30 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



II. ANACANTfflNi — No spiiies, (hornless fins. The fins of the fish 

 have no bony spiny rays. The general anatomical structure, how- 

 ever, is similar to the preceding. The cod-fish is one of the repre- 

 sentatives of this order. . 



III. Pharyngognathi — Throat bones united. Fishes of this order 

 have the inferior pharyngeal bones united into one piece. The 

 tautog belongs to this order. 



IV. Malacopteri — Soft fins. The fishes of this order have their 

 fins made up of soft articulated rays. The trouts are good repre- 

 sentatives of this order. 



V. Plectognathi — Soldered jaws. Pishes in this order have the 

 outer or premaxillary bone and the jaw united into one continuous 

 immovable bony piece. The balloon fish belongs to this order. 



VI. LoPHOBRANCHii — Tufted or crested gills. This order comprises 

 fishes that have their jaws united into a tube or pipe and have tufted 

 or crested gills, a small fish found in the Hudson river, called the 

 river sea-horse (Hippocampus,) illustrates this order. 



VII. Ganoidei — Plated Scales. Fishes in this order have their 

 bodies covered with enamelled plate like, or shield like scales. The 

 sturgeon is a good example of this order. 



VIII. HoLocEPHALi — Solid heads. This order is made up of the 

 few fishes that have the jaw bones and the bones of the head all 

 united into one. The very rare fish called the Northern Sea Mon- 

 ster (Chimera monstrosus,) represents this order. 



IX. Plagiostomi — Skeiv mouths. Fishes of this order have their 

 mouths transverse to their heads. The sharks and scates, &c., 

 belong to this order. 



X. Dermopteri — Skin fms. The fins of fish in this order are of 

 a skinny or cartilaginous texture. The lamper eel affords a good 

 illustration of them. 



A more full explication of these orders and of the families into 

 which they are divided, together with a description of the genera 

 and some of the species of the fishes which have been found thus 

 far in our waters, will be given in part II of this report. 



