oi-6 HISTORY OF 



cartilaginous tribes, but by spawn, or peas, as they are generally 

 called, which they produce by hundreds of thousands. These 

 are the leading marks that run through their whole history, and 

 which have so much swelled books with tiresome repetition. 



It will be sufficient therefore to draw this numerous class into 

 one point of view, and to mark how they differ from the former 

 classes ; and what they possess peculiarly striking, so as to dis- 

 tinguish them from each other. The first object that presents 

 itself, and that by which they differ from all others, are the 

 bones. These, when examined but slightly, appear to be en- 

 tirely solid ; yet when viewed more closely, every bone will be 

 found hollow, and filled with a substance less rancid and oily 

 than marrow. These bones are very numerous, and pointed ; 

 and, as in quadrupeds, are the props or stays to which the mus- 

 cles are fixed which move the different parts of the body. 



The number of bones in all spinous fishes of the same kind, 

 is always the same. It is a vulgar way of speaking to say, that 

 fishes are at some seasons more bony than at others ; but this 

 scarcely requires contradiction. It is true indeed, that fish are 

 at some seasons much fatter than at others : so that the quan- 

 tity of the flesh being diminished, and that of the bones remain- 

 ing the same, they appear to increase in number, as they actually 

 bear a greater proportion. 



All fish of the same kind, as was said, have the same number 

 of bones : the skeleton of a fish, however irregularly the bones 

 may fall in our way at table, has its members very regularly dis- 

 posed ; and every bone has its fixed place, with as much preci- 

 sion as we find in the orders of a regular fabric. But then spi- 

 nous fish differ in the number of bones according to the species : 

 for some have a greater number of fins by which they move in 

 the water. The number in each is always in proportion to the 

 number and size of these fins : for every fish has a regular ap- 

 paratus of bones and muscles by which the fins are moved ; and 

 all those fish, where they are numerous or large, must, of conse- 

 quence, be considerably bony. Indeed, in the larger fish, the 

 quantity of flesh is so much, and the bones themselves are so 

 large, that they are easily seen and separated ; but in the smaller 

 kinds with many fins, the bones are as numerous as in the great ; 

 yet being so very minute, they lurk almost in evei'y part of the 

 flesh, and are dangerous as well as troublesome to be eaten. In 



