Qi'cttamun flf &iumatctt $<iture. 235 



impels it. The rest of the fins, therefore, so j oviparous : the former are the least prolific, 

 far as respects motion, seem to be merely ] and yet they produce in amazing abun- 



subsidiary to this. In their mechanical use ] d 

 the anal fin may he reckoned the keel ; the 



ventral fins outriggers ; the pectoral fins the 

 oars ; and if there be any similitude between 

 these parts of a boat and a fish, observe that 

 it is not the resemblance of imitation, but 



j the likeness wi.ich arises from applying 

 similar mechanical means to the same pur- 



; pose. 1 " 



Professor Miiller concludes, from his ex- 

 periments, ' that the air-bladder in fishes, in 

 addition to other uses, serves the purpose of 



; the viviparous blenny, for instance, 

 produces two or three hundred at a time. 



Those which exclude their progeny in eggs, 

 and are obliged to leave them to chance, at 

 the bottom of shallow water, or floating on 

 the surface, where it is deeper, are much 

 more prolific ; the stock being in some mea- 

 sure proportioned to the danger there is of 

 its consumption. Mr. Harmer, in the Phi- 

 losophical Transactions, vol. 57., and re- 

 cently, Mr. Jesse, have each given a Table, 

 showing the different degrees of fecundity in 



1 increasing by resonance the intensity of the I several kinds of fish : they correspond in 

 sonorous undulations communicated from j almost every instance ; it is therefore fair 

 ; water to the body of the fish.' The vibra- i to presume that the one U derived from the 

 | tions thus communicated to the peri- and 



endo-lymph of the labyrinth are doubtless 

 made to beat more strongly upon the deli- 

 cate extremities of the acoustic nerve, in 

 osseous fishes, by their effect upon the sus- 

 pended otolites, also relate to the medium 

 through which the sonorous vibrations are 

 propagated to the fish, and to the mode in 

 which they are transmitted to the organ ; in 

 like manner as the eye-balls are expanded 

 in order to take in the utmost possible 

 amount of light. The contracted cneepha- 

 lon harmonises with and suffices for the sen- 

 sations and volitions, and the simple series 

 of ideas daily repeated in the monotonous 

 existence of the scaled inhabitants of the 

 waters. To say that the fish's ears and eyes 

 were made enormous in order to strike 

 strongly on its dull brain that the develop- 

 ment of the organs of sense has been exag- 

 gerated to compensate for the defective size 

 of their nervous centres implies a want of 

 due appreciation of the beautiful adjust- 

 ment of the labyrinth and eyeball to the 

 conditions under which the fish receives its 

 impressions of the sonorous and luminous 

 undulations." 



It would be impossible, unless we devoted 

 very considerable space to the subject, to 

 enter into all the minutiae respecting the 

 anatomy, physiology, and habits of Fishes ; 

 and sufficient for the purposes of this work, 

 it is hoped, will be found in the descriptions 

 which are given of the various species be- 

 longing to tliis large class of animals. We 

 shall therefore conclude, with a few general 

 observations, derived from different authors. 

 In every point of view Fishes appear in- 

 ferior to terrestrial animals ; in the sim- 

 plicity of their conformation, in their senses, 

 and in their enjoyments ; but theirs is an 

 uniform existence, their movements are 

 without effort, and their lives without labour: 

 their bodies, instead of experiencing the ri- 

 gidity of age, which is the cause of natural 

 decay in land animals, still continue in- 

 creasing with fresh supplies ; and as their 

 bodies grow, the conduits of life furnish their 

 stores in greater abundance. How long a 

 Fish, which seems to have hardly any bounds 

 prescribed to its growth, continues to live, is 

 not ascertained ; but we have sufficient evi- 

 dence of the extraordinary age of some 

 Fishes. Their fecundity is, however, much 

 more extraordinary than their longevity. 

 Some produce their young alive j others are 



other. 



To which he adds, "The Salmon is far 

 more productive than any of these ; the 

 ovarlum of one female salmon will produce 

 20,000,000 eggs. 



"That fish have the power of hearing, 

 there can, I think, be no doubt, as I have 

 seen them suddenly move at the report of a 

 gun, though it was impossible for them to 

 see the flash. They also appear to have the 

 sense of smelling, as they will prefer paste 

 and worms that have been prepared with 

 particular perfumes. They have also some 

 curiosity, which I have witnessed by putting 

 some new object into the water, which they 

 have assembled around, and appeared to 

 reconnoitre : carp, especially, would come 

 up to a new fish which was put amongst 

 them. Roach, and other small kinds, are 

 perfectly aware of, and are careful to avoid, 

 those fish which prey upon them. Thus, I 

 have seen large carp swim amongst a shoal 

 of roach without in the least disturbing 

 them, while, if a pike comes near them, they 

 make off in every direction. Fish appear, 

 also, to be capable of entertaining affection 

 for each other. I once caught a female pike 

 during the spawning season, and nothing 

 could drive the male away from the spot at 

 which the female disappeared, whom he had 

 followed to the very edge of the water." 



" It may be considered as a law," observes 

 Mr. Yarrell, that those Fish wliich swim 

 near the surface of the water have a high 

 standard of respiration, a low degree of 

 muscular irritability, great necessity for 

 oxygen, die soon almost immediately when 



