SHAW’S GENERAL ZOOLOGY. 
After a careful survey of all the new 
genera, we cannot but wish that in the 
admission of them, Dr.. Shaw-had been 
less frequently guided either by the 
Count Cepede or Dr. Bloch. Both of 
them are infected with the mania of mul- 
tiplying genera: and where he has dif- 
fered from them, he has in almost every 
instance manifested superior judgment. 
We have intimated on a former occasion 
that we have no objection toa large ge- 
nus, provided its essential character be 
clearly and accurately defined. Nothing 
then remains to be done, but to break it 
into subdivisions or families ; and when 
the systematizing naturalist has exercised 
his sagacity in this necessary task, the 
investigating student will pursue his re- 
searches with facility and pleasure. 
In the course of the work numerous 
species have been added to many of the 
Lhinnzan genera; but as they are chiefly 
natives of distant seas, and described 
from dried specimens, nothing more than 
a bare description, and that often an im- 
perfect one, can be expected. The spe- 
cies of sparus, labrus and perca, are nu- 
merous in the Systema Nature, and it is 
confessed by Linneus himself, that these 
three genera and the sciena are not easily 
distinguished from each other. The 
large additions which have since been 
made to them have increased the con- 
fusion. ‘l’he generic ‘characters of spa- 
Tus in particular, are not - sufficiently 
discriminated either by Linneus or Dr. 
Shaw, though the latter has not hesitated 
to differ materially from his great mas- 
ter. In the Systema Nature, the lips of 
the spari are said to be double, and those 
of the labri single. In the General 
Zoology the direct contrary is asserted. 
Those of the spariare described as thick ; 
and those of the labri as thick and 
doubled: but no notice’ is taken of the 
lips in any of the detailed descriptions, 
and as far as can be judged from the spe- 
cies there figured, there seems to be 
‘some ‘of both kinds in each of the ge- 
mera. In the Systema: Natura, the spe- 
cies of sparus are 26, and of labrus, 41 ; 
in the General Zoology, those of the for- 
‘mer are 162, and of the latter, 104. Dr. 
Shaw acknowledges that many of these 
may ptohabdly be only varieties, and that 
possibly some may have been repeated 
and described under each genus, It 
should seem that im the present state of 
the subject, the best method would be 
to throw the whole into one genus, if a 
food generic character can be obtained, 
841 
and then to divide it into natural fami- 
lies ; or if it do not readily yield to such 
a distribution, to form artificial’ones, and 
to arrange them in a synoptical table at 
the head of the genus, similar to those 
which Linneus has placed at the head 
of the classes in the three kingdoms of 
nature, for which he will always receive 
the hearty thanks of eyery young natu- 
ralist. 
For the entertainment of our readers, 
and as an additional specimen of Dr. 
Shaw’s style and manner, when he does 
not transcribe from preceding writers, 
we shall give his account of the echeneis 
remora. 
«« The extraordinary faculty which this fish 
possesses of adhering at pleasure with the ut- 
most tenacity to any inoderately flat surface, 
was not unobserved by the ancients, and is 
described in terms of considerable luxuriance 
by Pliny in particular, who giving way to 
the popular prejudices of his time, represents 
the remora as possessing the power of stop- 
ping a vessel in full sail, so as to render it per- 
feetly immoveable in the midst of the sea. 
«<The real fact is, that the remora beinga fish 
of very weak powers of fin, takes the advan 
tage of occasionally attaching itself to any 
large swimming body, whether animate or in- 
animate, which itshappens to encounter ; ad- 
hering to ships, as well as whales, sharks, 
and many other of the larger fishes: it has 
even been cbseryed by Commerson, that the 
remora is so ill calculated for supporting a 
long and laborious course in the water, that 
when left to its own exertions, it generally 
swims on its back, and that in an unsteady 
and feeble manner. It is therefore necessary — 
that it should ayail itself of the occasional as- 
sistance of some larger floating body. For this 
purpose the upper part of the head is won- 
deitully constituted; presenting a large, flat, 
oval shicld or area, traversed by numerous 
dissepiments or partitions, each of which is 
fringed at the edge by a row of very nume- 
rous perpendicular teeth or filaments, while 
the whole area or oval space is strengthened 
by a longitudinal division or septum. So 
strong is the power of adhesion which the fish 
by this apparatus is enabled to exert, that we 
are assured by Commerson, whose observa- 
tions on this subject are detailed by Cepede, 
that, on applying his thumb to the shield of 
a living remora, it was affected not only with 
a strong stupor, but even with a kind of para- 
lysis, which continued for a, considerable 
time after withdrawing his hand. When at- 
tached, as is frequently the case, to the skin 
ofa shark or other large fish, it quits not its 
hold when the former is drawn out of the 
water, but continues adhering after the death 
of the animal ; nor is it easy for the strongest 
arm to eflect its separation, unless it be pulled 
in a Jateral direction, So as to force it to slide 
along the surface of the skin, Og 
