188 



by Linn^iis among the amphibious swimmer^^^, 

 is about three feet long. Its body is round. 

 larffer towards the middle than the extremities^ 

 &:h* covered with a whitish skin devoid of scales. 

 Its head is surmounted with a cartilaginous crest 

 extend'ng ine m ^ix lines beyond the upper lip, 

 from \N iirfiice it has obtained the name of the 

 cock- fish, or chalf^ua ncliagiiali' the AraUfani;in 

 language. It has five fins; the dorsal com- 

 mences immediately behind the bead, and ex- 

 tends ii elf to the middle of the back, it is very 

 large, of a triangular form, supported by a strong 

 sharp spinCj five inches in length ; this spine, 

 which is longer than the fin, is the only bony 

 part of the fish, all the rest being cartilaginous, 

 even the back boue, which, like that of the lam- 

 prey, is furnished with neither marrow nor nerves^ 

 The four other fins are placed near the gills and 

 beneath the anus ; these are double, whicii is 

 very uncommon, and the tail is shaped like a leaf, 

 with the point turned towards the belly. This 

 fish, when eaten, is served up more as an object 

 of curiosity than from a regard for i(^ flavour, 

 which is very inditTerenl. 



T\\G, toUo (squalus Fernandinus) is a species 

 of dog-lish, a little larger than the cock-fish, 

 and remarkable for tv^o dorsal spines, like tiiose 

 of the squalus acanthias. Tiiese spines are tri- 

 angular, bent at the point, as hard as ivory, and 

 two iiu;h;\s and a half long, and five liin's brnad 



