— 
122 SOME COASTWISE FISHES, 
lated to the jaw in such a manner as to permit of 
their erection when necessary. In this manner the 
different series are successively brought into play. 
It is impossible in the scope of a work of this 
kind to enter into anything like a general descrip- 
tion of the New Jersey coast fishes, since their his- 
tory is largely the history of the fishes of the 
entire Atlantic border. But reference to a few of 
the more striking forms—such, more particularly, 
as by their peculiar outlines are apt to attract at- 
tention—may not be amiss in this place. One of 
these is the toad-fish (Batrachus tau), a rather fierce 
TOAD-FISH. 
and repulsive-looking animal, having somewhat the 
appearance of a toad, whence its name. The de- 
termination with which it holds on to any object 
that it may have seized has given to it the name 
of ‘sea bull-dog.’ It inhabits largely the oyster- 
beds, where the young make free use of the empty 
shells for their domiciles. 
The fishing-frog (Lophius piscatorius), also so 
called from its resemblance to a batrachian, but 
