VOYAGE FROM NEW YORK TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 37 
least, now united as a distinct family under the name of 
Ophidini, are known to be closely connected with the Cods, 
and this character of the Hake in its early condition would 
seein to show that this type of Eel is a sort of embryonic 
form of the Cod family. 
" Another well-known family of fishes is that of the Lo- 
phioides. To this group belongs the Lophius or Goose-fish, 
with which the Cottoids or Sculpins, and the Blennioids, 
with Zoarces and Anarrhichas, the so-called Sea-cat, ought to 
be associated. It was my good fortune to have an opportu- 
nity of studying the development of the Lophius, and to my 
surprise I found that its embryonic phases included the 
whole series here alluded to, thus presenting another of 
those natural scales on which I hope all our scientific classi- 
fications will be remodelled when we obtain a better knowl- 
edge of embryology. The Lophius in its youngest stage re- 
calls the Taenioids, being long and compressed ; next it re- 
sembles the Blennioids, and growing stouter passes through 
a stage like Cottus, before it assumes the depressed form of 
Lophius. In the family of Cyprinodonts I have observed the 
young of Fundulus. They are destitute of ventrals, thus 
showing that the genus Orestias stands lowest in its family. 
I would allude to one other fact of this kind observed by Pro- 
fessor Wyman. There has been a doubt among naturalists 
as to the relative standing of the Skates and Sharks. On 
geological evidence I had placed the Skates highest, because 
the Sharks precede them in time ; but this fact had not been 
established on embryological evidence. Professor Wyman 
has followed the embryology of the Skate through all its 
phases, and has found that in its earlier condition it is slen- 
der in outline, with the appearance of a diminutive shark, 
and that only later it assumes the broad shield-like form and 
