198 M E M O I R S fl/- /.&(? 
row of feet, towards the back, there was ranged along each fide 
in a dircsi:^ line, a ieries of fmall, thin, ibft, flat fins, in llich 
order, as that each foot exa6t]y anfwered its correfponding fin, lb 
that their number was precifely the lame with that of the feet, 
and they oblerved the lame proportion as to their fize, i\i]\ gra- 
dually diminifliing the nearer they approached towards the tail ; 
Dr. Molyjieu^ diftindtly counted 55 of thefe of a fide, as he had 
done alio of the feet^ each fin was curioufly fringed at the edge, 
with the lame beautifully coloured hair, that covered the fides, 
•^nd part of the back 3 by means of thefe fins it performs its pro- 
grefiivc motion in the water as a fifh, and by means of its feet it 
can creep along the bottom of the lea, as a reptile. Upon open- 
ing it, there appeared a thin membranous gullet, leadmg from 
the mouth to the flomach, about an inch Tong j from tliis was 
continued Uraight downwards the ftomach, of a whitifli colour, 
and of a tough thick texture, confiding of an outward and inward 
membrane, with a fort of interveening fleHiy fabllance, relem- 
bling lomewhat in make, tho' not in figure, the gizzard in Ibme 
fowl j it was as large as the upper joint of a man's little finger j to 
this was annexed the inteftine, of a very different colour and fub- 
Ihnce from the llomach^ for it was rcddifh, loft and tender, and 
of a rnuch Imaller cavity ; it was contmued almoll diretlly, or 
with little circumvolution to the Anus-^ the brams, heart, gills, 
liver, and parts for generation, if they have any, were hardly, if 
at all, to be diftinguiflied^ the muicular parts were very curious, 
large and diftinct • one long continued ftripe of red flelhy fibres, 
about the fixth part of an inch broad, ran dire(fi:ly along the 
middle of the back, from the head down to the tail; this fle/hy 
ftripe fent out from each fide, like fo many rays, thirty fix leve- 
ral pair of fmaller lateral mufcles, which by the confiderable in- 
terftice between them, could be eafily diftinguifhed from each 
other 3 forming lb regular a figure all together, that they might 
very aptly be relembled to the fpine, or back-bone of the ^PaJJer 
mayinusy or common plaice-fim, when it is entire with all its 
ribs, or tranfvcrfe procefles iffuing by pairs from both fides of 
each Vertebra^ from the head down to the tail 3 in this manner 
every particular foot and fin were lupplied with their correfpon- 
dent muJcles, to give them motion, either together or a-part, as 
the neccllity and defign of the animal required 3 and befides, con- 
fidering this Ibrt of nnufcular mechanifm, with the tapering Ihapc 
of the body, and likewile the pofition and ule of the many 
prick ks interfptrled amongft the hairy fhag, that covered the 
rides3 it ieems very evident, that befides its progrefTive motion, it 
had 
