THE EEL. 161 



CHAPTER VI. 



FISHES WITHOUT VENTRAL FINS. 



WE shall now pass to the third order of osseous 

 fishes, the Apodal, or footless, (Malacopterygii,) 

 so called because they are destitute of ventral 

 fins. The fishes of this order are elongated in 

 form, and have a soft and slimy skin, which, 

 although not without minute scales, may be 

 called scaleless, as far as an ordinary observer is 

 concerned. To give without further preface an 

 idea of these fishes, we have only to state that the 

 eels (Murcenidce) constitute the typical family. 



Mr. Yarrell discriminates three distinct 

 species of fresh water eels, if not four, and 

 Cuvier distinguishes four, which have all 

 been confounded together, although, when the 

 species are compared, the distinctive charac- 

 ters are not difficult to be discovered. The 

 species figured arid described by Mr. Yarrell 

 are the sharp-nosed eel, (Anguilla acutirostris,) 

 the broad-nosed, or glut -eel, (A. latirostns^) 



