GEN. GASTROBRANCHUS. THE MYXINE. 343 



and privilege of fishing for lampreys in the river 

 Severn. Pridgavel : Prid, for brevity, being the 

 latter syllable of Lamprid, as this fish was anciently 

 called ; and gavel, a rent or tribute." 



Gen. CXXIY. Gastrobranchus. — Branchial 

 apertures tvro in number, and placed beneath, near 

 the commencement of the belly; mouth with a 

 single hook-like tooth; tongue with two rows of 

 teeth on each side. 



(Sp. 252.) G. ccecus, Myxine, or Glutinous Hag. 

 This very singular fish has almost the appearance 

 of a worm, and indeed it was actually placed by 

 Linnasus in his class Vermes. It is destitute of 

 eyes ; the mouth is surrounded vdth cirri, and the 

 dorsal fin is narrow and linear. Many parts of its 

 structure very strikingly indicate its relation to the 

 cephalopods of the class Mollusca. What corre- 

 sponds to the vertebral column is merely a carti- 

 laginous tube, the most rudimentary condition in 

 which that part could exist ; indeed it can with no 

 propriety be called a portion of a bony skeleton, 

 but merely its representative. With regard to its 

 habits ; it is said to enter the mouths of other fish, 

 and completely devour the whole except the skin 

 and bones. " It is considered by some that it ob- 

 tains access to the interior of the body of the fish 

 by passing in at the anal aperture ; others endea- 

 vour to account for its being in the belly of a vora- 

 cious fish by supposing it had been swallowed; 

 while many experienced fishermen still repeat their 

 belief that the Myxine enters the mouth of the cod- 



