LINN^AN SYSTEM.' FISH. 153 



Balistes. File-fish. Spiracle solitary; ventral fins solitary, 



keel-shaped. 

 Ostracion. Tortoise-fish. Spiracle solitary ; no ventrai fins ; 



body mailed. 

 Tetraodon. Square-fish. Spiracle solitary; no ventral Jins; 



belly prickly. 

 Diodon. Porcupine-fish. Spiracle solitary; body covered 



with spines. 

 Cyclopterus. Lump-fish. Spiracle solitary; ventral fins 



united into a funnel. 

 Centriscus. Snout-fish. Spiracle solitary ; ventral fins united ; 



snout long. 

 Syngnathus. Pipe-fish. Spiracle solitary ; no ventral fins ; 



body crusted, long. 

 Pegasus. Sea-horse. Spiracle solitary ; ventral fins two ; snout 



ciliate-toothed. 



(204.) The following genera, belonging to the order 

 Nantes, have been added by the disciples of Linnaeus, 

 and incorporated in their editions of his Systema Na- 

 turcB : 



Pristis. Saw-fish. Separated from the sharks by Shaw. 

 Gastrobranchus. Hag-fish. The connecting link between 



Vertebrata and Annulosa. 

 Spatularia. Spoon-fish. Allied to the saw-fish. 



(205.) The class of fish (Pisces}, as may be sup- 

 posed, was placed by Linnaeus immediately after his last 

 order (Nantes} of reptiles. His primary divisions being 

 in number four, characterised as follows : 

 I. APODAL. Ventral fins none. II. JUGULAR. Ventral 

 fins before the pectoral. III. THORACIC. Ventral fins 

 under the pectoral. IV. ABDOMINAL. Ventral fins be- 

 hind the pectoral. 



(206.) It is in the arrangement of this class, more 

 than in any other, that we find the strongest proof that 

 Linnaeus, so far from wishing the Systema Natures to 

 be thought the natural system, intended it should be 

 essentially artificial. The two great typical divisions of 

 the class were undoubtedly known to the learned Swede, 

 for he gave them to the world in the admirable volume 

 he edited of the works of Artedi ; of whom we shall 

 hereafter speak. In that volume, likewise, we find the 

 Nantes occupying their proper station among the true 



