THE 



NATURAL HISTORY 



OP 



BRITISH FISHES. 



SECOND SUBDIVISION OF OSSEOUS FISHES WITH 

 SOFT EAYS. MALACOPTERYGH. 



This second and latter subdivision of the first great 

 series, namely, that of Osseous Fishes, designated 

 jointed or soft-finned fishes, Malacopterygii, to 

 which we now proceed, consists of three Orders, the 

 distinguishing characters of which are obtained from 

 the positions, or the absence of the ventral fins. The 

 term soft-finned is, of course, a relative one; the 

 rays in the so named fins being composed of osseous 

 spiculae which are articulated together by means of 

 cartilage, which renders the ray flexible when the 

 several pieces are long, or more solid, when the dif- 

 ferent articulations are close set, so that the fins 

 may become almost as stiff as in those fishes which 

 belong to the Acanthopterygeous division. This 

 divisioa is so inferior in point of extent, that proba- 



