ACANTHOPTERYGII. 293 



of Artedi, and has left under scitena, only a confused mixture 

 of heterogeneous species. M. de Lacepede himself, not hav- 

 ing distinguished the sciaena from the perseques, further than 

 by the absence of denticulations on the preoperculum, found 

 himself obliged to place the umbrina in the second of these 

 genera, while he kept corvina in the first, by which means he 

 has totally broken the natural relations. 



The Baron and M. Valenciennes, in their great work upon 

 fish, in which the sole object has been to consult nature alone, 

 consider that Artedi was the only Ichthyologist who did not 

 depart her paths. He merely committed the involuntary 

 error of effacing one of the very remarkable species which our 

 seas contain, namely, the maigre, which he has confounded 

 with corvina. This fish is now restored to its existence, and 

 its rank; and each of the three has become the type of a little 

 series in the great tribe which embraces them. The above- 

 mentioned authors have associated with them other fishes, 

 which approximate in essential points, but which some parti- 

 culars constitute as chiefs of other series ; and thus have 

 they established truly natural characters of this interesting 

 group. 



The scicena aquila is of large size, of a singular structure, 

 very common oh certain coasts, and celebrated for the good- 

 ness of its flesh. 



The ichthyologists of the sixteenth century were all of 

 them well acquainted with it. Salvian represents it under 

 its Roman name of umbrina, which the Parisians, says he, 

 call maigre, and his entire description accords exactly with 

 the individuals seen by M. Cuvier himself. 



Rondelet, who was better acquainted than any other person 

 with the fishes of the Mediterranean, and whose work would 

 be still so useful, if he had properly distinguished his own 

 observations from those which he has drawn from the ancients, 

 indicates and represents this fish, without any thing equi- 



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