CLASS PISCES. 249 



Batrachus, BL, Sehn. Batracoides, Lac. 



The head horizontally flattened, broader than the 

 body ; the mouth well cleft ; operculum and suboper- 

 culum spinous ; six branchial rays ; the ventrals nar- 

 row, inserted under the throat, and formed but of 

 three rays, the first of which is elongated and 

 widened ; pectorals supported by a short arm, the re- 

 sult of the elongation of the carpal bones. The first 

 dorsal is short, and supported by three spinous rays ; 

 the second is softland long, as well as the anal 

 which corresponds to it. The lips are frequently 

 furnished with filaments. Those which have been 

 dissected present a stomach resembling an oblong 

 sac, and short intestines, but there is no ccecum. The 

 fore part of the natatory bladder is deeply bifurcated. 

 They keep themselves hidden in the sand to surprise 

 their prey, like the lophius, &c. ; the wounds inflicted 

 by their spines are considered dangerous. They are 

 found in both oceans. 



Some of them have a smooth and fungous skin, 

 and a cutaneous appendage over the eye \ 



I. lxxiv. 2. M. notata', Cuv. -M. angusta, Cuv. the skeleton of 

 which is found in Rosenthal, -BL, lehthy. t. xix. 2. M. truncata, 

 Cuv. ; M. Stellata; or Lophius Stel/atus, VahL, Mem. Soc. Hist. 

 Nat. Copenh. iv. pi. iii. f. 3, 4, the same as the Lophic faujas, 

 Lacep. I. xi. 2, 3 ; and the Lophius ruber, Krusenstein's Voy. lxi. 

 1 Batrach. tau (Gadus. tau, Lin.) ; or Lophius bufo, Mitch. ; or 

 Batrachoide verneul, Le:.ueur, Mem. Mus. V. xvii. The Batr. 

 varit, id. Ac. Nat, So.. Phil. Batr. grunnieus, (Coitus grunniens, L.) 

 BL 179. Sch. 111. xxiii. 4. Batr. gangcne, Buch. xiv. 8. Batr. 



