Chap. 36.] FISHES. 407 



as well as the polypi 49 and the muraenae, 50 are in the habit of 

 coming ashore besides which, there is in the rivers of India 51 

 one kind that does this, and then leaps back again into the 

 water for they are found to pass over into standing waters and 

 streams. Most fishes have an evident instinct, which teaches 

 them where to spawn in safety ; as in such places there are no 

 enemies found to devour their young, while at the same time 

 the waves are much less violent. It will be still more a matter 

 of surprise, to find that they thus have an appreciation of cause 

 and effect, and understand the regular recurrence of periods, 

 when we reflect how few persons there are that know that the 

 most favourable time for taking fish is while the sun is passing 

 through the sign of Pisces. 61 * 



CHAP. 36. (20.) CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES, ACCORDING TO THE 

 SHAPE OF THE BODY. 



Some sea-fish are flat, such, for instance, as the rhombus, 32 

 the sole, 53 and the sea-sparrow ; M which last only differs from 



Linnaeus, which is by no means uncommon in the Mediterranean. He 

 suggests, however, that there are equal grounds for taking it to be tke 

 Fiasco psaro, or Tetrodon lineatus of Linnaeus. 



49 The Sepia octopodia of Linnaeus. 



50 The Muraena helena of Linnaeus. This animal, Cuvier says, like the 

 eel, is able to live out of water, in consequence of the minute size of the 

 branchial orifices, as Theophrastus very accurately explains. It is a com- 

 mon opinion that they come out of the water in search of others of their 

 kind ; but Spallanzani was informed by the fishermen of Comacchio, that 

 this hardly ever is the case,, and that they will only leave the water when 

 compelled. The polypus also crawls very briskly on the shore when it has 

 been thrown up by the tide, and moves with considerable swiftness. 



51 This is also stated by the author of the treatise, De Mirab. Auscult. 

 c. 72 ; and Theophrastus, in his work on the "Fishes that can live on land," 

 says, that these Indian fishes resemble the mullet. Cuvier says, that these 

 fish are those known as the various species of the genus Ophicephalus of 

 Bloch, which bear a strong resemblance to the mullet in the head and 

 body. Mr. Hamilton Buchanan, in his " History of the Fishes of Bengal," 

 says, that these fish crawl on the grass to so great a distance from their 

 rivers, that the people absolutely believe that 'they must have fallen from 

 heaven. 



51 * Or*the " Fishes." As if, indeed, Hardouin says, the resemblance of 

 name given to the constellation could have any effect upon the fish ! 

 65 The turbot, Pleuronectes maximus of Linnaeus. 



53 Pleuronectes solea of Linnaeus. 



54 "Passer." Probably our "plaice" the Pleuronectes platessa of 

 Linnaeus. 



