ICHTHYOLOGY. 



199 



Malacop. 

 terygii 

 Abdomi- 

 nules. 

 Cypri- 

 nidoe. 



lar in the structure of the lips. The species of this sub- 

 division are considerable in amount, but they are held in 

 httle estimation as articles of food. They are distinguished 

 by the position of the dorsal, a character, however, which 

 is not always sufficiently defined. In some it corresponds 

 to the position of the ventrals ; such is the case with 

 Letic. dohula {Cyprinus dobula, Linn.), in which the head 

 is broad, the muzzle rounded, and the pectorals red. 

 Leiic. rutilus (the roach), has the body compressed and 

 silvery, and all the fins red. In others, the dorsal cor- 

 responds above to the interval which is between the ven- 

 trals and the anal. This is exemplified in Leuc. alburnus 

 (the bleak), in which the body is narrow, and of a bril- 

 liant silvery hue ; the fins pale ; the forehead straight, 

 and the inferior jaws somewhat elongated. It is com- 

 mon throughout Europe ; and is one of the fishes vvhose 

 nacre (or silvery-looking substance) is employed in fabri- 

 cating artificial pearls. Leuc. phoxinus (common minnow) 

 likewise pertains to this group. The appearance of this 

 beautiful little fish is familiar to all. It is the smallest 

 species of the genus found in Europe, the greatest length 

 which it attains seldom exceeding three inches. It first 

 makes its appearance in March, and disappears in Octo- 

 ber, passing the winter beneath the mud. It is well known 

 to be a gregarious species, and small shoals are to be 

 found in almost every shallow stream, especially in clear 

 weather, as they seem to delight in warmtli and sunshine. 

 They usually spawn in the month of June, but their ova 

 are often found at a much later period. The flesh of the 

 minnow is delicate and well flavoured, but its size is too 

 small to admit of its being of much value as an article of 

 food. It is principally used as a bait for the capture of 

 larger kinds. 



Certain species of the present genus (the Chelae of Bu- 

 chanan) have the dorsal corresponding to the commence- 

 ment of the anal, and in several of these the body is com- 

 pressed nearly in the same manner as in some of the Clu- 

 peoe. Such is Leitc. cultratus, which is further remarka- 

 ble for its lower jaw, which ascends in front of the upper, 

 and for its large pectorals shaped like a scythe.' The ge- 

 neric group GoNORHYNCHUs, Gronov. is dissimilar from 

 all the other Cyprini, by having the body and the head 

 elongated, and covered, as well as the opercula, and even 

 the membrane of the branchiae, with small scales ; the muz- 

 zle projecting in front of the mouth, which is small, and 

 without teeth or barbels ; three branchial rays, and a small 

 dorsal above the ventrals. Only one species is known 

 {Cyprinus gonorhynchus, Gm.), which is found at the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



Genus Cobitis (loach). Has the head small, the body 

 elongated, clothed with scales, and covered with a mucous 

 matter ; the ventrals placed behind, and above them a small 

 single dorsal ; the mouth at the end of the muzzle, but little 

 cleft and without teeth, but surrounded with lips fitted for 

 sucking,and bybarbels; gill-covers little opened, and having 

 only three rays. Their inferior pharyngeal bones are rather 

 strongly dentated, their intestines are without any caeca, and 

 their swimming bladder, which is very small, is enclosed in 

 an osseous bilobate case, attached to the third and fourth 

 vertebrae. Three species are found in the fresh waters of 

 Europe, viz. C. barbatukt, C. fossiUs, and C. tcenia. The 

 first of these, the bearded loach, is a well-known fish in this 

 country, as it occurs plentifidly in almost every small stream. 

 It is about four or five inches long. The second species, 

 which does not occur in Britain, measures sometimes a foot 

 in length. It dwells in the mud of ponds, and is so tena- 

 cious of life as to live a long time after being stiffly frozen, 

 or even dried. In stormy weather it rises to the surface 



and agitates the water. It swallows quantities of air, 

 which it converts, according to M. Ehrman's observations, 

 into carbonic acid. Its flesh is soft, and savours of mud. 

 The third species was introduced into the British Fauna by 

 Berkenhout. Turton says it occurs in the " clear streams 

 of Wiltshire." 



The fishes which Bloch distinguished by the name Ana- 

 BLEPS (a term first used by Artedi, and signifying to raise 

 the eyes, or to look up, being derived from avaSxixoi) were 

 long united with the loaches, although they afford charac- 

 ters of a very distinctive kind. Their eyes, which are very 

 salient, and placed under an arch formed on each side by 

 the frontal bone, have the cornea and iris divided into two 

 portions by transverse bands, in such a manner that they 

 have two pupils, and appeardouble, although in reality there 

 is only a single crystalline and vitreous humour, and one re- 

 tina, — a peculiarity of which no other instance is to be 

 found among vertebrate animals. The organs of genera- 

 tion, moreover, and the bladder of the male, have their ex- 

 cretory canal in the anterior border of the anal fin, which is 

 thick, long, and clothed with scales ; its extremity is per- 

 forated, and no doubt subserves the generative functions. 

 The female is viviparous, and the young are not produced 

 till they have attained a considei'able size. 



The body of these fishes is cylindrical, and covered with 

 scales; there are five branchial rays, the head is flat, the 

 muzzle truncated, the mouth cleft transversely at the end, 

 and armed in both jaws with numerous small teeth. The 

 inter-maxillaries are without a pedicle, and suspended un- 

 der the nasal bones, which form the anterior edge of the 

 muzzle. The pectorals are in a great measure scaly, and 

 a small dorsal is placed over the tail, and further back than 

 the anal. Their pharyngeal bones are large, and provided 

 with numerous small globular teeth ; their air-bladder is 

 very large, and also their intestine ; but the latter is with- 

 out caeca. Only one species is known, which is an inha- 

 bitant of the rivers of Guiana. It is the Anableps tetrop- 

 thalnms, Bl. 361. See Plate CCCIV. fig. 8. 



Genus Pgecilia, Schn. Has the two jaws flattened ho- 

 rizontally, protractile, slightly cleft, furnished with a series 

 of small and very fine teeth, the upper side of the head 

 flattened, the opercula large, five branchial rays, the body 

 not much elongated, the ventrals not far back, and the 

 dorsal placed just above the anal. They are all small vi- 

 viparous fishes, and inhabit the fresh waters of America. 

 The only remaining genera included in the present family 

 are Lebias,Cuv., Fundulus, Lacep., Molinesia, Lesueur, 

 and Cyprinodon, Lacep., which comprehend but a limited 

 number of species, most of them of small size, and pre- 

 senting no peculiarities of particular interest. 



FAMILY II._ESOCID^. 



Corresponds to the undivided genus Esox, as established 

 by Linnaeus. It is characterised by the want of the adi- 

 pose dorsal ; by having the edge of the upper jaw formed 

 by the inter-maxillary, or at least, when not wholly formed 

 by that bone, the maxillary is without teeth, and concealed 

 in the thickness of the lips. They are a very voracious tribe 

 of fishes ; their intestine is short and without caeca, and all 

 are provided with a swimming bladder. With the excep- 

 tion of the 3Iicrostoma, all the kinds with which we are 

 acquainted have the dorsal opposite the anal. 



In the Cuvierian system this family is divided into many 

 genera, of the principal of which we shall now proceed to 

 give some account. Such fishes as belong to 



Genus Esox, in its present restricted acceptation, have 



Malacop- 

 tcryjni 

 Abdomi. 



nak'S. 

 Esocidie. 



' The genus Ltuciscus contains also the dace, chub, and other well-known British species. 



