278 On the Classification of Pishes. 



lite ridges ; the second, Plectognathi, from plelo, to connect, ano) 

 ffnathos, a jaw, tlie maxillary and interma^iillary bones being con- 

 nected or soldered together on the sides, to form the upper jaw; 

 the third, Lophobranceii, from lopho&^ a tuft^ and hranckicc, gWlsr 

 the gills bemg arranged in small round tufts. The first section^ 

 be again divided into three orders, founded upon differences in 

 their fins. Those which have spinous rays in the dorsal fins he 

 placed in the first order, whieh he called AcAXTEOPTERYaii, from 

 acanthos, a spine, and pteryx^ a wing ar fin. Of this order are the 

 Yellow Perch, Perea Jiavescens^ the common Pandfish, PoTiiotis 

 vulgaris^ the Black Bass, GryMes nigricans, ^kc. In the second- 

 order he arranged those which have only soft rays^ excepting 

 sometimes the first ray of the dorsal and pectoral fins, and called 

 this order Malacopterysii, from malacos, soft, and pteryx, a fin. Of 

 this order he made two divisions, according to the position of the 

 ventral fins : those- having their ventrals attached to the walls of 

 the abdomen, he called Abdominal Malacopterygii; those having; 

 them placed very near to the pectorals, with the bones supporting 

 them,, attached to the bones of the shoulder, he called Subbrachial, 

 Malacopterygii. The abdominal soft-rayed fishes can be studied 

 in the common Pickerel, jE'soj reticulatus, the Brook Trout, Salm& 

 fontinalis, the common Catfish, Pimelodus catus, <fec. In the sub- 

 brachial division will be found the American Codfish, Morrkua, 

 Americana, the Halibut, Ilippoglosszis vidgaris, Sec. Those which 

 had no ventral fins he formed into a third order, wbich he denom- 

 inated Apodal, from a, negative, and pous^ a foot. This order 

 the student will notice in the common Eel, Anguilla tenuirostris,. 



The second section, Plectognathi, embraces the Balloonfishes, 

 Puffers, Filefishes, <fcc. The third section, Lophobranchii, con- 

 tains the Pipefishes, &c; neither of them, however, so far as I am 

 informed, have any representatives in our waters. 



Cuvier divided the cartilaginous fishes also into three orders t, 

 the first order he called^ Eleuthsropomi, from eleutheros, free,, 

 and poma, a cover, in which he placed those fishes of this series 

 which have free pectinated gills, with an aperture on each side,, 

 covered by an opercle ; this order may be studied in the Stur- 

 geons,. Acifknserid^. The second order embraces those which 

 have the gills fixed by their external edges, with five small:: 

 external openings on each side, but without any gill-cover, and is- 

 called Plagiostomi, from 2-^(^f/ios, curved, and &toma, a mouth ;. 

 ia this order is fouRd the Sharks, Squalid .e, and Rays., Raiid je*. 



