THE EDIBLE LETHRYNUS. 137 



cation of the skin, if it may be so termed, observa- 

 ble in some fishes ; this consists of osseous pieces, or 

 at least of pieces very hard, of a mucoso-horny tex- 

 ture. They are without any imbricature, and their 

 union is by the margins, and is very variable. Some 

 of them, put together with the utmost geometrical 

 precision, form a cuirass of great strength, which 

 acts as an admirable defence against their asso- 

 ciates, except such as possess the strongest and 

 most powerful jaws and teeth. Many of the Syg- 

 nathi and their allies exhibit this ; among our na- 

 tive fishes the Cotti will show it, and the C. cata- 

 phractes, or mailed bull-head, is an excellent 

 example; while among the sturgeons, and their 

 allied genera, we see it in various stages of deve- 

 lopement, from a line of plates defending a part of 

 the body, to a complete and close suit of strung 

 armour. 



