71 



raised out of the water with a stone of ten or 

 twelve pounds weight attached to them. Sali- 

 vary glands appear to be altogether wanting in 

 fishes, their office being abundantly supplied by 

 the element in which these animals live ; and 

 some of them, as the flying-fish and the gar-pike, 

 have no tongue ; while others, as the common 

 pike, a most voracious animal, the perch and the 

 conger eel, have this organ extremely large. It 

 seems in general but little adapted to tasting, 

 being generally in fishes, as in the cuttle, of a car- 

 tilaginous consistence, as well as covered fre- 

 quently with prickles, which have now assumed 

 the appearance of regular teeth ; it is supported 

 on an osseous circle, a part of the branchial, or 

 respiratory apparatus. The lower jaw, which 

 alone in most fishes is moveable, consists, gener- 

 ally, of two lateral portions, only partially united 

 together at the part corresponding to the chin ; 

 but in the lamprey it is consolidated into an im- 

 moveable ring, supporting the singular funnel- 

 shaped lip already spoken of. In some fishes, 

 as in the carp, the upper jaw is moveable as well 

 as the lower ; and when this is the case, there is 

 a proper elastic ligament for raising, and a proper 

 muscle for depressing it : the mouth is thus kept 

 constantly open without any effort, whereas an 

 effort is required for closing it ; and how beauti- 

 fully this structure is adapted to animals living 

 in an element which furnishes them, for the 

 most part spontaneously, with their prey, must 

 be sufficiently apparent. The teeth of most 



