Popular SCrtfanarj) at gmmatetr Mature. 17 



and depressed like those of the other shark 

 tribe. The eyes are small, and behind each 

 is an orifice in the shape of a crescent. The 

 back is of a pale ash-colour, and extremely 

 rough, having a prickly tuberculated line 



down the middle ; the belly is white and 

 smooth ; the pectoral fins are large, and 

 extend horizontally to a considerable dis- 

 tance ; the ventral fins are also placed in 

 the same manner, and the tail is bifurcated. 

 The Angel-fish is met with on many parts 

 of the British coasts, but is most numerous 

 on the Southern. It is very voracious, and 

 feeds on the smaller flat-fishes, which swim 

 close to the bottom ; and, like them, it oc- 

 casionally hides itself in the loose soft soil. It 

 is exceedingly fierce, and dangerous to ap- 

 proach ; nor does it look less fierce or malig- 

 nant than it really is. It sometimes attains 

 the length of seven or eight feet, and weighs 

 nearly a hundred pounds ; but instances of 

 this are comparatively rare. Formerly the 

 flesh was held in high estimation, but it is 

 now disregarded as rank and coarse. The 

 skin, being rough, is used to polish wood and 

 ivory, as well as for other uses in the arts. 



ANGLER. (Lophius piscatariits.) This 

 extraordinary fish is not unfrequently met 

 with on our coasts, and is known also by the 

 names of the Fishing-frog, Toad-fish, and 

 Sea Devil. It is the most uncouth, ill-shapen 

 of the piscatory tribe, resembling the frog 

 in its tadpole state, from which it derives 

 one of its common appellations. The head, 

 which is circumferentially larger than the 

 whole body, is flat on the top ; the mouth 

 nearly as wide as the head ; the lower jaw 

 is considerably longer than the upper, and 

 bearded all round the edge ; both jaws are 

 armed with numerous sharp conical teeth, 

 curving inwards. The nostrils have no ex- 

 ternal orifice, but there are two internal ones 

 which supply their place ; the eyes are large. 



the irides brown, and the pupils black 

 pectoral fins broad, rounded at the edge 

 and wide at the base ; ventral fins broad, 

 thick, and fleshy, jointed like arms, and 



divided in the insides. The colour of the 

 upper surface of the body is brown, the 

 lower part white, and the skin smooth 

 throughout : ventral and pectoral fins white ; 

 tail nearly approaching to black. The Com- 

 mon Angler is usually about three, but 

 sometimes it is six feet in length ; lives, as 

 _t were, in ambush, at the bottom of the sea; 

 and by means of its fins it stirs up the mud 

 and sand so as to conceal itself from other 

 fishes on whom it preys. 



Allied to the Common Angler, above de- 

 scribed, are six others: 1. The CORNISH 

 ANGLER (Lophivs Cwnubicus), which is of a 

 longer form, with the head more bony, rough, 

 and aculeated, as well as destitute of the 

 fringed appendages. 2. The MUKICATKD 

 ANGLER (Lopiiius muricatus) ; body very 

 flat, orbicular, and covered above with very 

 numerous small tubercles tipped with di- 

 vided or radiated spines ; hind part con- 

 tracting suddenly, covered with similar 

 spines, and terminated by the tail-fin. 3. 

 The BEAKED ASOLKR (Lophius rostratus) : 

 this is a native of the South American seas, 

 from twelve to eighteen inches long ; the 

 body broad in the middle, tapering toward* 

 the tail, and strongly acuminated in front, so 

 as to form a sharp-pointed lengthened snout ; 

 mouth of moderate width ; pectoral fins situ- 

 ated on very strong arm-shaped bases ; tail 

 rounded at the end ; and the whole animal 

 covered above with numerous roundish, 

 crenated tubercles, with pointed tops. 4. 

 The HARLEQUIN ANGLER (Lophius histria). 

 A most grotesque and singular fish ; body 

 thick, but much compressed; ventral fins 

 resembling short arms, being situated very 

 forward, and palmated at their tips ; dorsal 

 fin large, and extending from the middle of 

 the back nearly to the tail, which is of a 

 rounded shape. Above the upper lip rises 

 a long and slender cartilaginous process or 

 filament, dividing at top into two dilated 

 oval and pointed appendages : beyond this 

 a strong and fleshy process, terminated by a 

 few filaments ; and beyond this a much 

 larger and thicker process, tipped like the 

 former ; lower tip and dorsal fin bearded 

 with scattered cirri ; and the whole animal 

 of a yellow-brown colour, irregularly mar- 

 bled with brown or blackish variegations, 

 here and there edged with white. 5. The 

 STRIPED ANGLER (Lophius striatus). This 

 fish is nearly allied to the Lophius histrio, 

 but differing in being marked all over, chiefly 

 in a transverse direction, by very numerous 

 narrow black streaks. It is a native of the 

 Pacific Ocean. 6. The MARBLED ANGL 

 (Lophius marmoratus) : of an oval shape ; 

 body slightly compressed ; back arched, and 

 furnished with a long, single, and rather 

 narrow fin, extending nearly to the tail ; 

 ventral fins short, arm-shaped, and termi- 

 nated by thick lobes, so as to resemble the 

 paws of a quadruped : colour on the upper 

 parts black-brown, with a few bluish clouds 

 and spots ; on the lower parts whitish, and 

 on the sides of the fish the white parts edged 

 with a dull red : eyes white, radiated with 

 black : mouth wide ; and above the upper 

 lip a long filament, forking into two at the 

 tip. 



c 3 



