FISH IN GENERAL. 49 



gian fish, as for example, carps and siluri, have the articula- 

 tions of some rays soldered together, so as to appear spinous. 



The anus may be placed far behind the ventral fins, near 

 them or approach them forward, and where the ventrals are 

 wanting, it may open under the throat, as occurs in the 

 sternarchus. All the differences here enumerated result from 

 the structure of the fish ; but there are others of a more super- 

 ficial nature. 



The jaws may have teeth of every kind, and these may be 

 found in all parts of the mouth, and even in the throat; the 

 lips may be furnished with barbels or beards, of different 

 substances, numbers, and lengths. There may be fleshy 

 filaments hanging from the skin, as in scorpaenoe ; some rays 

 of fins may be separated, and susceptible of independent 

 motion, either from the ventral fins as in lophius, or from the 

 pectorals as in the gurnard. 



Finally, the nature of the teguments, on the body, head, or 

 fins, may vary. A fish may be naked, scaly, spinous, or 

 plated, in all or in several of his parts ; the scales or plates 

 may offer endless differences in size, order, shape, and in- 

 equalities of surface. The same differences may occur in the 

 teguments of the head. The line which is marked on the 

 sides of fish, consisting in a succession of pores or of small 

 tubes in the scales, may be more or less prominent, and even 

 rugous or plated ; it may also be nearer the back, more or less 

 arched, straight, or interrupted. If to these considerations 

 we superadd colour, variously distributed, differing in tints 

 and the differences of size and weight observable in fish, we 

 have the general data which constitute the notions we ought 

 to have relative to this great class of beings. 



In the following abstract of the Baron's anatomical descrip- 

 tions we fear that the necessity of abbreviating will render the 

 text obscure, unless strict attention be paid to the references 

 in the plates. It may be proper also to add that, to avoid 



VOL. X. E 



