626 BIOLOGY. 



the posterior branchial arches, or what have been called 

 pharyngeal bones. They are for the greatest part fresh- 

 water Fishes, and those which are most used as articles of 

 food. 



Fam.. 11. Reptilian Fishes, Salmons. 



Mouth with strong teeth in the superior and inter- 

 maxillary bone ; behind the radial dorsal fin there is still 

 a fatty fin and no large scales. Here belongs the 

 Lizard-like fish (Saurus), so called on account of its re- 

 semblance to the Lizards. Live in sea and fresh- 

 water. 



Fam. 12. Ornithic Fishes, Herrings and Pikes. 



The Herrings have teeth in the superior and inter- 

 maxillary bone ; only one dorsal fin ; mostly large scales. 



Body of the Pike slightly scaled, furnished mostly 

 with a small dorsal fin situated very far back, mouth 

 full of teeth, but none of these in the rudiments! 

 inter-maxillary bone. Dwellers in the sea and in fresh 

 water. 



Among the Pikes is placed the Exoccetus or Flying 

 fish. 



Order 5. Censorial Fishes. 



3541 . Bones cartilaginous, mouth opening trans- 

 versely under the snout. 



Fam. 13. Thricozooid Fishes, Sharks. 



Abdominales ; bones cartilaginous, mouth opening 

 transversely under the projecting snout ; mostly several 

 pairs of separate branchial apertures. 



Here belong the Chimrerae, Sturgeons, Sharks, and 

 Rays. The last ought to be held as higher in rank, 

 partly on account of their slender tail, partly because the 

 huge Rays, which are called Cephalopterus, have the 

 anterior thoracic rays free and so moveable that they can 

 seize their prey with them as with hands. All lay, with 

 the exception of the Sturgeons, large and leathery ova, 

 and in this approximate pretty closely to the Reptilia. 



It has been already remarked, that the large Cartila- 

 ginei would not pass correctly into the others, and obvi- 



