120 NATURAL .HIS TORY. 



are very singular and interesting. A pair were kept alive for 

 some time in a glass vessel, and exhibited considerable activity 

 and intelligence. They swam about with an undulating kind 

 of movement, and frequently twined their tails round the 

 weeds placed in their prison. Their eyes moved independent- 

 ly of each other, as those of the chameleon, and the change- 

 able tints of the head closely resemble that animal. 



More than once, these curious fish have been seen curled up 

 in oyster shells. 



The singular creatures called Pipe-fish also belong to the 

 Syngnathidse. 



Family XXII. EchencLloo. (Gr. 'E^sv^'/f ; from t^w, I hold; vaOf, a 

 ship.) 



ECHENEIS. 



' - 



Remora (Lnt. properly a delay}, the 



The REMORA, or SUCKING-FISH, is remarkable for the pecu- 

 liar apparatus situated on the upper part of its head. By this 

 it can adhere to any object so firmly that it is a difficult mat- 

 ter to make it loose its hold. It is often found adhering to 

 large fish or to the bottoms of ships, probably in both instances 

 for the sake of the fragments of food rejected by the one, or 

 thrown overboard from the other. 



The older writers on Natural History fully believed that one 

 Remora had the power of arresting the swiftest ship in its 

 course, and fixing it firmly in the same spot in spite of spread 

 canvass and swift gales. As the Remora is about the same 

 size as a herring, our ancestors naturally considered this a very 

 curious circumstance, and wrote no few poems on the subject 

 The following true account of this fish is extracted from Mac- 

 ffillivray's Voyage of the Rattle-snake : 

 i 



