962 
In the Cyprinide this bone is of very rudi- 
mentary size, and is totally wanting in the 
Murenide, the Anarrhicus, and the Siluride. 
- The carpal bones, which support all the rays 
of the pectoral fin except the first, are gene- 
rally placed, as above Seciited, in a single 
row consisting of four or five pieces, but occa- 
sionally each of these bones presents a con- 
striction near its middle, so as to have the 
4 a of being divided into two. 
t is the bones of the carpus, and not 
those of the arm or fore-arm, which are elon- 
ted to give the pediculated structure to the 
eet of the frog-fishes, making them look like 
arms. In Lophius these are only two in num- 
ber; in Polypterus there are three, and in 
Batrachus five. In these Fishes the radius 
and ulna are reduced to a very small size. 
Posterior extremity—The os innominatum, 
the femur, the bones of the leg and of the tarsus, 
are all represented in the osseous Fishes by a 
single bone (fig. 493, 12) of a triangular shape, 
and presenting several processes and prominent 
Jamelle. The apex of this triangle is directed 
forwards, and in the subrachial Fishes is attached 
in the angle formed by the junction of the two 
ossa humeri (11), at the point where the latter 
bones are united to each other by symphysis 
beneath the throat. In the true abdominal 
Fishes the pelvic apparatus is unattached to 
any part of the skeleton, being simply imbedded 
in the muscles beneath the belly. 
The posterior extremity of the piece last men- 
tioned gives attachment to the rays of the ventral 
fin (13), at the inner margin of which it not 
unfrequently gives off a long process extending 
backwards. The two pelvic pieces of the op- 
posite sides are most frequently united to each 
other by a suture; but it sometimes happens 
that they remain partially separated either to- 
wards their anterior part, as in Lophius, or pos- 
teriorly, as in Batrachus. 
Many Fishes, as Murena, Gymnotus, Xi- 
phias, &c. have no ventral fins, and in such 
cases the pelvic apparatus is altogether wanting. 
Fin rays of the extremities—These rays, 
with the exception of the most external one 
belonging to the ventral fin, are all soft and 
nice ea of numerous articulations, but to- 
s their base they are more compact than 
elsewhere, the articulations being there scarcely 
visible. The base of each ray is enlarged so as 
to permit of its being firmly attached to the 
radial bone and to those of the carpus and 
pelvis. 
The first ray of the Sees fin is rarely 
branched, and its articulations are sometimes 
so completely consolidated as to simulate a 
inous ray. This is the case, for instance, in 
ilurus among many other Fishes; but in such 
cases they are not really spinous rays in spite of 
their near resemblance, but derivations from the 
dermal skeleton, so that such Fishes are in all 
respects strictly malacopterygious. 
ertical fins.—The vertical fins of the osseous 
- Fishes, namely, the dorsal, the caudal, and the 
anal fins, cannot be com to any portions of 
the skeletons met with in other Vertebrata. 
They belong, in fact, to the exoskeleton (see 
PISCES. 
Osszous System), but are so intimately re- 
lated to the real bones both in structure and 
office, that they must be described in this 
lace as being essentially connected with the 
ny framework of the body. 
Every one of the vertical rays entering into 
the composition of these fins consists of two 
rtions, an interspinous bone, which is im- 
edded in the flesh of the fish between the 
great lateral muscles, and serves as a basis to 
which the ray is attached, and the ray = 
which is visible externally and generally assi 
in supporting the membrane of the fin. = 
Interspinous bones. —The interspinous bone 
form a series reaching along the back to an ex= 
tent proportioned to the length of the dorsal 
fin, and in a similar manner are appended be- 
neath the post-abdominal region of the ventr 
surface coextensively with the anal fin, which 
they resemble. Each mayne 93, 
3, 3, 6, 6) resembles in its shape the blade of a 
dagger plunged into the flesh, while its head cor- 
meapobedinig with the handle of the daggerremains 
on a level with the skin to give attachment t 
the base of the ray. This portion of the inte 
spinous bone has an apophysis conjoined wi 
it by suture, which in many instances is pr 
longed into a point that is connected to th 
articulation of the next ray of the fin. — 
interspinous bones are generally so dispose 
that their points penetrate between the spinoi 
processes of the vertebra, each being attach 
to these processes by a ligamentous membr 
ry there are some Fishes, as a Pleuronectid 
(fig. 493), and (as regards the compositio 
the anal fin) the Siduri, in which there are t 
interspinous bones to each spinous process, ai 
in other cases the relations between the two’ 
come quite lost, as, for example, where three 
even four spinous processes are interposed 
tween some of the vertebral spines, a fact w 
in itself is sufficient to disprove the hypothes 
Geoffroy, extensively promulgated in this ea 
try by the writings of Professor Grant, nar 
that the interspinous bones of Fishes are’ 
memberments of the spinous processes, - 
half of the tented bebouping displaced and forn 
4 
the interspinous bone as well as the ray whi 
ocppet 
n this point Cuvier remarks that in” 
genera, such as Murena, Ophicephalus, 
Gymnotus, the inferior interspinous bones 
separated from the vertebra by the cavity 
the abdomen, which is prolonged to a @ 
derable distance beyond the commencem« 
the anal fin; whilst in other cases, as if 
Pleuronectide, there are interspinous | 
even upon the cranium (fig.493,1). Thes 
cumstances, joined to the fact that in those 
tions of the back or of the tail which have nm 
attached to them there are generally no int 
nous processesalthough thereare vertebral 
make it impossible to regard the bot 
question as being derivations from the vt 
column. ri 
Rays of the vertical fins.—Each fin-t 
493, 2,7) is connected with its corre: 
interspinous bone by a ginglymoid artic 
The rays are of two kinds: spinous r 
a 
ae 
Sd 
* 
' 
