182 SUCKING FISHES. 



tions a smaller sjiecies under the name of Liparis. This last- 

 named species was placed by Artedi in a separate genus, and 

 in this he was followed by Gouan, Cuvier, and the generality 

 of modern naturalists ; but so imperfectly was Linnaeus acquainted 

 with these fishes, that, although they are known on the coast 

 of Sweden, where Nilsson enumerates five kinds, he hesitated in 

 defining them. The genus Cyclopterus, as arranged by him 

 in his tenth edition, contains only one European species, of 

 which he seems only to have felt assured on the authority of 

 Willughby; but he makes no mention -of Liparis, either as a 

 species or genus. 



This family of sucking fishes has been called Discoboles, 

 from the circumstance that they bear their circular disk on the 

 throat; where it is formed of a border of flattened tubercles 

 round a somewhat level middle portion, which is capable of 

 expelling the water that might lie interposed between itself 

 and the substance on which it seeks to fix itself, and then of 

 exhausting all the influence that might prevent the closest 

 adhesion. We shall have occasion to mention the strength by 

 which this adhesion is accomplished when we sjjeak of the 

 separate fishes of this family. 



