THE SEA LAMPREY. 443 



one-tenth of the whole length of the body ; eyes small and round 

 placed mid-way between the tip of the snout and the fifth branchial 

 opening-. Mouth large, of an oval form ; when widely expanded, 

 circular ; border by a fleshy lip, fringed on the inner surface ; armed 

 on the inside with numerous hard conical tooth-like projections, dis- 

 posed in concentric rows, increasing in size as they advance in- 

 wards; the outer row very small, scarcely perceptible, all the 

 points directed inwards ; immediately beneath the tongue is a se- 

 micircular bone with eight sharp, conical teeth pointing outwards ; 

 on the roof of the mouth is a strong, conical tooth divided in the 

 middle with the points directed outwards and downwards ; tongue 

 bilobed, having each lobe rounded and armed with six fine sharp- 

 pointed teeth; also a number of minute teeth at the root of the 

 tongue. Branchial openings seven on each side of the neck, ar- 

 ranged in a longitudinal series, in a line with the eye ; between 

 and a little in front of the eyes is a small aperture scarcely larger 

 than a pin's head. Two dorsal fins, the first commencing exact- 

 ly mid- way between the eye and the end of the tail, somewhat of 

 a triangular form, the base about four times longer than its height ; 

 second dorsal commencing at a short distance from the termination 

 of the first, and ending at a very short interval from the caudal, 

 commencing at first low and attaining its greatest height somewhat 

 suddenly, from thence sloping gradually off to near the commence- 

 ment of the caudal, its height about one-sixth part the length of its 

 base. Caudal truncated, commencing at first low and then gradual- 

 ly expanding ; pectoral and anal fins wanting. Colour of the back 

 and sides greenish marbled with dark brown ; beneath of a yellowish 

 tinge. ■ Skin perfectly smooth, without scales. 



The Lamprey is a migratory fish ; it leaves the sea early 

 in the spring, and enters the large rivers to spawn, and 

 after this })rocess is accomplished, it returns again to its 

 natural residence some time in autumn. According to 

 Yarrell, " it has a very extensive geographical range. It 

 is found in the Mediterranean, and from thence northwards 

 in most of the rivers in Europe as far as Scandinavia, du- 

 ring spring ; it appears to be common in the rivers of North 

 America, attaining a larger size in those of the more south- 

 ern states, but not exceeding seventeen or twenty inches in 

 length in a high northern latitude. Dr Mitchell also inr 

 eludes this species among his fishes of New York. It is 

 rather common during spring and summer in some of the 



