464 Dr. E. Crisp on the Stntcture of the Wolf-fish. 



(vol. 74) gives a drawing of the jaws and teeth, as well as a short 

 description of the mechanism of these parts. Professor Owen, 

 however, in his ' Odontographia,' 1845, is more minute in his 

 account of the structure of the teeth, including their external 

 forms, &c. Mr. Yarrell and others have likewise described it ; 

 but I do not know of any accurate description of the general 

 form of the viscera, and it appears to me, that the contemplation 

 of the visceral, in conjunction with the dental organization of this 

 animal will add much to the interest of the subject. 



The specimen which I have recently dissected, and parts of 

 which I now exhibit, especially attracted my notice in conse- 

 quence of the escape, per anum, of a large piece of rough whelk- 

 shell about an incla and a quarter in length, and in some parts 

 I of an inch wide. And in passing a stream of water through the 

 alimentary canal, I collected from the excreta these portions of 

 whelk-shell and hermit-crab, which could be felt externally in 

 the intestines. They are large, sharp, irregular in shape, and 

 apparently not acted upon in the slightest degree by the gastric 

 juice. This circumstance struck me as being very remarkable, 

 as in the great majority of fish that I had examined, I found no 

 bones in the intestines, so powerful and rapid are the digestive 

 powers of the stomach in this class of animals. 



Let us now then take a glance at some parts of the structure 

 of the Anarrhichas, and first of the mouth and alimentary canal. 

 The mouth is furnished with strong jaws, a large number of teeth 

 of a peculiar form (as exhibited by the specimens), a thick angular 

 tongue well fitted for directing the Crustacea and mollusca (upon 

 which the animal chiefly feeds) between the teeth, and with very 

 powerful muscles to assist in the process of shell-crushing. If 

 the mechanism of this mill is carefully examined, it will be seen 

 that the large and pointed grappling irons formed by the front 

 teeth are for the purpose of securing the prey, whilst the crush- 

 ing process is performed by the conical molars in the jaws and 

 palate, assisted by the powerful action of the tongue, which 

 when elevated serves to keep the shell between the palatine teeth 

 and those of the lower jaw. It is essentially an apparatus for 

 crushing and breaking, not for grinding and pulverizing ; the 

 form of the alimentary canal, as will be seen hereaftei", not re- 

 quiring this mode of preparation of the food. 



The teeth in these fish vary much both in shape and number ; 

 thus in four skeletons now before me, the largest measuring 3 ft. 

 2 inches, the shortest 2 ft. 7 inches No. 1. has 75 teeth, 41 

 blunt and 34 pointed. No. 2. 85 teeth, 43 blunt and 42 pointed. 

 No. 3. 80 teeth, 60 blunt and 20 pointed. No. 4. 70 teeth, 39 

 blunt and 31 pointed. Thei'e is another remarkable circum- 

 stance respecting the teeth of this animal. In two of the four 



