316 ANOMALOUS CARTILAGINOUS FISHES. 



above the nose are two long beards or filaments, which 

 are said to act as snares to the smaller kind of fish. 

 Pliny informs us, that the fishing-frog hides itself in 

 muddy waters, and leaves no part exposed to view but 

 the beards ; the curiosity of the smaller fish soon be- 

 comes excited, and they approach the filaments to ob- 

 serve of what they are composed, when the moment 

 the sea-frog feels they are upon them, he instantly 

 draws them towards his mouth, and by this method 

 devours numbers at a time. 



The lump-fish is small when compared with the sea- 

 frog, as its length is but sixteen inches, and its weight 

 about four pounds ; the shape of the body is like that 

 of a bream, the back is sharp and elevated, and it al- 

 ways swims upon the side : the lips, mOuth, and tongue, 

 are of a deep red ; the whole skin is rough, with bony 

 knobs, the largest row of which is along the ridge of 

 the back ; and it has an oval aperture in the belly, sur- 

 rounded with a soft fleshy substance that appears to be 

 bearded all round. Like the leech it possesses an ad- 

 hesive quality ; and, when thrown into a pail of water, 

 will stick so closely to its sides, that, by taking hold 

 of the body of the fish, the vessel may be raised from 

 the ground, though it should contain several gallons of 

 water. This fish is chiefly found along the Greenland 

 coasts ; their roe is remarkably large, and the Green- 

 landers boil it into a kind of pulp, which they consider 

 as a very delicious food. 



The sea-snail takes its name from the soft and unc- 

 tuous texture of its body, and from its resemblance to 

 the snail that dwells upon land: the colour, when first 

 taken out of the ocean, is a pale brown ; and it is not 

 above five inches in length. 



The body of the pipe-fish, in the thickest part, is not 



