MT 



MUH.BNID.E. 



MURID.K. 



ward*. ml oue elongated lateral opening on rack side communicating 

 with the cavity of the abdomen, as in other bony fishes." Colour of 

 the upper surface of the head and body very dark olive-green ; under 

 urfce silvery ; the colouring however varies somewhat according to 

 the nature of the water in which the animal lives, as in other fiahea ; 

 in thoae found in clear streams the colours are bright, whilst those 

 found in muddy waters are dusky. 



This species is common in streams, lakes, Ac., throughout the 

 country. The Eel is said to be averse to cold, and in the autumn 

 migrate* down the rivers to reach the warm brackish water, where it 

 passes the winter, and deposits its spawn. In the spring the young fry 

 may be seen making their way up the streams, sometimes in immense 

 numbers. Such a desire do the young eels (about three inches in 

 length) appear to have to go up the stream that their course is not 

 easily stopped. The writer of this has seen a flood-gate, or 7 feet in 

 height, in parts covered with them, and has observed many succeed 

 in pawing over this perpendicular barrier by availing themselves of 

 the trickling water which escaped through the crevices of the wood- 

 work. 



Those eels which live iu ponds, and cannot therefore migrate, bury 

 themselves in the mud during the winter months. In these cases 

 however they will sometimes leave the water, and, availing themselves 

 of the wet grass during the night, travel considerable distances in 

 order to reach a stream ; they are known also to leave certain ponds, 

 the water of which does not suit them, and to make their way over 

 land to other and more favourable situations. 



The question as to whether the Eel be an oviparous or viviparous 

 fish has been much discussed ; many have imagined that it brought 

 forth its young alive, but there appears to be better grounds for the 

 belief that it is oviparous. 



"The London market," Mr. Yarrell informs us, "is principally 

 supplied from Holland by Dutch fishermen. There are two com- 

 panies in Holland, having five vessels each : their vessels are built 

 with a capacious well, in which large quantities of eels are preserved 

 alive till wanted. One or more of these vessels may be constantly 

 seen lying off Billinsgate ; the others go to Holland for fresh supplies, 

 each bringing a cargo of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds weight of live eels, 

 for which the Dutch merchant pays a duty of IS/, per cargo for his 

 permission to sell." 



A. laliorottrii, Yon-all, the Broad-Nosed Eel, is not uncommon, and is 

 often found in the same waters as the sharp-nosed species, from which 

 it is readily distinguished by the comparatively greater breadth of its 

 bead, and the situation of the eye, which is placed in advance of the 

 angle of the mouth. The body is moreover thicker in proportion to 

 its length, the teeth are more numerous, larger, and stronger ; the 

 dorsal fin commences farther back ; the dorsal and anal fins are much 

 deeper and thicker. The number of vertebras is 115. This species is the 

 Anguille Plat-Beo of Cuvier, and is sometimes called iu England the 

 Grig-Eel. 



A. medioroitrit, Yarrell, the Snig, is in some respects intermediate 

 between the common or sharp-nosed species and the broad-nosed eel. 

 The general colour above is olive-green, and beneath yellowish-white. 

 " In the comparative breadth of the nose, the Snig is intermediate in 

 reference to the sharp and broad nosed eels, but rather more resembles 

 that with the sharp nose," says Mr. Yarrell ; " it has a slight but 

 elongated depression extending from the anterior edge of the upper 

 jaw to the upper and back part of the head ; the tubular openings of 

 the nostrils are longer, and the mucous pores about the lips larger and 

 more conspicuous ; both jaws rounded at their extremities, the lower 

 one the longest ; teeth longer and stronger than in the common sharp- 

 nosed species ; gape large ; the angle and the posterior edge of the 

 eye on the same vertical line ; the pectoral fins, the commencement of 

 the dorsal fin, and the vent, are each placed nearer the head than in 

 either of our fresh-water eels." 



Baiiles the distinguishing characters above pointed out, there are 

 others, the most important of which perhaps is the difference observ- 

 able in the form of the vertebra see Yarrell's < History of British 

 Kishea,' where the skulls and adjoining vertebra of these three species 

 are figured. 



A. Omger, Shaw (Conger vulgarit, Murana Conger, Linnams, I/e 

 Congre, Cuvier), the Conger Eel, is readily distinguished from the 

 fresh-water species by the upper jaw being the longest, and the dorsal 

 fin commencing much nearer the head characters which have induced 

 ( 'uvier to separate it from them as a sub-genus. 



This marine species is common on many parts of our coast, and is 

 indeed found in most of the European seas. It attains a very large 

 sixe, being often five or six feet in length and occasionally as much as 

 ten feet or upwards; the thickness bearing about the same proportion 

 to the length as in the common eel. The upper pnrte of the body are 

 brownish and the under parts dirty-white; dorsal and anal fins 

 whitish margined with deep bluish-black ; the lateral line is spotted 

 with white. 



A. myrtu, another species of Conger, is found in the Mediterranean. 

 It resembles the common species, but is of a smaller size, and is known 

 by there being spots on the snout, a band across the occiput, and two 

 rows of dot* on the nape, all of which are of a whitish colour. 



Opkiiurta of Laclpcde is a genus nearly allied to Anyuilla. the 

 irpccies of which differ from the true eels by their dorsal and anal fins 



terminating before they reach the end of the tail, which has no fin. The 

 posterior orifice of the nostrils opens on the edgu of the upper lip. 



0. terpeni, the Snake-Eel, inhabits the Mediterranean ; it is about five 

 or six feet in length and about three inches in thickness, of a brown 

 colour above and silvery beneath ; the snout is slender and pointed. 



