SPOROBOLUS SQUAMIPENNES. 



709 



win* in migration, we are led to conclude that it 

 must be an important one. The flesh of the spoon- 

 bill is more agreeable as food than that of most others 

 of the same family. It wants the rankness which is 

 commonly indicated by what is called a " fishy taste" 

 though any thing but like the taste of fish ; and in 

 this also it approximates to the flat-billed birds, 

 the greater part of which are both wholesome and 

 palatable. 



THE ROSEATE SPOONBILL (P. ajaja), is a native of 

 South America, and considerably smaller in size than 

 the spoonbill of the eastern continent, though, ac- 

 cording to the accounts, its habits are much the 

 same. Its general plumage is of a rosy tint, and the 

 upper parts of the wings and the coverts of the tail 

 are red, of a tint rather bright. It is a native of 

 South America, found in the valleys of the great 

 rivers, and also, on the level plains which are subject 

 to inundations in the rainy season. In old age the 

 red tints of the plumage fade, and the old ones are 

 nearly all over of a dull white colour. The bill is 

 yellowish-green, but dull whitish in the dead subject, 

 and also, as is said, when the bird is alarmed. It is 

 said to be a most assiduous and successful fisher, and 

 to stand in the water up nearly to the tarsal joints, 

 sweeping around it in semicircles, and very dexte- 

 rously catching at the fry and small fishes that come 

 within its reach. 



SPOROBOLUS (Dr. R. Brown). A genus of 

 tropical herbs, bearing triandrous flowers, and belong- 

 ing to Graminete. None of them are cultivated. 



SPREGELIA (Smith). A pretty flowering ever- 

 green shrub, from New Holland, belonging to Epa- 

 cndccc. The plant thrives best in a shady situation 

 dining summer, and at all times requires to be cau- 

 tiously watered. 



SQUALUS, the common systematic name of the 

 sharks. See the article SHARK. 



SQUAMIPENNES. The name which Cuvier 

 has given to his sixth family of spinous-finned fishes, 

 and which is given them on account of their fins 

 being covered with scales (Squanus], not only on the 

 parts which have soft rays, but frequently also on 

 those that have spinous ones. They were all in- 

 cluded by LinntEus in the genus CH^ETODON, in con- 

 sequence of the hair or bristle-like form of their 

 teeth ; and we have given a short general sketch of 

 the family under that title. We now revert to the 

 subject for the purpose of introducing a representation 

 of one of the most singularly formed of the genus ; 

 and we may at the same time mention that, notwith- 

 standing the singularity of their forms, these fishes 

 are, in point of colours at least, among the greatest 

 living beauties of the sea. The ground colour of 

 their bodies is generally silvery, with a very rich 

 metallic lustre ; but this is marked with every colour 

 that can well be named, and always of the most 

 glowing tint. They show clearly the intimate 

 connexion which there is between those beams of 

 the sun, which are the immediate cause of the 

 appearance of the colours, and the modification of the 

 surface, by means of which the coloured light is 

 reflected to the eye of the observer. No fishes of the 

 high latitudes have any colours so brilliant as are 

 found upon these, neither have any which inhabit 

 the depths of the tropical seas, or range over them in 

 their breadth. These fishes remain near the shores 

 and rocks in the shallow waters, and they are always 

 near the surface. They are chiefly small fishes ; but 



their flesh is, generally speaking, as wholesome and 

 palatable as'their colours are beautiful ; and, from the 

 nature of their haunts, they are easily captured, 

 though some of the species have formidable spines, 

 by which they wound those that incautiously handle 

 them. 



The following is a representation of the chelmon 

 which remains near the aquatic vegetation and shoots 

 the flies, by projecting upon the fly one large drop of 

 water, which brings it down to the surface, where the 

 fish swallows it. 



This fish is found indiscriminately in the salt water, 

 and at a considerable distance up the rivers. 



G. rostratus. 



One very singular member of this family is the 

 buffalo fish of the oriental isles, so called by the 

 Malays, who are the chief inhabitants of the coast, 

 and the people most conversant with ihe sea in those 

 parts of the world. In some of its characters it re- 

 sembles the Ep/iippii, or horsemen, noticed in the 

 article already referred to ; but it has a projecting 

 horn above each eye, and a prominent crest on the 

 forehead, with various other characters, which entitle 

 it to be the type of a separate genus of this most 

 singular family. Cnvier has given it the name of 

 Taurichthys, which is of course only the Greek for 

 its Malay name of Ikan-carbauw, buft'alo-fish, or 

 bull-fish. 



The remaining principal genera of the scaly-finned 

 fish, exclusive of those that have been hinted at in 

 the former article and in this, which may perhaps be 

 considered as subgenera of Clxetodon, are as fol- 

 low : 



BRAMA. These have scales on the vertical fins, 

 and only a few spinous rays in these fins almost 

 wholly concealed under the membrane. They have 

 slender bent teeth placed like those of a card on the 

 jaws, and also on the palatal bones ; they have the 

 muzzle very short arid blunt, the profile descending 

 rapidly, and the mouth when shut directed upwards, 

 so as to be almost vertical ; they have scales on the 

 edges of the jaws, inner gill rays, and their stomach 

 and intestines are rather small, with five ccecal ap- 

 pendages to the latter. One species is found in the 

 Mediterranean, and some times in the Atlantic, though 



