NATURAL HISTORY. 



327 



Let riches never breede a lofty minde, 



Let nature's giltes make no man oner blinde, 



For these are all but bladiers full of winde." TURBERVILLK. 



this purpose, at the rate of forty shillings a thousand. From fire pounds 1 o eight 

 pounds a thousand has been given ; but a comparative scarcity of late years, and 

 consequent increase in price, have obliged the line fishermen to adopt other 

 substances for bait.* 



ORDER III. TELEOSTIA. 



1044. IVhy is the third order of fishes named teleostia '* 



From two Greek words signifying perfect, and bones, in 

 reference to the perfect bony skeletons which they possess. 



1045. In fishes of this order the skill! is 

 always of a very complicated structure, 

 composed of numerous bones ; the gills 

 are supported upon free bony arches, 

 and the water passes away from them 

 by a single aperture, protected by bony 

 gill covers. The mouth is always 

 formed by a pair of jaws, and usually 

 armed with teeth. 



The ORDER is again divided into six Sub-orders: 1. Physoto- 

 mata ; 2. Anacanthina ; 3. Pharyngognatha ; 4. Acanthoptera ; 

 5. Lopobranchia ; 6. Plectognatha 



Sub-order I. Physotomata. 

 1046. Wliy is the sub-order physotomata so named ? 



From the Greek phuaso, to blow, or inflate, in allusion to the 

 possession of an air-bladder, connected with the pharynx by a 

 duct, which only occurs in these fishes, of all the teleostia. 



1047. The fishes belonging to this group are usually furnished with a complete 

 series of fins, which are always composed entirely of soft rays, with the exception 



* Yarrell's " History of British Fishes.' 



