570 CLASSIFICATION OF THE MATL-CHEEKED FISHES. 



not sufficiently cleared themselves of the slough of earlier systematists, and have un 

 luckily held them of too great account. 



Of the idea that in all orders, families, etc., certain typical forms appear, there iij 

 in the whole work no trace, although there are genera enough which prove this ide] 

 most clearly. 



We thus see in this family, which for brevity we will call TriglMcB, the greater 

 possible development of the pectorals, with which some species raise themselves abol 



11i«' water and move for a few moments in the air in order to escape the pursuit o: 

 their enemies. 



In such elongated and winged forms as Polemius (Apistns alatus), Pterois, and Dae- 

 tyloptera, all the rays are single, and this characteristic is also found in Blepsias ail 

 Cottus; among the last there are species which have all the pectoral rays single, whil 

 a few species only have isolated branched rays. 



Among these generally long-winged forms the bird-type is foreshadowed, and 1 

 give them in their family, as in the class of birds, the second rank. The free finge* 

 like, jointed rays, from 1 to 3 in number, and only serving for propulsion, whiel 

 are seen in Choridaclylus, Polemius, Minous, Pelor, Peristethus, Prionotus, and TrigM 

 placed in advance of the pectoral, appear to me to have some analogy with the 1 or 

 2 free fingers of the Chiroptera, which .also serve as a means of propulsion on the 

 earth. In one genus, too, Gasterostem, which builds a nest, and where the male pro- 

 tects the eggs, I see a near analogy to the birds. 



The teeth in uo one genus are much developed, for they are mostly fine card-like 

 ones in the jaws, and not often found in the vomerine or palatine bones, whence 

 they are devourers generally of crustaceans, roe, or insects, and amongthem no (prop- 

 erly speaking) predaceous fish is found. All are true breast-tinned fishes, and among., 

 a few only is the ventral somewhat behind the origin of the pectoral. 



Although the ventral is always present, it is in most cases but little developed as 

 compared with the pectoral. We find the same to be the case among the Chiroptera, 

 the true Birds (Fissirostres), and the Pterodaetylidia; of the Amphibians, where the 

 wings are likewise developed at the expense of the feet. 



The bony fish constitutes another fundamental type, which is shown externally by 

 its covering. As the bony system forms the third division among the anatomical 

 systems and their representatives, the Amphibia take the same rank. I give to the 

 genera Oreosoma, Peristethus, Jgonus, and Gasterosteus in their subfamilies as the 

 representatives of the Osseous fishes, the third position. The more predaceous forms, 

 with maxillary teeth and medium-sized pectoral, I place as the fishes proper, in the 

 fourth rank. 



To the smallest forms, most often with large, abruptly falling head or large eyes, 

 I j;ive as the nervous type the first, and to the naked species, or such as are covered 

 with numerous mucous pores (as in the last division of the genus Trigla), the last 

 rank. It requires but little penetration to perceive that Cocotropus stands lower than 

 Choridactglus, Synanceia lower thau Pelor, Tricjla (lineata, cuculus) lower than Cepha- 

 lacanthus, and Aploactus lower thau Trichopleura, so clear is it to the apprehension. 



I have thus given to the Triglidce the second rank in the second order of fishes, just 

 as the swallows (Fissirostres) and the Cheiroptera hold'the second rank in theirs, and 

 to the separate subfamilies and genera their corresponding position. In this way 

 only has the following table been formed. I will not venture to assert that it is per- 

 fectly faultless, but it will probably prove itself in the main correct. 



After this summary, given in a translation of Dr. Kaup's own words, 

 it is unnecessary to contravene his postulates and assumptions. They 

 were subsequently dissipated by himself in an article* in which he 



* Ueber die Pamilie Triglidae nebst einigen Werfces iiber die Classification. Von J. 

 J. Kaup, <Archiv f. Naturg., 1873, I, pp. 71-1)4. 



