4 GENUS FIROLA. 



order that it may be the more easily devoured^ when pres* 

 sed between them and the jaws. 



Rostrum one fourth the length of the body, somewhat 

 contractile, moveable in every direction^ enlarged at the tip 

 to receive the retractile jaws; which are opposite, and armed 

 with a series of horny curved points ranged upon each jaw 

 like the teeth of a comb, with a row of smaller ones be- 

 tween them, and furnished at the base with a longitudinal 

 lip. Immediately behind the jaws, on the interior, are two 

 capitate threads connected by nerves; adjoining these 

 are two palpiform biarticulate processes; first joint very 

 short, oblique; second elongated, recurved; probably used 

 by tlie animal as interior palpi. 



Nervous System. A nervous ganglion of four round- 

 ed lobes is situated between the eyes and the oesophagus, 

 giving rise to several nervous filaments; the four princi- 

 pal ones, arise each from the extremity of a lobe; two of 

 them terminate in the jaw, and the other two are directed 

 backwards to the tail, but interrupted at the base of the 

 dorsal fin by a double, oblong, lobated, ganglion. 



The centre of the first ganglion furnishes two nerves 

 for each eye, of which one terminates at the base of the 

 peduncle, and the other, much smaller, at the pupil. Nu- 

 merous smaller nerves arise from each of these nervous 

 ganglions, directed to different parts of the body. 



Viscera. Nucleus oblong, pyrifbrm. Colour irides- 

 cent, when at the depth of three, four, or five feet in the 

 water, it is resplendent, diamond-like. A large cylindri- 

 cal canal, more or less dilated, attached to the throat at the 

 anterior extremity, supported near and above the eyes 

 by a membranous diaphragm, passing loosely through a 

 large cavity of the body, and embracing at its termination 