In some species of this genus the pectoral fins are very small, and 

 in this respect approach the genus Murana, iu which them are no 

 pectorals. 



Murana, as just stated, has no pectoral fins ; the orifices of the gills 

 are small and open, one on each side ; in each jaw there is a siugle 

 row of teeth ; the dorsal and anal fins are very low, and are united. 



M. Helena, the Murane, the Munena, is the type of the genus. It is 

 found in the Mediterranean and Portuguese seas, and in one instance 

 has been taken on the coast of Britain. It grows to tbe length of 

 between four and five feet, and even more. The body is smooth and 

 glossy, beautifully mottled with salmon colour, yellow, and purple. 

 The head is large and swollen, which gives the fish a disagreeable 

 aspect It is excellent eating, and waa highly esteemed by the 

 ancients, who reckoned it among the best of fiahea for the table, and 

 kept the Murana alive iu vivaria. It is said that Vaxlius Pollio 

 used to cause his offending slaves to be flung alive into the ponds to 

 feed his Muraiur. 



Leptocephalut has a small and short head ; numerous teeth ; pectoral 

 fins and gill-openings very small; body compressed and very thin, 

 tape-like; dorsal and anal fins small, united at the tail, forming a 

 point. 



L. JHorrini, the Anglesey Morris, appears to be the only European 

 species. This fish, which is identical with the Z. Spallanzani of Kisso, 

 has been found in Great Britain. [LxnOOKFHALU*.] 



Ophidium, Ecltiodon, and Ammodytes are other British genera of llii- 

 family. [EcmoDON; AMIIODYTES; OPHIDIUM.] Gymrwttu contains the 

 Electric Eel. [GYitsoTUS ; ELECTRICITY IN ORGANIC BEINGS.] Caraput 

 and Stenarchut are genera, the species of which inhabit South America. 

 Gymnarchut inhabits the Nile. [Uvsix AIK m-s.] 



MUR^ENOIDES (Lace"pedo), a genus of Fishes belonging to the 

 section Acantkopterygii and the family Gobiadce. The species have 

 been included under tbe genera Klenniia of Linnams, and (jiinnMtu. 

 They have the bead small, muzzle obtuse ; body elongated, smooth ; 

 scales minute, covered with a mucous secretion ; dorsal fin extending 

 the whole length of the back, the rays simple ; ventral fins very small ; 

 teeth small, pointed, detached. 



Af. guttata, the Spotted Ounnel or Butter-Fish, is distinguished from 

 its congeners by the consistence and quantity of mucous secretion by 

 which its sides are covered. It is known from the true Blennics by 

 its dorsal fin being but little elevated above the line of the back, and 

 by its elongated, slender, and compressed body, from which circum- 

 stance it has obtained the name of Swordick iu Orkney and Svardfisk 

 iu Norway, from a supposed resemblance to the blade of a sword. 

 It is a common fish on the coasts of Great Britain, where it is often 

 found in the little pools left by the tide. It feeds on small Cruttacea 

 and the spawn and fry of other fishes. In Greenland it is eaten, but 

 it is only used for bait in this country, its flesh being hard. The 

 length of the head is equal to the depth of the body, and is, vlu-n 

 compared with the whole length of the body and head of the fish, 

 without including the tail-fin, as one to eight. It is said to attain 

 the length of 10 inches, but its more frequent length on the British 

 shores is from 5 to 7 inches. 



Mr. Yarrell states that the Spotted Gunnel of America is identical 

 with the British fish. 



MUREX. [SlFHOXOSTOMAT.V.] 



MU'RID^E, the name of an extensive family of Rodents, compris- 

 ing, when taken in its largest sense, a great number of genera and 

 species, which, though none of them attain to any considerable size, 

 become worthy of serious notice from their prodigious multiplication 

 and the destructive influence which they exert over vegetation ami 

 the fruits of the labour of the agriculturist The type of this family 

 is found iu the genus Mm, to which our Common Rats and Mice 

 belong. 



The Liunean genus Mm is thus characterised in the last edition of 

 the ' Systema Natunc :' ' Denies primores inferiores subulati ; ' and, 

 as might be expected from such a definition, it is made the receptacle 

 not only for such Rodents as are vernacularly known as Rats and Mice, 

 but for the Guinea Pig, the Agoutis, the Paca ; iu short, for all tho 

 QKrtt then known, not arranged under the genera Jfyxtrix, Leput, 

 Ctutor, and Sciurui. Tha remaining genus (A'octtfio), placed by 

 Linnaeus among his (ilirrt, belongs to the Bate. [CHUBORMU.J 

 Pallas concurred with Linnaeus in uniting under one great genus (Mm) 

 all the Rodents provided with clavicles which had no striking external 

 distinction, such as the tail of tho Squirrel or the Beaver. 



Gmeliu separated from this crowd of Rodents the Marmots (Arctomy), 

 the Dormice (Myoxtu), and the Jerboas (Diput). 



Cuvier, in the last edition of the ' Rcgno Animal,' carries this sub- 

 division much farther, adopting the following sub-genera, under the 

 (freat genus M ui, or the Ruts: The Marmots (A rctomyt, Gm.), tho 

 Dormice (Myoma, Gm.), Echymyi, Geoff. (Lonchcres, 111.), Jfydromyi, 

 Geoff., C'apromyi, Desm., the Kats and Mice, properly so called (Miu, 

 Cuv.), GerbMvH, Desm. (Meriontt, 111.), Merionei, V. Cuv., the Hamsters 

 (Cricettu, Cuv.), the Carnpagnols, or Field Rats and Mice (Arvicola, 



