78 THE OCEAN. 



in the well-known Dutch saying, "The city of Am- 

 sterdam is built upon herring-bones :" and though, 

 from the superiority of our internal resources, we 

 are not compelled to give so undivided an atten- 

 tion to the scaly tenants of the deep as they have 

 been, we may still assert, that on a similar base stand 

 many of our important seaport towns. Let us then 

 examine these finny tribes, which come so strongly 

 recommended to our notice, and see if we cannot dis- 

 cover in their formation and economy evidences of 

 that all-pervading wisdom and goodness of which we 

 have had occasion before to speak. 



An intelligent observer can scarcely fail to be 

 struck with the perfect adaptation of fishes for swift 

 motion through a dense fluid. The form most suited 

 for rapid progression is that of a spindle, swelling in 

 the middle and tapering to the extremities : and this 

 is the general form of fishes. The variations from 

 this normal shape are comparatively rare, and con- 

 sist chiefly in the lengthening of the body, as in the 

 Eels, or in widening its diameter perpendicularly, as 

 in the Flat-fishes, or horizontally, as in the Skates. 

 But in these cases, and similar ones, the exceptions 

 are made to suit variations in habits, for the Skates 

 and Flat-fishes are intended not for rapid swimming, 

 but for lying flat upon the bottom ; while the worm- 

 like form of the Eels enables them to insinuate them- 

 selves with facility through the mud and ooze, or 

 even to leave the water and crawl upon the shore. 

 Still, however, in both the usual form is to be 

 traced, the central part of the body being the widest 

 and the extremities being pointed. The facility of 



