ORGANS OF OFFENCE AND DEFENCE. 131 



the height of five or six feet. The process is, in 

 some respects, like that of climbing trees by the 

 Sparus ; but it difi*ers from the latter, in requiring 

 the additional security afforded by the viscid surfiice 

 of the body of the animal, which, in the other case, 

 is superfluous. 



The next portion of the Natural History of Fishes 

 which will claim our attention, is the means which 

 have been provided to them for attacking and se- 

 curing their prey, and for defending themselves 

 against the many foes which, in their turns, mu- 

 tually prey on each other. These may be termed 

 the organs of offence and defence. 



Fishes have not been provided with the same 

 variety of organs of offence as we observe in the 

 higher classes of the animal kingdom ; in their 

 means of defence however, diversified provisions 

 appear. As the parts concerned in both these 

 purposes are most naturally associated with the 

 integument, which is itself, even when least com- 

 plicated, an organ of defence, it is found conve- 

 nient to treat of all these at the same time. As 

 illustrative of the organs of defence, it will be 

 proper, therefore, to take a survey of the skin or 

 general envelope of the body. The skin varies con- 

 siderably in character even in fishes ranking in the 

 same group ; in all, however, it adheres very firmly 

 to the subjacent parts, and is in none so loose as to 

 be susceptible of the motion which is observed in 



