202 WHALEBOXE-LIKE FIX-RAYS. 



which arc soft and feebly pliant in fish fresh from 

 the sea ; and the natural consequence is, that 

 aided by those whalebone fin-rays (for to the con- 

 sistency, or very nearly so, of that substance, fresh 

 water reduces them) they are more capable of 

 putting forth enduring effort and strong and rapid 

 motion, than the obese fresh-run fish, with its 

 limber fins. A man rowing a heavy boat, with 

 short, pliant sculls, will make but slow progress 

 through the water, and will be speedily fatigued ; 

 whereas, if he have long, stout oars, they yield 

 little to the water, and, by resistance but slightly 

 elastic to it, the boat is propelled rapidly onwards, 

 and the labour of the rower is considerably light- 

 ened. The pliant, almost powerless sculls of the 

 row^er, are the soft fins of the fresh-run fish — the 

 stout oars are the fins of the fish that has been a 

 lengthy sojourner in fresh water. 



Besides, fresh-run fish that have been recently 

 feeding in rich sub-marine pastures, may not 

 be unaptly compared to horses just taken up from 



nied by a considerable increase of mucus or sllrae. The 

 fins also become more muscular. However, on the return 

 of spring, they resume their wonted beautiful colouring, 

 and the fins, the cartilaginous portions of which are fre- 

 quently damaged during the winter floods, grow up and 

 acquire their former outline." 



