62 LECTURE VIII. 



Coryphene is contemplated by sailors with as 

 much delight as the ancient Romans are said to 

 have exhibited on viewing similar changes in the 

 expiring Mullet, when brought to their tables 

 before the feast began. 



Among the smallest Fishes of this genus is the 

 C. Novacula or Razor Coryphene, so named on 

 account of its extreme thinness of body : it is of a 

 reddish-yellow colour, varied in some parts with 

 blue lines and spots. 



The genus Echeneis or Remora is a highly sin- 

 gular one, and is readily distinguished by the very 

 remarkable structure of the head, which is flat- 

 tened on the top into the form of an oval space, 

 divided down the middle, and crossed by very nu- 

 merous partitions, beset on the edges with small 

 fibres. By this part the Fishes of this genus 

 are enabled to adhere with the utmost tenacity 

 to any moderately flat surface, and thus frequent- 

 ly affix themselves either to the sides of ships, 

 or to Sharks and many other of the larger 

 Fishes. 



The ancients imagined that these Fishes pos- 

 sessed the power of stopping a vessel in full sail 

 by thus adhering to it, and rendering it immove- 



