514 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



already observed in our opening chapter, the choice 

 must be made with caution, for unfortunately the 

 association of most of them with rare specimens 

 belonging to the inferior ranks of life is at all times a 

 very hazardous experiment; the innocence of their 

 appearance and the gaiety of their apparel are fre- 

 quently allowed to plead powerfully in their behalf, 

 and we must therefore warn our friends against 

 the indiscriminate voracity for which they are too 

 often conspicuous 



" minium ne crede colori." 



There are, however, a few we wish to recommend to 

 the notice of the aquariist, as being remarkable for 

 peculiarities in their economy of sufficient importance 

 to arrest attention. 



The LANCELET (Amphioxus lanceolatus) (PI. VIII. 

 fig. 17) is perhaps one of the most paradoxical crea- 

 tures met with in the whole range of Natural History 

 a fish without either head, brain, or eyes, and yet 

 having a distinct vertebral column possessing, in- 

 stead of gills, the branchial apparatus of an Ascidian ; 

 and so entirely anomalous in its entire organization, 

 which, owing to the transparency of the creature, 

 may be distinctly studied under the microscope, that 

 it may well be regarded as the greatest puzzle in the 

 Animal Creation"*, and a subject well worthy of the 

 closest study. 



The SUCKING-FISH (Echeneis Remora) (PI. VIII. 



* For a full account of the anatomy of this wonderful animal, 

 the scientific reader is referred to the author's " General Outline 

 of the Structure of the Animal Kingdom/' 2nd edit. 



