7V//. /./ Ml'- SUCKER. 



B68 



molliisks ami marine worm*. The flesh of this -).,!. * i> linn, white, ami wdl-flavored, ana n. 

 spit.- ..f its snuill size the Dragon- >t r-]>ays tin- tn.ul'l- taken in its capture. It p-n-nill\ 

 n-main- ii'-.n !]. l><>ttoui <>f the Bea, and does not often enter shailou , .-pi \\ h. u young, 



when it approaches the shore, :m<l some; M in tin- n--t of tin- shriiii|xT. 



It is a lovely lish, well deserving its nan- mim-oiis li-au'"ti- i. .1- n- scales glitter 



as if set with ::ems, ami f (Jowdic, or golden, on an-ount of tli" ^ililisl lu-tr.' of its .-\t<-ii<.i 

 The name of Dnigonet ia given to it on account of the dragon- like aspect of the body 

 and tins. 



The color of this beautiful lisli is ^oldi-n-.M-llow of diir-M.-nt shades. variegnUxl with 

 sj)0ts and .sttvaks of s:ip].)iirt upon tin- In -ad and sid-- 'I'll'' u-idcr smfac.- is hit<\ The 

 tiist dui-xil tin ruiisisi^ nf four ra\s tin- tir-t l-iii^ nornn>nsl\ Irn^tlu-n.-d. and ii-aching. if 

 d--pn\MSl. to tin* l-as,- of ill.- tail. The succeeding rays rapi-ll\ diminish in l.-n-ili. tin- fourth 

 n-iii.'ly short, kirely an iiu-h in l.-n-th. Tin- iH-<-t<.i-ds an- mundf<l and triangular. 

 the central ray being the largest The l.-u-th of tin- (inn menus Drugonet is ubout ten or 

 inches. 





/ .* 



UBMMKOOB OKAUONrr -CWdMymw Ignt. 



More than twenty species of Dragonets are known, spread over a very large portion of the 

 -. and inhabiting tin- t-'iiii^rate seas of the Old World, and tin- Indian Ocean from Mo- 



zanil)i(}n' t> tin- \V-st-rn l'a itic Nlan.N. They are marine fishes, and inhabit the bottom 



of the sea at no great distance from the shore. 



WK now come to a very small, but curious family, termed Discoboli, or Quoit-fishes, 

 because the spines of the ventral tins are modified into a flattened disc, something like the 

 quoits of the ancients. This disc has a soft, leather}' margin, and enables them to attach 

 themselves to rocks or stones, after the manner of the gobies. 



A very good example nf tht-se curious fishes maybe found in the LI'MP-SUCKER, oth-r 

 wise called the Li MI- n-n. Si: \-o\vi.. and COCK-PA IIH.K. the latter name being given to it on 

 account of the elevat"! ridi.i- aloni: the l>ark. whirh is covered with :i notched and tnln-n-n- 

 lated skin not unlike the comb of the cork. 



The sucker or disc of this fish is capable of very powerful a/1 hesion. i-etainini; its hold with 



such tenacity, that on one IMT:IM<>U. when :' Lump tish was plac-.-d in a jciil containinir several 



gallons of water, it immediately affixed itself to the Uittoni. and held w> {irmly, that when 



grasped l>y the tail and lifted, it raised the vessel in which it was placed, notwithstanding the 



tnliined weight of the wat*" "0'' " - 'il 



