FISHES. 



Hippocampus. 



r'ea Porcupine. 



CJjietodon Vagabundus. 



The Chrctodon Vagabundus inhabits the coasts of Ceylon. It has a body of a pale yellow color, with 

 numerous oblique, brownish purple lines ; the back fin is blackish, and has thirteen spines ; the tail fin is 

 yellow, with two black bands, and the anal fin is blackish, with a curved, longitudinal band. Its length is 

 from six to twelve inches. It feeds on insects, which it procures in a singular manner. Observing some 

 insect on a weed, or hovering over the water, it ejects a small drop through its tubular snout with such 

 precision as often to disable the little creature, so that it falls into the water and is devoured. 



The Hippocampus, or Sea-horse, is thus named from its fancied resemblance, in some points, to the horse. 

 It seldom is more than ten or twelve inches long. It is brown, streaked with white and black, and dotted, 

 and compressed at the sides. 



The Sea Porcupine is covered with spines, which it can erect at will, and has within it an air-bag, which, 

 when angry, it inflates so as to present the form of a large air-ball, armed at all points. It is from seven 

 or eight inches to two feet in length. It is found on the Guinea coast, and in the Indian ocean. 



The Electric Eel inhabits the fresh water rivers and ponds of South America. It possesses the power 

 of emitting, at will, an electric shock. When fish come near it, they are instantly struck dead, and then 

 devoured. So powerful is the stroke, that a strong man has been knocked down by it. 



The Angler is very common in all the European seas. Owing to the peculiar formation of its pectoral 

 fins, it can crawl some way on land. On its skull are two elongated, bony appendages, capable of being 

 moved in any direction. It couches on the bottom of the sea, stirs up the mud With its fins, and agitates 

 its skull-pendents. The small fishes mistaking these pendents for worms, come to seize them, and are 

 themselves seized and devoured. It is very voracious. 



Anglfr. 



I'fko. 



^ 



Electric lv 



(-348).. 



