232 



Erca&trg of Datura! 1ft t's torn ; 



covered with very minute spines, and the 

 general colour is grey, inclining to brown on 

 the upper parts, arid varied with irregular, 

 dusky, subtransverse undulations and spots : 

 both tins and tail are of a light brown colour, 

 the latter marked by a few dusky bars. It 

 is a native of the Indian and American seas, 

 and feeds chiefly on crustaceous and testa- 

 ceous marine animals. The European FILE- 

 Fisn {Balistes capriscus) is a species well 

 known to the older authors as an inhabitant 

 of the Mediterranean ; and instances have 

 occurred, though they are extremely rare, of 

 their having been taken on our own coasts. 

 The shape is ovate ; general colour viola- 

 ceous grey, sometimes variegated both on 

 the body and fins with blue or red spots ; 

 first or small dorsal fin furnished with three 

 or four rays, the first of which is very strong ; 

 tail rounded. The peculiar structure of the 

 first or dorsal fin is worthy of notice : the 

 bones or rays are so contrived to act in con- 

 cert with considerable force in suddenly ele- 

 vating the fin at pleasure; and how hard 

 soever the foremost be pressed, it will not 

 stir ; but if the last be only lightly pressed, 

 the other two immediately fall down with 

 it i as a cross-bow is let off by pulling down 

 the trigger. For this reason the fish is called 

 on the Italian shores of the Mediterranean 

 by the name of Pesce Balestra. 



We shall describe but one more species, 

 which is the singular species named the 

 ACULEATED FILE-FISH (JBalistes acideatus). 

 This is twelve or fourteen inches long ; of a 

 rufous brown colour, with a few purplish 

 bands across the hinder part of the belly, 

 and sometimes along the middle of the body : 

 from the top of the eye to the crown four 

 bright blue lines diverge, so as to form a 

 blue-striped lozenge on that part ; while 

 from the bottom of the eye three or four 

 longer lines of the same colour reach as far 

 as the pectoral fin, the space between the 

 lines being blackish. The skin is rough, 

 and strongly crossed with reticular squares : 

 on each side the end of the body three lon- 

 gitudinal rows of spines : tail rounded. It 

 is a native of the Indian, American, and 

 Red seas ; varies in colour, and is sometimes 

 of a bright golden hue. 



FINCHES. A numerous group of birds, 

 ! embracing not only some of the most beau- 

 tiful, but also some of the most agreeable of 

 the feathered tribe. [See FIUXGILLIO^.] 



FIRE-FLY. The name generally given 

 to any insect which has the singular property 

 of emitting a luminous secretion. [See 

 ELATEB : GLOW-WORM : LAMITKIS.] 



FISHING-FROG. [See AXGLER.] 



FISSIROSTRES. The name of a tribe of 

 Pm-liing Birds, comprehending those which 

 j have a very wide gape, as the Swallow. 



FISTULARIA. The name given to a 



! genus of fishes, distinguished by elongated 

 j or tube -like noses and cylindrical bodies. 

 j [See PirE-Fisii.] 



FITCHET. An animal of the weasel 

 I kind. [See POLECAT.] 



FISH, or FISHES. (Pisces.) The name 

 by which we designate the various species of 

 a class of vertebrate animals inhabiting the 

 water; which breathe through the medium of 

 that fluid by means of branchiae or gills, in- 

 stead of lungs ; which swim by means of 

 fins ; and are mostly covered with carti- 

 laginous scales. Though the external form 

 varies, by far the greater part possess con- 

 siderable similarity of conformation an 

 elongated oval ; a figure which enables them 

 with greater celerity and ease than any other 

 to traverse the aqueous element. They are 

 also, for the most part, furnished with an air 

 bladder in the interior of the body, (an oblong 

 white membranous bag close to the back- 

 bone,) bythe dilation or compression of which 

 their specific gravity is said to be varied, 

 and by which they are enabled to rise and 

 sink in the water. In most osseous fishes, 

 this organ extends along the back of the ab- 

 domen, between the kidneys and the chy- 

 lopoietic viscera, and sometimes beneath the 

 caudal vertebras to near the end of the tail. 

 It is seldom bifurcated ; still more seldom 

 divided lengthwise into two bladders : it is 

 oftener divided crosswise into two compart- 

 ments, which intercommunicate by a con- 

 tracted orifice ; or are quite separate. All 

 parts of their bodies seem adapted to ac- 

 celerate their motion ; their fins, their tails, 

 and the undulation of their back bones 

 assist progression their whole structure, in 

 short, being as evidently adapted for swim- 

 ming as that of a bird is for flight. 



The fins consist of a thin elastic membrane 

 supported by bony rays,and are denominated, 

 according to their position, dorsal, pectoral, 

 ventral, anal, or caudal: the dorsal and 

 ventral fins apparently serve to balance the 

 fish, and the pectoral to push the creature 

 forward, or to arrest its progress when re- 

 quired ; the anal fin occupies that part 

 which lies between the anus and the tail, 



others perpendicular, seems to be the grand 

 instrument of motion ; the fins being all 

 subservient to it, and only giving direction 

 . Yet the fins are 



and this serves to keep the fish in its up- 

 right or vertical position : but the tail, 

 which in some fishes is horizontal, and in 



, 



to its powerful impetu 

 important, not only as organs of motion, but 

 as affording by their structure, position, and 

 number, materials for distinguishing orders, 

 families, and genera. The surface of the 

 body is termed naked, when destitute of 

 scales ; scaly, when furnished with them ; 

 smooth, when the scales are without angles ; 

 lubiurous, when provided with a mucus ; 

 loricate, or mailed, when enclosed in a hard 

 integument ; fasciate or banded, when 

 marked with zones from the back to the 

 belly ; tuberculate, spiuous, striped, reti- 

 culate, &c. 



Nature appears to have fitted this class_ of 

 animals with appetites and powers of an in- 

 ferior kind ; and formed them for a sort of 

 passive existence in the heavy element in 

 which they live. To preserve their own ex- 

 istence, and to continue it to their posterity, 

 fill up the whole circle of their pursuits and 

 enjoyments ; and to these they seem im- 

 pelled rather by necessity than choice. 



