CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 



646 



and threaten the invader on every side. The 

 Americans often amuse themselves with the 

 barren pleasure of catching these frightful 

 creatures by a line and hook, baited with a 

 piece of sea-crab. The animal approaches 

 the bait with its spines flattened ; but when 

 hooked and stopped by the line, straight all 

 its spines are erected ; the whole body being 

 armed in such a manner at all points, that it 

 is impossible to lay hold of it on any part. 

 For this reason it is dragged to some distance 

 from the water, and there it quickly expires. 

 In the middle of the belly of all these there 

 is a sort of bag or bladder filled with air, and 

 by the inflation of which the animal swells it- 

 self in the manner already mentioned. 



In describing the deformed animals of this 

 class, one is sometimes at a loss whether it be 

 a fish or an insect that lies before him. Thus 

 the hippocampus and the pipe-fish bear a 

 strong resemblanc^to the caterpillar and the 

 worm; while the lesser orb bears some like- 

 ness to the class of sea-eggs to be described 

 after. I will conclude this account of carti- 

 laginous fishes with the description of an ani- 

 mal which I would scarcely call a fish, but 

 that Father Labat dignifies it with the name. 

 Indeed, this class teems with such a number 

 of odd-shaped animals, that one is prompted 

 to rank every thing extraordinary of the finny 

 species among the number ; but besides, Labat 

 says, its bones are cartilaginous, and that may 

 entitle it to a place here. 



The animal I mean is the Galley Fish, which 

 Linnaeus degrades into the insect tribe, under 

 the title of the Medusa, but which I choose to 

 place in this tribe, from its habits, that are 

 somewhat similar. To the eye of an unmind- 

 ful spectator, this fish seems a transparent 

 bubble swimming on the surface of the sea, 

 or like a bladder variously and beautifully 

 painted with vivid colours, where red and 

 violet predominate, as variously opposed to 

 the beams of the sun. It is, however, an ac- 

 tual fish ; the body of which is composed of 



cartilages, and a very thin skin filled with air, 

 which thus keeps the animal floating on the 

 surface, as the waves and the winds happen 

 to drive. Sometimes it is seen thrown on the 

 shore by one wave, and again washed back 

 into the sea by another. Persons who hap- 

 pen to be walking along the shore often hap- 

 pen to tread upon these animals; and the 

 bursting of their body yields a report like 

 that when one treads upon the swim of a fish. 

 It has eight broad feet, with which it swims, 

 or which it expands to catch the air as with 

 a sail. It fastens itself to whatever it meets 

 by means of its legs, which have an adhesive 

 quality. Whether they move when on shore, 

 Labat could never perceive, though he did 

 every thing to make them stir; he only saw 

 that it strongly adhered to whatever sub- 

 stances he applied it. It is very common in 

 America, and grows to the size of a goose- 

 egg, or somewhat more. It is perpetually 

 seen floating ; and no efforts that are used 

 to hurt it can sink it to the bottom. All that 

 appears above water is a bladder, clear and 

 transparent as glass, and shining with the 

 most beautiful colours of the rainbow. Be- 

 neath, in the water, are four of the feet al- 

 ready mentioned, that serve as oars, while 

 the other four are expanded above to sail 

 with. But what is most remarkable in this 

 extraordinary creature, is the violent pun- 

 gency of the slimy substance with which its 

 legs are smeared. If the smallest quantity 

 but touch the skin, so caustic is its quality, 

 that it burns it like hot oil dropped on the 

 part affected. The pain is worst in the heat 

 of the day, but ceases in the cool of the even- 

 ing. It is from feeding on these that he thinks 

 the poisonous quality contracted by some 

 West Indian fish may be accounted for. It 

 is certain these animals are extremely com- 

 mon along all the coasts in the Gulf of 

 Mexico ; and whenever the shore is covered 

 with them in an unusual manner, it is con- 

 sidered as a certain forerunner of a storm. 



4Y* 



