FRESH-WATER FISH. O 



few remarks upon fish generally, and to point out those 

 characteristics in their formation with which every 

 angler should make himself familiar, inasmuch as that 

 familiarity will enable him to describe any kind of fish 

 with propriety and accuracy. 



Fish are the proper vertebrated inhabitants of the 

 waters, and they form the fourth class of vertebrated 

 animals. They inhabit stratum super stratum, as 

 Cuvier observes one species near the surface, an- 

 other near the bottom, and others, again, range through 

 the intermediate depth. There are two distinct series 

 of fishes fishes, properly so called, or bony fishes, and 

 cartilaginous fishes. It is with the former of these 

 only that we are here concerned. The body of a fish 

 being of nearly the same specific gravity as the water, 

 it has no weight to bear, and its organs of motion are 

 therefore all adapted to the one purpose of propulsion. 

 Thus, a fish has but little use for extremities, and the 

 parts analogous to legs and arms are, accordingly, very 

 short, terminating in a number of rays, analogous to 

 fingers and toes; and these, covered by membranes, 

 form what are termed fins. The fins answering to 

 arms are called pectorals, and those answering to legs, 

 ventrals. Besides these, there are often fins on the 

 back, called dorsal ; behind the vent, called anal ; and 

 on the extremity of the tail, called caudal. The 

 texture of the fins is properly characterized. If the 

 rays consist of single bones, whether stiff or flexible, 

 they are said to be spinous ; if they consist of a 

 number of jointed pieces, divided at their extremities, 

 they are called soft or articulated. Some fish have 

 fleshy cirri, or beards, as they are termed, which are 

 thought to be organs of touch. The body is generally 



