COLLECTION OF FISH. /fil 



one species of the genus ospfironeme known 

 (o. olfax, Com.) ; its flesh is esteemed; it was 

 brought from Java to the Isle of France, and from 

 thence to Cayenne. This genus and that of the 

 trichogaster, Schn. , which is next to it, have this 

 particular character, that one of the rays of the 

 ventral fins is lengthened into an articulated 

 bristle as long as the body. After these comes 

 the toxotes, Cuv., which had been confounded 

 with the labrus, but from which it materially 

 differs. There is only one species known, which 

 inhabits the Indian seas, viz. the labrus jaculator 

 of Linnaeus, so called from its habit of darting 

 drops of water on the insects which fly near it, 

 and on which it feeds. The perca scandens, 

 Daldorf (anthias testudineus^SA.^ of which M. Cu- 

 vier has made the genus anabas, is a very ex- 

 traordinary fish from the complicated appa- 

 ratus of its gills as well as on account of its 

 habits. As it can retain water for a length of 

 time in the cavity of its gills, it is thus enabled 

 to crawl upon the earth and to climb up the 

 palm-trees, where it remains in the rain-water 

 collected in the leaves. The potynemi, the last 

 genus of the family of squamipennce,zre. remark- 

 able for setaceous processes on each side near 

 the pectoral fins, which are longer than their 

 bodies. This circumstance is more particularly 



29. 



