^3* OF SPINOUS FISHES IN GENERAL/ 



f or the real hiftory of thefe fiflies, very little is known ; our information 

 relates only to their external form. 



Fiih that have bony prickly fins, are called Prickly-finned Fifli ; thofe 

 that have foft or cartilaginous fins, are called Soft-finned Fifh. Spinous 

 fifh therefore are formed into thefe two divifions. 



Linnseus has alfo arranged them by remarking the fituation of their 

 fins : the ventral or belly fins (which are thofe particularly to be re- 

 marked) are (i) either whoWj wanting, as in the eel ; then the fifh is called 

 Apodal (a Greek word fignifying without feet); or (2) the ventral fins 

 are placed forwarder than the peroral fins, as in the haddock j then the 

 animal is called a Jugular filh ; or (3) the ventral fins are placed d'lreElly 

 under the pedoral fins, as in the father-lafher ; then it is called a Thoracic 

 fifh ; or (4) the ventral fins are placed nearer the tail than the pectoral fins, 

 as in the minov/ ; then it is an Abdominal filh. 



Prickly-finned filli making one general divifion, and the fofc-finned fifli 



another, there are prickly-finned apodal fifties, prickly finned jugular 



fiflies, prickly- finned thoracic fifhes, and prickly-finned abdominal fiflies : 



alfo, on the other hand, there are foft- finned apodal fifties, foft-finned 



jugular fiflies, foft-finned thoracic fifties, and foft-finned abdominal fifties. 



OF SPINOUS FISHES IN GENERAL. 



THE jiiftory of any one of this clafs very much refembles that of 

 the reft: : they breathe air and water through the gills ; they live 

 by rapine, each devouring fuch animals as it can fwallow ; and they pro- 

 pagate, not by bringing forth their young alive, as in the cetaceous tribe j 

 oor by diftindt eggs, as in the generality of the cartilaginous tribe ; but 

 by fpawn, which contains hundreds of thoufands. llieir bones when 

 nightly infpefted appear entirely folid ; yet, viewed clofeiy, are hollow, 

 filled with a fubftance lefs rancid and oily than marrow. They arCvery 

 numerous, and pointed. The flcelcton of a fifti has its members very 

 regularly difpofed; and every bone its fixed place, with perfeft precifion. 

 Their number of bones is according to their number of fins i and the 

 fiumbcr in each fin is in proportion to the number and fize of the fins : 

 for. every fifti.has a regular apparatus of bones and mufcles, by which the 

 ' -^ - fins 



