THE SEA LAMPRET. 53 



culty *. One that weighed but three pounds, has been 

 known to adhere fo firmly to a Hone of twelve pounds, 

 that it remained fufpended at Its mouth. This amazing 

 power of fudlion mud arlfe from the animal's exhaufting 

 the air within its body by the hole over the nofe j while 

 the mouth is clofely fixed to the objeft, and permits no 

 air to enter f . The weight which the lamprey Is by this 

 means able to fuflain, will be equal to that of a column 

 of air of the lame circumference with the animal's 

 mouth. 



The lamprey fometlmes grows fo large, as to weigh 

 four or five pounds ; its colour is dufky, irregularly 

 marked with dirty yellow. In the mouth are placed 

 twenty rows of fmall teeth, difpofed in circular orders^ 

 and placed far back near the throat, four, five, and fix, in 

 each row J. The branchiae are fituated within the feven 

 apertures, that are found on each fide of the neck. 

 Though in fhape this animal refembles an eel, yet it is 

 of a thicker and more ciumfy form. 



The fea lamprey, we fhould imagine from its name, 

 was only produced in the fait water ; it is found, how- 

 ever, very frequently at the opening of large rivers, where 

 they join the ocean. At certain feafons It Is found Irs 

 many of the Britijh rivers, and aUo in the Irijh. They 

 are fea fifh ; but, like falmon, quit the fait waters, and 

 mount the rivers about the end of winter, and after re- 

 maining there for a few months, return again to the 

 ocean §. 



As our manners are probably flill far fhort of that 

 fenfuality and extravagance which diftinguiihed the an- 

 cient 



* Pennant's Biitifla Zoology, f Goldfmith's Nat. Hifl. vol. 6. p. »70 



\ Willough. Ichthyol, p, 106. 



§ Brit, Zoel, wbifupra. Vl^ etlam Willough. 



