418 FISHES. 



CHAPTER XXIV. THE AECTIC CHIMERA. 



For a group quite distinct, and placed in some classifi- 

 cations at a considerable distance from them, the chimcT- 

 Arctic roids certainly bear extraordinary superficial 

 Chimeera. resemblance to the sharks, having the same 

 cartilaginous skeleton, the same " claspers " ; and, like 

 them, lacking the air-bladder, and depositing the egg in 

 a "purse." The Arctic Chimaera is found in our northern 

 waters to a length of 4 feet, which is almost the maximum 

 length attained by any existing member of the group. The 

 fishermen know it as the " Rabbit-fish " or " King of the 

 Herrings." The body of this fish is long, and, in the adult, 

 smooth ; the snout soft and slightly upturned ; the tail 

 tapering to a whip-like extremity ; the dorsal fin long, and 

 having a sharp spine. The head is furnished with pores 

 and a spine -like crest ; the four gill -slits have but one 

 external opening. The internal resemblances to the sharks 

 are also remarkable, but these lie without the province of 

 the present account. The chimiera is a carnivorous fish, 

 herrings being its favourite food. 



CHAPTER XXV. THE STURGEON. 



It seems that, in spite of some inclination on the part of 

 writers to include a second, but one member of this family 

 wanders to our estuaries. The Sturgeon is a 

 ganoid fish, having quadrate scales of true 

 bone capped with enamel. Bony plates are also disjiosed 

 in rows along the body. The distinguishing features of 

 the sturgeon are the longer upper lobe of the heterocercal 

 tail, the elongated snout with four barbels, and the small 



