SUPPLEMENT 



ON THE 



FIRST ORDER OF FISH. 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



The organic characters of this very extensive order of fishes 

 have been briefly, but sufficiently indicated in the text. We 

 may however repeat, that it was established by Artedi, the 

 Swedish Ichthyologist, after the suggestion of our countrymen 

 Ray and Willughby, and includes fishes that are apodal, 

 jugular, thoracic, and abdominal, with ample gills, and whose 

 fins are more or less armed with stiff simple pointed bones or 

 spines. 



As this order includes so large a proportion of the class, our 

 supplementary observations to the Baron's labours upon it 

 shall be divided and distributed in proportions to each of the 

 families. We confine ourselves, therefore, at present, to the 

 first family of this order, namely 



Percoides, or such acanthopterygian fishes, as in the words 

 of the text, have an oblong body covered with scales, which 

 are generally hard or rough, the operculum or the preoper- 

 culum, and often both, with the edges denticulaed or spiny, 



