Tin: ri.KcT"'. \ i ////. Ml 



brad ami Inxiy being grayish-green glowed with i.lu.-. the:,i"l..mei, .,ih.- r \ white, and the 

 passing gradually into white from the darker colors ,,f ill,. I,;,, k. Tin- |-.-i<,ml. ventral, and 

 anal tins :n.- bri-ht i,-,i. ii, ( . | ( >rmer having a tinge of \<-ll<>\\. and tin- dorsal and tail tin* are 

 brownish-red. 



( 'I...-H \ :i lli,-,i to the roach is the DA.CB ( Lettcbctu wlffoHt\ a common and Rmall speciei 

 that inhabits m,,st English streams. The well-known CHUB (Leu . also belong 



t.. tliis ireiius, as does the BLEAK (Lcucitciu atimrniu), in man\ countries called the TAIU.K 

 l.y the ignorant, from the idea that whenever an \ other fish. e..p,. ( -iall\ tin- pike, wounds 

 its skin, it i in in. 1 1 lately seeks the aid of the Bleak, which, by nil'l-in- its I > >d y against the 

 wound, causes the toni skin to close. The beautifully white crystalline dcjH.sit beneath the 



scales was mud Mtd .::':...:.,: ' ,. ";: ' :r ' IrfsJ \--.n '-. l,,,ll..\\ - !.,^> ' - :,i> ! ..-inj \v :i-h.-.l 



in tlif interior with a thin layi-r of this substance, and th.-n filled with white wax. The scab* 

 of the white -hait wen- :iN,i U--.1 for the same purpose. The M i \ x \v (Lewitcut phoxinut) is 

 another ineinU-r of this large genos, and is too well known to need description. 



Wx now come to another family, selecting as an example a tolerably well-known spedes. 



The SLY Sn.i ui -. sometimes called the SHEAT-FISH, is found in many rivers in different 

 parts of the world. 



As may U> seen oy the engravini;. it is a (uri(>u.s-l<M>king fish, and is easily recognizable 

 by the six tentacular appendages of its mouth, the two that are situated on the upper lip 

 being of \ -at length. The precise object of these t.-ntacles is not quite clear, thou-h 



some jH-i^ons U-li.-vi- them to be used as decoys, like the tin rays of the fishing fr..^. and to 

 be employed in enticing unwary fish within reach of the mouth. l>r. (iunther has kindly 

 informed me. that he lias often seen these fishes at liU-rty in their native streams, and that 

 they are capable of din-din:: the |M.ints of the tentacles Towards any object that they seem 

 anxious to examine. It is, therefore, probable, that these curious ap]>endages are employed 

 as organs of touch. It is one of the mud-loving fishes, and has a custom of hiding itself in 

 holes, or nearly burying itself \ n the soft alluvium of the river's U-d. 



The flesh of the SiluniN is not held in \.-r\ high estimation, alilioiich its flavor is 

 for it is so fat and gelatinous, that it is difficult of digestion, and not to be eaten by 

 of small assimilative jH.wers. A kind of coarse isinglass, or very fine glue, is made from the 

 Bwiniminir-bhidder of this fish. The eggs of the Silurus are not very numerous, in |>roj>ortion 

 to the size of the adult fish, and are of a greenish color. They are much eaten by the 

 various fish. 



The color is dark green above the latent! line, and of a paler tint l !.. it. and a number 

 of spots are scattered over the body without any apparent arrangement. The abdomen is of 

 a yellowish color, and the fins are tinted with blue and yellow. The Silurus sometimes 

 reaches a considerable size, specimens of seven feet in length and weighing from w\>-nt\ to 

 eighty pounds having been captured. 



PLECTOGN ATHI. 



A VERT curious order of fishes now comes before our notice. These creatures are called 

 Plectognathi, because their jaws are coalescent. 



Tire remarkable family of the Trunk-fishes, or Sclerodermi, are known by the curious 

 structure of the external surface, which is composed of a series of hard scales forming a con- 

 tinuous bony armor. 



