CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 



643 



ings, the deviations of which from the usual 

 form of fishes are beyond the power of words 

 to describe, and scarcely of the pencil to 

 draw. In this class we have the Pipe Fish, 

 that almost tapers to a thread, and the Sun 

 Fish, that has the appearance of a bulky 

 head, but the body cut off in the middle; 

 the Hippocampus, with ahead somewhat like 

 that of a horse, and the Water Bat, whose 

 head can scarcely be distinguished from the 

 body. In this class we find the Fishing Frog, 

 which from its deformity some have called 

 the Sea Devil ; the Chimaera, the Lump Fish, 

 the Sea Porcupine, and the Sea Snail. Of 

 all these the history is but little known; and 

 naturalists supply the place with descrip- 

 tion. 



The Sun Fish sometimes grows to a very 

 large size ; one taken near Plymouth was 

 five hundred weight. In form it resembles a 

 bream, or some deep fish cut off in the mid- 

 dle: the mouth is very small, and contains in 

 each jaw two broad teeth, with sharp edges: 

 the colour of the back is dusky and dnppled, 

 and the belly is of a silvery white. When 

 boiled, it has been observed to turn to a glu- 

 tinous jelly, and would most probably serve 

 for all the purposes of isinglass, were it found 

 in sufficient plenty. 



The Fishing Frog in shape very much re- 

 sembles a tadpole or young frog; but then a 

 tadpole of enormous size, for it grows to above 

 five feet long, and its mouth is sometimes a 

 y:rd wide. Nothing can exceed its deformi- 

 ty. The head is much bigger than the whole 

 body; the under jaw projects beyond the up- 

 per, and both are armed with rows of slender 

 sharp teeth : the palate arid the tongue are 

 furnished with teeth in like manner: the eyes 

 are placed on the top of the head, and are en- 

 compassed with prickles: immediately above 

 the nose, are two long beards or filaments, 

 small in the beginning, but thicker at the end, 

 and round : these, as it is said, answer a very 

 singular purpose; for being made somewhat 

 resembling a fishing- line, it is asserted, that 

 the animal converts them to the purposes of 

 fishing. With these extended, as Pliny as- 

 serts, the fishing frog hides in muddy waters, 

 and leaves nothing but the beards to be seen: . 

 the curiosity of the smaller fish brings them 

 to view these filaments, and their hunger in- 



KO. 55 & jtf. 



duces them to seize the bait ; upon which the 

 animal in ambush instantly draws in its fila- 

 ments, with the little fish that had taken the 

 bait, and devours it without mercy. This 

 story, though apparently improbable, has 

 found credit among some of our best natural- 

 ists; but what induces me to doubt the fact 

 is, that there is another species of this ani- 

 mal, that has no beards, which it would not 

 want if they were necessary to the existence 

 of the kind. Rondeletius informs us, that if 

 we take out the bowels, the body will appear 

 with a kind of transparence; and that if a 

 lighted candle be placed within the body, ae 

 in a lantern, the whole has a very formidable 

 appearance. The fishermen, however, have 

 in general a great regard for this ugly fish, an 

 it is an enemy to the dog-fish, the bodies of 

 those fierce and voracious animals being often 

 found in its stomach : whenever they take it, 

 therefore, they always set it at liberty. 



The Lump Fish is trifling in size, compar- 

 ed to the former : its length is but sixteen in- 

 ches, and its weight about four pounds; the 

 shape of the body is like that of a bream, 

 deep, and it swims edgeways; the back is 

 sharp and elevated, and the belly flat; the 

 lips, mouth, and tongue of this animal, are of 

 a deep red ; the whole skin is rough, with 

 bony knobs; the largest row is along the ridge 

 of the back; the belly is of a bright crimson 

 colour: but what makes the chieisingularity 

 in this fish, is an oval aperture in the belly, 

 surrounded with a fleshy soft substance that 

 seems bearded all round ; by means of this 

 part it adheres with vast force to any thing 

 it pleases. If flung into a pail of water, it will 

 stick so close to the bottom, that on taking 

 the fish by the tail, one may lift up pail and 

 all, though it holds several gallons of water. 

 Great numbers of these fish are found along 

 the coasts of Greenland in the beginning of 

 summer, where they resort to spawn. Their 

 roe is remarkably large, and theGreenlandere 

 boil it to a pulp for eating. They are extreme- 

 ly fat, but not admired in England, being both 

 flabby and insipid. 



The Sea Snail takes its name from the soft 

 and unctuous texture of its body, resembling 

 the snail upon land. It is almost transparent, 

 and soon dissolves and melts away. It is but 

 a little animal, being not above five inches 



4 Y 



