SPINOUS FISHES. 319 



for. when six hundred different sorts of animals present 

 themselves for consideration, the mind becomes be- 

 wildered in the extensive scene. 



Of the real history of fishes but little is yet known, 

 though several accurate descriptions have been given 

 of many of their forms; it would therefore be unpar- 

 donable not to arrange their different characters under 

 such heads as will give the most sufficient idea of their 

 tribes. If we consider the substance of the fin of the 

 fish, we shall find it composed, besides the skin, either 

 of straight, hard, pointed, bony prickles, as in the 

 pike ; or of soft, crooked, or forked bones or carti- 

 lages, as in -the herring. All the prickly finned fish 

 make one grand division ; and all the soft finned form 

 another ; and they are distinguished by being apodal, 

 jugular, thoracic, ox abdominal, according to the situa- 

 tion in which the fins are placed. 



SECTION I. 

 PRICKLY FINNED FISHES. 



PRICKLY FINNED APODAL FISH. 



The tri chums : the body of this fish is in the form 

 of a sword ; the head oblong, the teeth sword-like, and 

 bearded near the points ; the fin that covers the gills, 

 with seven spines ; the tail is without fins, and ending 

 1n a point: It is an inhabitant of the Oriental and 

 American shores ; and its skin is of a silvery white. 



The body of the xiphias, or sword-fish, is round ; the 

 head long, and terminating in a pointed beak, resemb- 

 ling the weapon from which it derives its name. This 



