u 



FIN. 



FISH. 



ftl8 



ffriArotliiu* nm/rH/HMreeatii in Nepaul ; thoveot Anytoplrrii evtcta 

 arc uned in the same mnniuT in the Sandwich Inlands. J>ipln:iuM 

 rtc*le*t*m, Vyaikra nedtMarit, Pterit aculenta, and lllfirlimia dicko- 

 tomm, all yield at&rch, and an employed OH food in different countries. 

 [CTATHKA.] The Adiantum Capilhu Vmerii yields astringent and j 

 aromatic secretions. [AoiAirrux.] Some of the American polypo- 

 diums are aaid to possess powerful medicinal effect*, and are used as 

 anti-rheumatic, anti-venereal, and febrifugal remedies. The Angiopteru 

 crreta yields an aromatic oil, which is used in the Sandwich Islands 

 to perfume the fixed oils, as cocoa-nut oil. The stums of many species 

 contain bitter principles, aud have hence been used as tonics. Species 

 of AtpidiuM aud AipleniuM have been used in European medicine. 

 [Asrioirx ; ASI-LKNIUM.] The Brazilian negroes form tubes for their 

 pipe* from the stems of Merlentia dichotoma. Otmunda rtgalit had 

 at one time a great reputation in medicine. 



(Babington, Manual of Britith Botany ; Liudley, Natural System ; 

 Hooker, Spteiet Pilioun ; J. Smith, The Genera of Perm ; Journal of ' 

 Botany, vol. iv. ; Newman, History of Britith Perm; Burnett, Outlines 

 of Botany ; Meyen, Pjlanzen-Oeographit.) 



FIN. [FisH.] 



FINCH. [BULLFINCH; CHAFFINCH; COCCOTHRAUSTES; FRISOILLA.] 



FINGER [SKELETON; HAND.] 



FINGERLINO, the young of the Salmon. [SALMONID.E.] 



FINSCALE. [LECCISCUS.] 



FIR. [ABIES; Pisus.1 



FIRE-FLAIRE. [TRYOON.] 



FIRE-FLY. [ELATERID.B; LAUPTRIDX.] 



FIRE-STONE, a local term for the Upper Greensand, as it occurs 

 along the edges of the chalk-hills south of London, as at Mesterham 

 and Petersfield. (Fitton, 'On Greensand,' in 'Geol. Trans.') 



FIKOLA. [NCCLEOBRANCHIATA.] 



FISH (French, Poisson : German, Fisch), a name applied to all the 

 species of a class of animals occupying the lowest station of the four 

 great divisions of the section Vertebraia. 



A Fish may be denned as a Vertebrate Animal, breathing through 

 the medium of water by means of branching or gills, having one 

 auricle and one ventricle to the heart, cold red blood, and extremities 

 formed for swimming. 



In considering fishes, perhaps the most important thing which 

 offers itself to our attention is the apparatus called the Branchia-, or 

 Gills. This apparatus is situated on each side of the neck, and consists 

 of numerous lamina: fixed on arches. These lamin.-c are covered with 

 innumerable blood-vessels, and are so constructed as to present a con- 

 siderable surface to the water, so that the blood may receive a 

 sufficient portion of the oxygen contained in that element. As the 

 water in contact with the gills becomes deteriorated, it is necessary 

 that a constant current be caused to flow over them. In most fishes 

 this is effected by their taking the water in at the mouth and expelling 

 it from under th? gill-covers. The blood, which is constantly sent to 

 the bronchia! from the heart, is distribute 1 by means of the arteries 

 to every part of the body, whence it returns to the heart by means of 

 the reins. 



Kir. 1 



the fore legs constituting what is termed the Pectoral Fins (fg. 1, a), 

 and the posterior extremities the Ventral (fly. 1,6); besides these fin* 

 ordinary fishes are furnished with one or two Dorsal Fins (]i>j. 1, c c), 

 :ui Anal Fin (fg. 1, </), and a Caudal Fin, or tail. 



All these fins are not always present, nor when present are they 

 always in the same relative positions; and we shall hereafter t'uul 

 that both the absence of certain fins, and the peculiar position of 

 these organs, afford characters in the classification of fishes. Tln> tins 

 consist of a thin elastic membrane supported by rays. The rays aiv 

 of two kinds those which consist of a single bony piece, usually 

 hard and pointed, are termed spinoua rays ; aud when the rays are 

 formed of numerous portions of bone united by articulations, and 

 frequently divided longitudinally into several filaments, they are 

 called flexible rays. The principal organ of motion is the tail ; the 

 dorsal and ventral fins apparently serve. to balance the fish, and the 

 pectorals to arrest its progress when required. 



The Bones of fishes are of a less dense and compact nature than in 

 the higher orders of animals, and always remain in an isolate*! 

 similar to that of the embryo of the Mammalia, The skeleton may 

 be divided into four chief parts the vertebral column, the head, the 

 respiratory apparatus, and the limbs. The vertebral column consists 

 of vertebra! which are concave at each end and pierced in the middle ; 

 and when joined together the hollow space between each two is 

 occupied by a gelatinous substance, which passes from one space to 

 the next through the hole in each bone. This hole is usually v.iy 

 small, but in some of the Chondropterygians it is so large that the 

 bodies of the vertebrae are mere rings. To the vertebra: are attached 

 the ribs ; in fact the ribs are the main support of all the other bones. 

 The head varies more in form than in any other class of vertebrate 

 animals. The same bones as those found in other oviparous animal* 

 are almost always traceable. We shall confine our observations to 

 those which are most frequently referred to in technical description*. 



Fig. 3. 



Fig. 2, upper jaw of a Trout : f, intermaxillary bone ; /, maxillary bone." 

 Fig. 3, front view of the mouth of a Trout: I, the vomcr furnished with 



teeth ; m BI, palatine bones also furnished with teeth ; n, the tongue iili 



recurved teeth. 



The upper jaw consists of maxillary and intermaxillary bones ; in 

 the greater number of fishes the intermaxillary bones (/</. 1, e) con- 



Fig. 1, Skeleton of Common Perch. 



a, the pectoral fin ; , the ventral fln j e r, the doriul Hni ; i, the anal fln ; <, tho intermaxillary bone j /, the maxillary bone ; g, the opcrculuni j , the 

 rub.oprrciilnm ; i, the prc-oprrculum ; *, the intcr.opcrculum. 



stitnto the chief portion of tho upper jaw, the maxillary bones 

 (fly- I./) being placed behind and parallel to thrni >md articulated to 

 the vomer. (Pig. 3, 1) In the salmon tribe and some other fishes how- 



Ac the breathing apparatus in the fish is suited to aquatic habits, so 

 likewise is every part of its structure. The body is generally of an 

 elongate oval compressed form, covered with scales directed back- 

 wards, and furnished with fins ; thus being beautifully adapted for 



ever the intermaxillary bones (fy. 'J. I'"' ' proportion, and 



swimming. Manv fishes moreover hare a bladder filled with air form a continuous lino with the fore-part of the maxillary bones, 

 rituatedfinmediately beneath the spine, by tho dilatation or comprcs- (Ply. 2, /.) In the Chondropterygians tho maxillary and Inter- 

 ion of which their specific gravity is said to be varied. 1 Ifl maxillary bones are reduced to mere rudiments, their functions being 



part of the body is thrown forwards towards the head (so that fishes performed by the bones analogous to the palatines, and sometimes by 

 may be said to have no neck), and thus the hinder part of the body the vomer. 

 is more free and fitted for motion. The limbs are fonnod into fins, ! Tho lower jaw is generally composed of at least two bones on 



