FISHES. 315 



humerals to the pelvis ; another from the pelvis to the anal ; the third 

 from the anal to the caudal ; they are also well seen in the trout. 

 Sometimes, as in the cyprins, the first pair is intersected by tendons, 

 and is attached more or less to the lateral muscles. In certain species 

 with depressed bodies, the lophius for example, the inferior muscles 

 are not distinguished from the inferior portion of tlie lateral muscles, 

 which have themselves the appearance of the abdominal muscles. 



Muscles proper to the Caudal Fhi. 



There are three descriptions of these muscles ; the first series are 

 superficial, the second deep seated, the last proceeding from one ray 

 to another. 



The superficial (Nos. 11, 11) partially adhere to the aponeurosis 

 which terminates the great lateral muscle of the body, and by which 

 this muscle is inserted into the caudal. The small muscles which 

 this aponeurosis supports, spread out like a fan, to be inserted 

 obliquely into a greater or lesser number of rays. 



Those which pass from one ray to another (Nos. 12, 12) are 

 situated between their bases, and take a direction more backwards 

 than the preceding ones. 



The deep seated muscles ("Nos. 9, 10) can only be discovered 

 when the great lateral muscle is removed. They adhere to the end 

 of the spine, particularly to the vertebrae, compressed into the form of 

 a triangle which terminates it, and supports the caudal fin ; the one is 

 superior the other inferior. They may be often separated into two 

 layers : their insertion into the bases of the rays, is made by slips 

 concealed under those of the terminal aponeurosis of the great lateral 

 muscle. 



Sometimes, particidarly in the perch, there is a third muscle (No. 

 13), whicharises from the middle of the height of the A'ertebree, between 

 the two preceding ones, and which ascends to the superior part of the 

 fin : it must then co-operate with the superficial muscles and those 

 between the rays in contracting the fin. The deep-seated muscles as 

 well as the large lateral muscles must support it on the side. 



The Proper Muscles of the Dorsal and Anal Fins. 



The description of these muscles is extremely simple, in conse- 

 quence of the strict imifoniiity of their arrangement, and because 

 each of the rays has six, or in other words, has four deep-seated, and 

 two superficial muscles. 



The superficial muscles (Nos. 2, 2, 2) are inserted in the ring at 

 the sides of the base, the one to the right and the other to the 

 left ; they are placed as layers on the large muscles of the body, in a 

 manner which is tranverse to their direction, and are attached to the 

 skin. Their length, and the power which they possess are by so 

 much the- more considerable, as the fish avails itself of the resource 

 furnished by its vertical fins to strike the water right and left, and as 

 the motion of the rays in this direction has greater freedom. The 

 perch, which we have selected as the object for our rejjresentations 

 in the plates, is furnished with such as have a moderate degree of 

 length. 



