sjo ANOMALOUS CARTILAGINOUS FISHESi 



The Pipe Fifli, in the thickell part, is not thicker than a fwan-quill, 

 yet is above fixtcen inches long: hexangular in part, the tail quadran- 

 gular. General folour olive brown, rnarked with numbers of blueilh lines, 

 pointing from the back to the belly. Is viviparous ; for, on crushing 

 one that was juft taken,, hundreds of very minute young ones were ob- 

 ferved to crawl about. There, are others lefs, and not viviparous. 

 ^ The Hippocampus, which, from the form of its head, foime call the 

 Sea Horfe, never exceeds nine inches in length. It is about as thick as. 

 a man's thumb; and the body is faid, while alive, to have hair on the 

 fore part, which falls off" when it is dead. The fnout is a fort of tube, 

 with a hole at the bottom, to which there is a cover, which t1ie animal can, 

 open and lliut at pleafijre. l^ehind the eyes are two fins, which look like 

 carsi and above them are two holes, which ferve for refpiration. The 

 whole body feems to be compofed of cartilaginous rings, on the inter- 

 mediate membranes of which feveral fmall prickles are placed. It is 

 found in the Mediterranean, and alfoin the Weftern Ocean ; and, upon 

 the whole, more refembles a great caterpillar than a filh. The ancients 

 confidered it as extremely venomous. 



Among foreign animals of this kind, chiefly Indian, and American, we 

 may place the Sea Orb, which is almoft round, has a mouth like a frog, 

 and is from feven inches to two feet long. Like the porcupine, from 

 whence it fometimes takes its name, being alfo called the Sea Porcupine, 

 covered over with long thorns or prickles, which point on every fide ; 

 and, when the animal is enraged, it can blow up its body as round as. a 

 bladc^er. Of this extraordinary creature there are many kinds ; fome 

 threatening only with fpines, as the Sea Hedge-hog ; others defended 

 with a bony helmet that covers the head, as the Oftracion; others with 

 a coat of mail from the head to. the tail, where it terminates in a point, as 

 the Centrifcus j and others ftill armed offenfively and defenfivcly 

 with bones and fpines, as the Shield Orb. Of thefc fcarce one is with- 

 out its peculiar weapon of offence. The centrifcus wounds with its fpine ; 

 the oftracion poifons with its venom ; the orb is impregnable, and is 

 ^bfolutely poilbnous, if eaten. 



They arc of different fizes ; fome not bigger than a foot-ball, and 

 others as large as a bufhel. They almofl all flatten and ercdl tht ir fpines- 

 at pleiifure, and increale the terrors of tiieir appearance in proportion to 

 the approach of danger. At firfl they feem inoffcnGvej their body 

 qblong, with ail their weapons pointing towards the tail; but upon 



4 being 



