188 NATURAL HISTORY [Fishes. 



of which it can make good use, even when out of its own ele- 

 ment. 



The mouth of this fish is furnished with the most dreadful 

 weapons of any in our seas ; the jaws with broad and strong 

 grinders ; the fore-teeth long, conical, and sharp ; the roof of 

 the mouth is not without its share of armour, and has many flat 

 teeth in it, all excellently fitted for bruising the hardest food. 



The fish is excellent eating ; however, none are very fond 

 of it, and generally reject it. The Orkney name, Swine-fish, 

 is taken from a sort of muscular motion in the nostrils of this 

 fish, which our fishermen say resembles that in the nose of 

 swine. 



GENUS XL THE LAUNCE. 



Gen. Char. Head slender ; body long and square ; upper lip doubled in ; dor- 

 sal fin and anal reaching almost to the tail ; seven branchiostegous rays. 



Species 1. The Launce. 



Ammodytes Gesneri, Wil Icth. 113. Sand-Eels or Launces, Rail Syn. Pise. 

 38, 165. Ammodytes Tobianus, Lin. Sys. 430. Sib. Scot. 24. Ore. Sand- 

 Eel. Brit. Zool. 123, tab.S. 



THIS beautiful fish is to be found in vast quantities, at par- 

 ticular times of the year, in the heaps of sand thrown up by 



