166 ACANTHOPTERYGII. — GOBIAD^. 



Indeed, except the head, a very thin back-bone, 

 the skin, and the fins, the whole fish seems to 

 be composed of sohd fat, which melts over the 

 fire into very fine train-oil, which may be used 

 nearly like olive-oil. What renders this fish 

 most remarkable is the circumstance that it 

 had become known to the fishermen of Lake 

 Baikal for the first time, only five years before 

 the visit of Pallas, and that, in 1770 and 1771, 

 it made its appearance in such immense numbers, 

 that the dead fishes in some places, and particu- 

 larly near the mouth of the Bargusin, covered 

 the shores to the depth of several feet. In 1772 

 it had again become so rare that Pallas and 

 Georgi had some difficulty in procuring a few 

 specimens. Pallas expresses his opinion that this 

 fish generally lives near the bottom of the lake, 

 in the greatest depths, and that it was carried 

 to the surface, in the above-named years, by some 

 draughts of gas or air; but, being here out of 

 its element, languished and died ; for the fishes 

 were invariably taken out either actually dead, 

 or in a very languid state. The oil is sometimes 

 obtained from the flesh of these fishes by subject- 

 ing them to pressure instead of heat ; it is of 

 considerable value, and, on being sent to the 

 markets of China, finds a ready sale. 



Genus Blennius. (Linn.) 



In this numerous genus the mouth is small, 

 with teeth long, slender, conical, equal, and closely- 

 set, arranged in a single row^, generally with a 

 canine on each side : the head is thick and obtuse, 

 the muzzle short, the profile nearly vertical. 



