THE GRASS-SEA. 1752. it£ 



The whole body is covered with a ilimy fkin, 

 and little foliaceous fulcra, which are fcarce 

 obfervable while the fifh is in the water, be- 

 caufe they fit fo clofe to the body. The mouth 

 and belly are large, in order to receive many 

 fpecies of crabs or young Ihell-fim. Perhaps 

 Providence has clothed this fifh with fulcra re- 

 fembling leaves, that the fillies of prey might 

 miflake it for fea-weed, and not entirely de- 

 ilroy the breed. 



Cyprinus pelagicus. The dorfal-fin reaches' 

 from the head to the tail, is lower in the mid- 

 dle, and has thirty -fix rays : the pecloral-fins 

 have fifteen, the ventral-fins fix, the anal-fin. 

 twenty- eight, and the furcated tail twenty-two 

 rays : the hides of the eyes are yellow like 

 gold : the mouth is oblong : the body is very 

 narrow, whitifh, and every where covered 

 with very fmall fcales. 



Syngnathus pelagicus, corpore medio heptagono 

 pinna dorfi anum verfus. The dorfal-fin has 

 thirty-one, the pecloral-fins have fourteen, 

 rays : the ventral and anal-fins are wanting : 

 the flabelliform tail has ten rays: the whole 

 length of the fifh is about a fpan : it is as 

 thkk as a goofe-quill. From the head to the 



Vol. II. I anus. 



