OF SPINOUS FISHES. tjr 



being provoked or alarmed, the body that before Teemed fmall fwells 

 rounder and larger, all its prickles ftand upright, and threaten the invader 

 on every fide. In the middle of the belly is a fort of bag or bladder 

 filled with air, by inflation of which the animal fwells itfelf. 



The Galley (which Linnsus degrades among infe<5ts, under the title 

 Medufa), to the eye of an unmindful fpedator, feems a tranfparent 

 bubble fwimming on the fea, varioufly and beautifully painted with vivid 

 colours, where red and violet predominate, as difrerentiy oppofed to the 

 fun's rays. It is however a fifli ; its body compofed of cartilages, and a 

 very thin ikin filled with air, which keeps ic floating. Sometimes it is 

 thrown afhore by one wave, and wafhed back by another. Perfocs walk- 

 ing along the fhore often tread on thefe animals j and the burfting of their 

 body has a report like that of the air bladder of a fifh. It has eight 

 broad feet ; it fallens itfelf to whatever it meets by its legs, which have an 

 adhefive quality. Whether they move when on (hore Labat could never 

 perceive, though he did every thing to make them ftir ; he only faw that 

 it ftrongly adhered to whatever fubftances he applied it. It is common in 

 America, the fize of agoofe-egg, or fomewhat more. Perpetually floats, 

 and no efforts can fink it. Beneath, in the water, are four feet ferv- 

 Lng as oars, the other four are expanded above to fail with. But what is 

 remarkable is the violent pungency of the flimy fubftance with which its 

 legs are fmearcd. If the fmalleft quantity but touch the fkin, it burns ic 

 like hot oil dropped on the part. The pain is worll in the heat of the day, 

 but ceafes in the cool of the evening. From feeding on thefe he thinks 

 the poifonous quality of fome Well-Indian fifh may be accounted for. 

 They are extremely common along all the coalls in the Gulf of Mexico; 

 and whenever the fhore is covered with them in an unufual manner, it is 

 confidered as a certain forerunner of a florm. 



OF SPINOUS FISHES. 



THESE are diflingulfhed by having a complete bony covering to 

 their gills j by breathing with gills only j by thefr bones being Iharp 

 and thorny; and their tails being placed perpendicular to the body. 

 The foregoing clafles bear no pfoportion to them in number. 



Of 



