"THE-XAl^IFREy. ■89 



Section II. 



Genus ▼ . — '^he Lamprey. 



Of this g&cms^ Linnaus has enumerated only three fjje- 

 cies, though it is probably diverfified into a greater num- 

 ber of different kinds * ; his catalogue confifts of the fea 

 lamprey, the river or lefier lamprey, and the pride. He 

 makes mention of the muraena, that filh fo much cele- 

 brated among the epicures of ancient Rome, although fo 

 nearly allied to this genus, that it feems to merit a place 

 there. There is a fpecies of lamprey efleemed a great 

 delicacy by the modern inhabitants of Italyy different 

 from ours, and probably the fame fi(h with the ancient 

 Murcena, as it is reared in ponds, and fed in the fame 

 manner. The genuine charafters of thefe fifhes are : A 

 long and flender fhaped body, refembling that of a fnake ; 

 the {kin has no fcales, but is covered with a flimy gluti- 

 nous mucus ; they have feven apertures for breathing 

 upon each fide, and one like the cataceous fiflies upon the 

 top of the head ; both the peroral and ventral fins are 

 wanting. 



Vol. in. M. 



• Vide Syft. Nat. p. 394 



