THE SUCKING FISH. 273 



about after their heart has been torn out, and 

 turtles have lived for months after the removal 

 of the whole brain from the cranium. The long- 

 continued power of motion in parts which have 

 been cut off from the body, as in the tail of the 

 water-newt and blind-worm, may be explained 

 upon the same principles." 



The length of time that this irritability exists 

 in snakes, has given rise to the opinion of the 

 vulgar, that " if a snake is killed in the morn- 

 ing, it will not die before sunset." Among 

 numerous instances of irritability in the warm- 

 blooded class, shortly after death the heart may 

 be stimulated to perform its natural action, by 

 being punctured ; and in a limb after amputa- 

 tion, the muscles are excited to contract by a 

 scalpel being plunged into them. 



The sucking-fish is commonly found adhering 

 to the body of the shark. It is placed, by 

 Cuvier, among the third order of fishes, or the 

 Malacopttrygiens suhhracJiiens, which is charac- 

 terized " Par des ventrales attachees sous les 

 pectorales, et dont le bassin est immediatement 

 suspendu aux os de I'epaule." Its generic cha- 

 racter is as follows : — Head furnished above with 

 a flat, ovate, transversely sulcated shield. Gill 

 membrane six-rayed. Body without scales. 



When first removed from the water, the 



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