blennidtE. the blennies. 253 



other in their whole internal organization, and none 

 of them have air-bladders. They are generally in- 

 considerable in size; and as they frequent rocky beds, 

 where they retire into secure retreats at low water, 

 and are withal very active, they are of difficult cap- 

 ture ; and hence, though their flesh is usually white 

 and agreeable, they are not the object of the fisher- 

 man's pursuit. But though not very interesting in 

 an economic point of view, they present objects of 

 curious research and reflection to the Naturalist. 

 Many among them are viviparous, and have thus, 

 as stated in the Introduction, excited much curi- 

 osity. They constitute a very numerous family, 

 containing nearly 300 species ; of which about one- 

 half are inhabitants of the Indian and Polynesian 

 seas ; 60 exist in the European waters, 1 6, as seen 

 above, in the British ; 18 or 19 are found on the 

 American side of the Northern Atlantic, bearing a 

 general resemblance to the European. The only 

 species common to both are those which frequent 

 the Greenland seas, one of which, according to 

 Capt. James Ross, is the most northern known 

 fish, having been taken on the ice to the north of 

 Spitzbergen, or within nine degrees of the Pole. 

 The family is divided into two great Sections, the 

 former of which has the Blennies, which have six 

 gill-rays, and the latter, the Gobies, with only five, 

 for their type. We take up these in order. 



