SALiMONlD/E. 47 



witli the form and peculiarities of the head, not forgetting its relative 

 proportion to the entire length of the body. 



Of no less value is the arrangement of the teeth in the different 

 classes, families and species of fish ; there being, on this point, infinitely 

 greater variety than can be imagined by persons who have given their 

 attention only to the structure of quadrupeds. 



" The teeth," says Mr. Yarrel, in the introduction to his fine work 

 on British Fishes — from which I have taken the liberty of borrowing 

 the last cut, descriptive of the gill-covers and dental system of the 

 Salmon, Bull-Trout, and common Trout — " of fishes are so constant, 

 as well as permanent in their characters, as to be worthy of particular 

 attention. In the opinion of the best icthyologists, they are second 

 only to the fins, which in their number, situation, size and form, are 

 admitted to be of first-rate importance. 



" Some fishes have teeth attached to all the bones that assist in form- 

 ing the cavity of the mouth and pharynx, to the intermaxillary, the 

 maxillary, and palatine bones, the vomer, the tongue, the branchial 

 arches supporting the gills, and the pharyngeal bones. Sometimes 

 the teeth are uniform in shape on the various bones, at others differing. 

 One or more of these bones are sometimes without teeth of any sort ; 

 and there are fishes that have no teeth whatever on any of them. The 

 teeth are named according to the bones upon which they are placed; 

 and are referred to, as maxillary, intermaxillary, palatine, vomerine, 

 &c. — depending upon their position. 



" A reference to page 4G, will show the situation of the teeth in the 

 Trout, with five rows on the upper surface of the mouth, and foui 

 rows below; the particular bones upon which these rows are placed, 

 are also referred to." 



Mr. Yarrel then proceeds to descant, somewhat too largely for 

 extraction in a work of this description, on the form, position and uses 

 of the various teeth in different families of fishes ; but the gist of his 

 remarks I prefer combining under the heads of the various fishes to 

 which they belong; and I shall only add here, that in some species 

 the teeth are arranged as in the Salmonidce, in duplicate or triplicate 

 rows of single teeth ; in others in don.se patches, occupying sometimes 

 the greater part of the palat!^, set like the bristles on a shoe-brush, as 

 in the JSsocidcc or Pike family; and again in others, as the species 



