106 APRIL. 



tually buried in the mud of the bottom. Hence, by an 

 unprecedented exception to the symmetry which marks 

 the organs of sense in all other vertebrate animals, both 

 of the eyes are placed on the same side of the head, 

 one above the other. They are, however, frequently 

 not in the same line, and one is often smaller and less 

 developed than the other. 



In addition to these peculiarities, we may remark, 

 that the spine makes a sudden twist near the head to 

 one side ; that the bones of the head are not symmetri- 

 cal ; that the two sides of the mouth are unequal ; that 

 the pectoral and ventral fins of the under side are gener- 

 ally smaller than those of the upper; and that the 

 dorsal and anal fins generally correspond to each other, 

 the one fringing the whole length of the dorsal, the 

 other that of the ventral edge of the body. 



We must not suppose that these peculiarities are 

 defects and mistakes ; nor, like Buffon, when he found 

 some structure or habit which was at variance with 

 his preconceived notions of fitness, accuse the all-wise 

 God of bungling in His work. They are merely ex- 

 amples of that inscrutable wisdom, those inexhaustible 

 resources of power and skill, which can and often do 

 delight to attain the most worthy ends by the most un- 

 expected roads, in which we can only follow, as the 

 way is opened up to us, and wonderingly adore. Let 



