, Spotted Lamprey, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 81. 



,, ,, Lamprey, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 163, sp. 1. 



,, ,, Sea Lamprey, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 520, sp. 209. 



PETROMYZON. Generic Characters. Body smooth, elongated, cylindrical, 

 like that of an Eel ; the head rounded ; the mouth circular, armed with hard 

 tooth-like processes ; the lip forming a continuous circle round the mouth ; 

 seven apertures on each side of the neck, leading to seven branchial cells ; no 

 pectoral or ventral fins ; the skin towards the tail extending in a fold from the 

 body both above and below, forms dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. 



THE last family of the cartilaginous or chonclropterygian 

 fishes contains the Lampreys, and some cylindrical fishes 

 very closely allied to them. These fishes are, in reference to 

 their skeleton, and in some other respects, the lowest in 

 the scale of organization among vertebrated animals. The 

 form and peculiarities of the mouth will be best understood 

 * The family of the Lampreys. 



