ODONTOGRAPHY. 



PART I. 



DENTAL SYSTEM OF FISHES. 



CHAPTER I. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE TEETH OF FISHES. 



If the ichthyologist have reason to complain of the monotony 

 which unavoidably pervades his descriptions of the external charac- 

 ters of the objects of his study, (1) the anatomist in treating of the 

 dental system of fishes, finds, on the contrary, his difficulty in 

 obtaining the command of language sufficiently varied to pourtray 

 the singular diversity and beauty, and the interesting physiological 

 relations which are manifested in that part of their organization. 

 The teeth of fishes, in fact, in whatever relation they are considered, 

 whether in regard to number, form, substance,, structure, situation, 

 or mode of attachment, offer more various and striking modifications 

 than do those of any other class of animals. 



2. Number. — If we commence with the lowest species, as the 

 glutinous hag and other myxinoid fishes, we find that, the armature 

 of the tongue excepted, the dental system is represented by a single 

 tooth developed on the median line of the palate. In the carp, 

 a single median tooth above the pharynx is opposed to two den- 

 tigerous plates below. In the Ceratodus and Ctenodus, the jaws are 

 armed with four teeth, two above and two below. In the chimsera, 

 two lower maxillary teeth are opposed to four above. From these 

 species may be traced every gradation in the progressive multipli- 

 cation of the teeth up to the pike, silurus, and other fishes in 

 which the mouth is crowded with innumerable teeth. 



3. Form. — The great variety of forms of the teeth of fishes 



(1) Cuvier, Eloges, iii, p. 313. 



B 



