226 



Malacop- 

 terygii 

 Apodes. 



Anguilli- 

 formes. 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



and terrified at the sight of a lion. The expression of ter- 

 ror is not there stronger than what we witnessed in this 

 unequal conflict. In less than five minutes two horses 

 were already drowned. The eel, more than five feet 

 long, glides under the belly of the horse or mule ; it then 

 makes a discharge from the whole extent of its electric 

 organs, which at once attacks the heart, the viscera, and 

 especially the gastric plexus of nerves." " After this com- 

 mencement, I was afraid that the sport might end very 

 tragically. But the Indians assured us that the fishing 

 would soon be finished, and that nothing is to be dread- 

 ed but the first assault of the gymnotus. In fact, whether 

 the galvanic electricity is accumulated in repose, or the 

 electric organ ceases to perform its functions when fa- 

 tigued by too long-continued use, the eels, after a time, 

 resemble discharged batteries. Their muscular motion is 

 still equally active, but they no longer have the power of 

 giving energetic shocks. When the combat had lasted a 

 quarter of an hour, the mules and horses appeared less af- 

 frighted ; they no longer bristled up the mane, and the 

 eye was less expressive of suffering and of terror. They 

 no longer were seen to fall backwards ; and the gyninotes, 

 swimming with the body half out of the water, and now 

 flying from the horses instead of attacking them, began 

 themselves, in their turn, to approach the shore." 



The electric gymnote is by no means fierce or voracious ; 

 but its electric organs are the instruments by which it pro- 

 cures its prey, and defends itself against alligators and other 

 enemies. 



It has been several times brought alive to Europe, and 

 some experiments have been made on its electricity, — 

 which is conducted and insulated by the same substances 

 as common galvanism.' 



So common is the gymnotus in some parts of South 

 America, that, in tlie neighbourhood of Uritucu, a route 

 at one time much frequented has been entirely abandon- 

 ed, in consequence of the necessity of fording a stream, in 

 which many mules were killed every year by these sub- 

 aqueous electric shocks. 



The only other known species of gymnotus is the G. 

 aquilabiatus of Humboldt, which appears to differ from 

 the other in wanting the posterior swimming bladder. 



The Genus Carapus was separated by Cuvier from 

 the gyninotes, with which they were formerly confounded ; 

 and the species are distinguished by a scaly compressed 

 body and a slender tail. The appellation is derived from 

 their Brazilian name. All the species live in the rivers of 

 South .'\merica, ov on the coasts of that country. Carapus 

 macrourus grows to the length of eighteen inches or two 

 feet, and is of a brown colour, with small eyes, and slen- 

 der tail. C. brachiurus vel fascialus is marked with 

 darker transverse bands. C. albus is of a whitish colour; 

 tail naked for about an inch ; upper lip with a lobule on 

 each side ; several pores on the sides of the head. C. ros- 

 tratiis has a body like that of C. macrourus, but the snout 

 is narrow, compressed, and tubular, with connate jaws ; 

 colour pale brown, variegated with darker spots ; the scales 

 not visible. 



The Genus Sternarchus of Schneider was so deno- 

 minated from the anus being near the sternum. The anal 

 fin ends before it reaches the extremity of the tail, which 

 has a fin of its own ; but the most singular character in the 

 structure of this fish consists of a soft fleshy filament, con- 

 cealed in a furrow on the dorsum, beyond the middle of 

 the back, and retained in this groove by tendinous threads, 

 which admit of its having some motion ; a very singular 



Apodes. 

 AnguiUi- 

 formes. 



organ, of which we cannot conjecture the use. The head Slalacop' 

 is oblong, naked, and compressed ; neither opercula nor terygii 

 branchial rays are externally visible ; the rest of the body 

 is scaly ; the teeth are soft, short filaments, like velvet, on 

 the middle of each jaw. The only species is Sternarchus 

 albifrons, which was considered by Pallas, its first describer, 

 as a Gymnotus. 



Genus Gymnarchus, Cuv. Body scaly and elongated, 

 gills but slightly open in front of the pectorals, as in Gym- 

 notus, but the back is furnished all along with a soft rayed 

 fin ; there is no fin behind the anus, nor beneath the tail, 

 which has a pointed termination. The head is conical, 

 naked, — the mouth small, and provided with a single row 

 of small cutting teeth. 



Gymnarchus Nilotictis of Cuvier, discovered by M. Rif- 

 fault, is, as its name implies, an Egyptian fish, and is, we 

 believe, the only known species. 



Genus Leptocephalus, Pennant. This genus differs 

 from the eels by being greatly compressed laterally, by a 

 larger branchial aperture opening before the pectorals, by 

 a head extremely small, and a pointed snout. The pec- 

 torals are almost invisible ; the dorsal and anal are very 

 small, and unite at the point of the tail. The intestines 

 occupy a narrow line along the inferior margin of the 

 body. 



Only one species is known, a native of our own seas, 

 first described by Pennant. It is the Leptocephalus Mor- 

 risii, a small fish of four inches long by one tenth of an 

 inch in thickness, and so transparent as almost to exhibit 

 the form of the vertebra;, which may also be felt through 

 the integuments. This singular creature was first seen near 

 Holyhead by Mr William Morris, who transmitted it to 

 Pennant. Though still a rare species, it has since been 

 observed by several other British naturalists. 



Genus Ophidiu.m, Linn. This genus has the anus far 

 behind ; the dorsal and anal fins join in a point at the 

 tail ; the body is long and compressed, and covered with 

 small irregular scales, scattered in the thickness of the 

 skin. But these fish differ from eels, in having open gills, 

 furnished with a large operculum, and a branchiostegous 

 membrane, with short rays. The dorsal rays are articulat- 

 ed, but not branched. 



The genus is subdivided into two sub-genera, viz. Ophi- 

 dium proper, in which the throat is provided with two cirrhi 

 adhering to the point of the os hyoides. The best-known 

 species is Ophidium barbatum, which grows to eight inch- 

 es ; general colour silvery, but the vertical fins banded 

 with black ; the surface smooth, scales attached by their 

 centre to the skin ; two bifid cirrhi on the throat ; skin 

 spotted with small red spots. The swimming bladder is 

 oval, large, and thick, for the size of the fish, and is sup- 

 ported by three peculiar bones suspended under the first 

 vertebra, and moveable by particular muscles. This fish 

 abounds in the Mediterranean, where it is in request as an 

 article of diet. Ophidium Vassali is a small species, also 

 found in the Mediterranean ; but in the South Seas a large 

 species has been caught. It is named Oph. blacodes. 

 Enchelyopus (Fierasfer), Klein, differs in wanting the 

 beards of the true Ophidium. The dorsal fin is so slight 

 as only to seem a fold of the skin ; the swimming bladder 

 has but two supporting bones. Only one species is recog- 

 nised, Ophidium imberbe of Linn., which is also Gymno- 

 tus acus of several naturalists. As a British species, it was 

 first communicated to Pennant by the Duchess of Portland, 

 from Weymouth. It has since been found by Montagu on 

 the south coast of Devon. 



^ ' Dr Traill informs us that he liad two ?ent to him from Demerary, but they died the day before the sliip made the coast of 

 England, and were unluckily thrown overboard. 



