THE COMMON ANGLER. 13! 



inflruments Belon afferts, that the animal walks at the 

 bottom of the water. 



Another pair of fins is placed farther out, at the verge 

 of the body, and below there are the apertures of the 

 gills, differing fo conllderably from thofe of other fifti, 

 that they have been fuppofed by fome, to be a retreat ior 

 the young. They are large orifices, and at the bottom 

 appears the branchise, refembling the teeth of a comb. 



Thefe fiflies grow to an extraordinary fize ; fome are 

 taken near Scarberough., between four and five feet in 

 length, and whofe mouth are near three feet wide. The 

 fiflaermen no fooner take them, than they give them their 

 liberty, from the fuppofition that they deftroy the dog- 

 fifh ; and in fupport of that idea, fome of thefe voraci- 

 ous animals have been found in their ftomachs. 



Willoughhy has four different fpecies, which he has 

 claffed under this genus ; three of which are Brazilian 

 fiflies, defcribed by Margrave, the Guacucuia, the Gwa- 

 perjia, and the Acaramucu : Of thefe the Guacucuia 

 or Brazilian water bat, refembles our fifhing frog, in the 

 fhape of its body and the fins ; but differs from it in the 

 fmallnefs of the mouth, in wanting teeth, and in the 

 long protuberant fnout, that refembles a horn. The 

 whole body is variegated with white and black fpots, of 

 which the pencil, and much lefs the pen, is unable to 

 convey any adeq^uate idea *. 



R 2 



*; Willough. page Sjs 



