Ai^TERIOR LIJIBS OF SIRDS, ETC. 89 



clopterus lumjms,) often seen hanging up in the 

 shops of London, the pectoral fins unite with 

 the ventral fins beneath the throat, and form a 

 single disc, constituting a sucker. By this 

 apparatus, the lump-fish adheres firmly to 

 rocks, or large masses of stone — a power the 

 more needful, as it is slow in its actions. 



" As the lump-fish,'" says Mr. Yarrell, " is 

 retentive of life, its power of adhesion is some- 

 times made the subject of experiment." Pen- 

 nant says, that " on placing a fish of this spe- 

 cies, just caught, in a pail of water, it fixed 

 itself so firmly to the bottom, that, on taking it 

 by the tail, the whole pail, by that means, was 

 lifted, though it held some gallons, and that 

 without removing the fish from its hold." 



In the month of March, the colours of the 

 lump-fish are in the highest perfection, com- 

 bining various shades of blue, j^^rple, and 

 orange ; its flesh is at that time of superior 

 excellence. 



Two other Bi'itish fishes, the unctuous 

 sucker, and Montagu's sucking-fish, (Liparis 

 vulgaris, and Liparis Montagui,) have the pec- 

 toral and ventral fins also united and surround- 

 ing a single disc. In two other British spe- 

 cies, the Cornish sucker, {Lepidogaster Cornuhi- 



