FLKXIHLE-FINNKI) FlSllKS. 39 



iiiul iimny spccii's of uarli rainily, then' nrv no gri-at subordiimtf 

 ili\isiuns. 



Of tlie Hfxiljlr-liimrtl fishes, on the eoiitraiy, thtre are 

 three stroiij^ly-dctiucd divisiuus, of uhieh the hugcst is that 

 containing 



'V\ic Abdominal Malncopli-nj^fit : in all of whieh the two ventral 

 tins, iu», arc situate on the belly, attacheil t<j the walls of the 

 stouinch, and deriving no support from the bones of the shoulder. 

 To tliis division belongs, among many others, the subject of the 

 outline cut on page .'iT, the European Lake Trout ; and, as a 

 consequence, all the family of the SalmonliLv. The fishes of 

 this division can be readily distinguished, on a mere external 

 examination, by the fact that the ventral fins, an, are situated 

 much farther back than in those of the next division, oceupving 

 a position nearly longitudinally posterior to the pectorals, aa; 

 while in those to which I next proceed, they an; nearlv vertically 

 below them. 



The second grand division of the flcxible-finued fishes consists 

 of the Siid-brar/iiul Malacojjtmjf/ii ; in all of whieh the ventral 

 fins, H n, jirc placed very near to the pectorals, a \, the bones 

 supporting the former being attached to the bones of the 

 shoulder which support the latter. The term sub-brachial 

 briefly expresses this formation, signifying " having lower arms" 

 — to which human limb the reference is pointed by the 

 connection of the fin, in this division, to the shonldcr. 



The third di\i>ion of the flexible-finned fishes, to whieh 1 

 allude mthcr to complete the subject, than that they fall reguhirlv 

 into the anglerS* way, cousints of those designated by Haron 

 Cuvier as the .Ipotial Malaroptfrygii ; in all of uhiili the 



