CLASS PISCES. 617 



Cephaloptera l , Bum., 

 Have the tail slender, the spine, the little dorsal, and 

 the pectorals, extended in breadth, like Myliobates, 

 but their teeth are still more slight than those of 

 Pastinaca, and finely dentated. Their head is trun- 

 cated in front, and the pectorals, instead of embracing 

 it, prolong each of them their anterior extremity into 

 a salient point, which gives to the fish the appear- 

 ance of having two horns. 



A gigantic species is sometimes caught in the 

 Mediterranean, Rata cephaloptera, Schn., Rale giorna, 

 Lac. V. xx. 3., with a black back, bordered with 

 violet 2 . 



The Chondropterygii of the second family, or 



The Suckers ; Cyclostomata, Bum., 

 Are, with respect to the skeleton, the most imper- 

 fect of fishes, and even of all vertebrated animals ; 

 they have neither pectorals, nor ventrals ; their elon- 

 gated body is terminated in front by a fleshy and 

 circular, or semicircular lip, and the cartilaginous 



1 Cephaloptera, winged head, in consequence of the productions 

 of their pectorals. 



2 La Rate fabronienne, Lac. II. v. 1, 2. is probably but a muti- 

 lated individual of the Giorna, but the R. giorna of Lesueur, Ac. 

 Sc. Nat. Phil, appears different from that of the Mediterranean, and 

 may rather be the Mobular, Duham. Part II. Sect. ix. pi. xvii. 

 As for the R. Banksienne, Lac. II. v. 3., Manatia, Id. I. vii. 2. 

 Diabolus martnus, Will. App. IX. 3., it is unfortunate that they 

 do not rest upon very authentic documents. 



Add, the Cephalopleiam assena, Riss. pi. xv. ; Eregoodoo-tcnkee, 

 Russ. I. 9. 



