Defcripfion of a minute Fijh, found adlierbig to the fliclh of Sea 

 Fl/h : the Author s Examination of the Eyes of Flies and other 

 fmall Animals, and his Ohfervations and Conclufions thereon. 



1 HAVE often taken notice of certain knobs or rifings which 

 fometimes are feen in great numbers on tlie lliclls of nnifclos, 

 though on other lliells none are to be found. I have aUo {cen tlieni 

 on oyfters, and I have counted as many as fifty on one fliell : thefe 

 knobs or fweUings, are called by our common people, puftules, or 

 pimples. They are confidered by many to be only cafual excref- 

 cences on thofe fliells ; but, if we examine them carefully, we fliall 

 find, that they are in reality fmali fiflics fixed to the fliells of muf- 

 clcs or oyfters, where they gradually increafe in fize ; fo that I once 

 faw on an old mufcle one of them, whofe diameter at the bafe was 

 three quarters of an inch, and there were many other fmaller fiflics 

 of the fame fpecies, but of difi^erent fizes round about it. 



Thefe fmall fifties, which I call Pulhile-filh, or Pimple-fifli, are 

 fixed by their fliells on different parts of the oyfters or mufcles. But 

 whereas, oyfiers and niulcles, when feeking their food, open 

 their fliells a little, thefe fmall fifli are inclofed by a folid fliell on 

 all fides, except an opening at the top or point of each fliell, in 

 which opening are placed two very minute oblong fliells, not fixed 

 to the other fliells, but to the fifli itfelf, and by the help of which 

 it can clofe the opening in the other folid fliell. Thefe two minute 

 pieces of fliell have each of them a flraight fide, exa6lly fitting each 

 other ; the other fides are rounding and floped to a point. 



Upon putting fome mufcles, to which feveral of thefe fmall fifli 

 w^cre fixed, into fait water, I faw the fiflics protrude thefe fmall 

 flielly parts beyond the aperture, and open the extremities of them 

 about as wide as the back of a common knife, and upon my touch- 

 ing thofe parts lightly with a fmall needle, the fifli immcdiatelv 

 doled them, and alio drew thofe flielly parts A'sithin the folid fliell 



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