THE SEA ORB. 101 



Five-spined coney fish Old wife. 



belly near the vent; the body from the vent to 

 the tail covered with a soft smooth skin ; the tail 

 round at the end. 



This genus has, probably, the power of draw- 

 ing the defenceless parts under the bony coat of 

 the body at the approach of danger. It seems 

 necessary that the parts of the body to which the 

 fins are attached, should be covered with a pli- 

 able skin, especially that part of the body near 

 the tail; as fish move forward less with the as- 

 sistance of their fins, than by the motion of their 

 body sideways; which is exemplified in the com- 

 mon method of impelling a cock-boat, by mov- 

 ing sideways an oar at the helm. 



The old wife, (a native of the above sea) is of 

 a triangular body, the back sharp ; the bony coat 

 on the head and body divided by striae into many 

 hexangular meshes: the areas rough with nuine^ 

 rous granule, ranged in concentric lines; the 

 skinny cover of the body near the tail, and tail 

 fin, marked with largish spots; a strong spine on 

 each side the belly, pointing towards the tail. 



A fish, apparently the same as the above, ex- 

 cept that it has an oval crust upon its tail, is men- 

 tioned among the rarities preserved in Gresham 

 College. 



These animals display as much variety in their 

 size as in figure; some are not bigger than a 

 foot-ball, and others as large as a bushel; and 

 Fhen enraged, can inflate to a considerable de^ 



