ICHTHYOLOGY. 



701 



fins, and the hardness of its scale?, it approaches in 

 appearance the perch. Hence, almost all naturalists 

 hare termed it lucinporca. It is a matter of regret that 

 this fish die* so quickly upon being taken out of the 

 water : hence it cannot be transported alive to any dis- 

 tance. But as it is one of those fishes which, if tran-*- 

 latnl into our lakes and rivers, would prove a valuable 

 addition, the fecundated eggs might be employed with 

 ease. In this department of rural economy, how much 

 remains to be done 



GENLsCXXJ. BODIANCS. 



No processes on the gill-lid ; plates of the gill- lid 

 f pinous ; one dorsal fin. 



The genus contains twenty-four species. The most 

 remarkable species is the B. palpebratus, first accurate- 

 ly described by Pallas. It has a moveable membrana- 

 ceous plate above each eye, supposed to assist the ani- 

 mal in regulating the admission of light to that organ. 

 It is a native of Amboyna. The B. pentacantnus, 

 whose trivial name La Cepede, with his wonted love of 

 barbarisms, has changed into jaguar, is a native of the 

 coaat of the Brazils. It prefers the mouths of large ri- 

 *, near which it grows very fat, and its flesh ac- 

 quire* an increased degree of delicacy and flavour. It 

 i* there termed jaguar. The B. ay a frequents the lakes 

 of Brazil, and u there salted or dried in the sun as an 

 article of trade. It multiplies very rapidly, and might 

 probably, with little difficulty, be translated to the fresh 

 water lakes of Europe. It* flesh is esteemed good. The 

 B. gistUto* of Bloch, changed by La Cepede into B. ja- 

 rnh i rtttii, the name of a Dutch sailor, is found at 

 >t Helena, the East Indies, and Japan. It become* 

 very fat, and i* eagerly sought after by Europeans. The 

 B. apua is another of the Brazilian species used as food. 

 Its flesh i* oily, and of exquisite flavour. 



GtXCS CXXII. TffiVIANOTOB. 



One or more spines on the gill-lid ; dorsal fin very long. 



Thi* genus, from nm, lento, and Tf. aortum, 

 contain* only two species, remarkable for their length- 

 ened shape. The first specie*, T. latovittatus, waa ob- 

 senred by Coramenon in the Isle of France. He found 

 in it* Horn*** the fragment* of coral* and of shells. Its 

 teeth are very small, and it* tongue and palate destitute 

 of a*peritie* ; yet the hardness of its jaws, the number of 

 its teeth, and the continuance of it* efforts, enables it 

 to triturate time hard bodies, for the performance of 

 which, in other fiahe*, more powerful grinder* are pro- 

 vided. The second species, T. true-minus, has the 

 tail rounded, while in the former it is forked. Its ha- 

 liiut is unknown, a* it was found preserved in spirits in 

 the Dutch collection, during it* captivity in Paris. 



Gtsus CXXIII. Sci/t 



lid furnished with spines, but destitute of pro- 

 eeasei ; two dorsal fin*. 



Thi* genus contain* eleven specie*, distributed into 

 section* from the form of the tail. They differ from 

 the gniu* Bodianus chiefly in the number of the dorsal 

 cat. The Scur*a core i* a native of the Brazils, and 

 is taken at all sea*on*, although its flesh is said to be 

 dry and insipid. The Scisrna umbra, the coracinus of 

 the ancieuts, i* the most important species of the ge. 

 nus, and ha* been long known. It inhabits the Mi-di- 



* 1 and Adriatic seas, and is found peculiarly 



. in the Nile. It live* in troops, ami feeds on 

 i and testaceous animals. It is esteemed ex- 

 cellent food when in season. Those which arc found 

 in fresh water are reckoned preferable to those taken in 

 the xa, and theyo*ing are considered a* more palatable 

 than the old. The ancients aunbuted to this fish the 

 moot extraordinary medical virtues. 



Classifica- 

 tion of 

 Ful.es. 



GENUS CXXIV. MICROPTERUS. 



Rays of the second dorsal fin short. 



This genus contains one species, which La Cepede 

 has named in honour of Dolomieu. We are ignorant 

 of the discoverer and the locality of this species : it was 

 found in the museum at Paris. 



GENUS CXXV. HOLOCENTBUS. 



One dorsal fin ; one or more spines, and a process on 

 each gill-lid. 



Bloch formed this genus from species chiefly belong- 

 ing to the Perca of Linna-us. At present, it contains 

 sixty-five species, divided into sections from characters 

 furnished by the caudal fin. The H. schratzer is found 

 abundantly in the Danube and its tributary streams. 

 Its flesh is white, firm, and salutary, and of a pleasant 

 taste. It feeds on small insects and worms, and spawns 

 in the spring. So valuable a fish ought to be translated 

 to other countries. Although it soon dies when taken 

 from the water, yet with care it may be conveyed to a' 

 distance, or the spawn may be used as a substitute. 



GENUS CXXVI. PERCA. Perch. 



Two dorsal fins ; one or more spines, and a process Perch. 

 to the gill-lid; with or without a beard. 



This genus, as it now stands, contains fourteen spe- 

 cies. The common perch of our lakes may be regard- 

 ed as the most important species of the genus in an eco- 

 nomical point pf view. The P. umbra, the umbra of 

 the ancients, another valuable species, chiefly resides 

 in the Mediterranean. Its head is compressed and co- 

 vered with small scales, and it has a thick short cirrus 

 on the lower jaw. Ita flesh is firm, but easy to digest, 

 and its head was esteemed a favourite morsel by the an- 

 cient Romans. It feeds on sea weeds and small worms. 

 From the skins of some of the species an isinglass is pre- 

 pared, little inferior to that which is obtained from the 

 air-bag of the sturgeon. 



GENUS CXXVII. HAUPE. 



Many large strong teeth in each jaw : in the upper jaw 

 small compressed teeth in the intervals between the larger 

 ones ; dorsal, ventral, and anal fins large and falcated. 



This genus was instituted by La Cepede, and con- 

 tains only one species, H. caruleo-aureus, of which little 

 is known. It is described from the drawings of Plumier. 



GBNUS CXXV1II. PIMELEHTEKUS. 



The whole, or a great part of the dorsal, anal, and 

 caudal fins adipose. 



This genus, from *-<piA, pinquedo, and T{F, pinna, 

 contains one species, viz. P. Bosquii, named in honour 

 of M. Bosc, the discoverer. It is found in the Atlantic 

 Ocean, and follows vessels, picking up the fragments 

 of food thrown overboard. It keeps in the eddy at 

 the rudder. It is very difficult to catch, as, with con- 

 siderable dexterity, it bites off the bait without swal- 

 lowing the hook. According to Boso, it is sought after 

 as food by the French, but neglected by the English. In 

 its manners it bears a near resemblance to the pilot fish. 



GENUS CXXIX. CHEILIO. 



Snout depressed ; head and gill- lid destitute of small 

 scale* ; gill-lid carved ; under jaw pendant ; dorsal fin 

 low and long, ventral fins small. 



This genus, from "**<> luuium, contains two specie, 

 first obstrvcd by Commeraon at the Mauritius. The 

 first is termed C. auraius, on account of its golden yel- 

 low colour. The lateral line is spotted with black 

 points. The flush is white, and of a pleasant taste, 

 but disregarded, as it is very common. The second 

 species i termed C. fuscus. The colour is brown, hav- 

 ing the ventral fins white, and the dorsal and anal fin* 

 spotted with white. 



