THE BLEN^^T, ipj 



Section V. 



Genus XXV — The Bknny, 



1 HE generic charaders o'f this tribe, are, a fliort, blunt 

 fngut, a fmooth body, covered with a glutinous fub- 

 ftance, and comprefl'ed laterally. The teeth are flender, 

 and the ventral tins fmall, fupportecj only by two con- 

 nected rays. The dorfal fin begins a little behind the l.ead, 

 and reaches the v/hole length of the hack. The lilhes of 

 this genus are varioufly clafled by naturalifts, fome of 

 them being mingled with thofe of the laft, while others 

 are clafled with the fea fcorpions, and other heterogeneous 

 tribes. LifiTHvus enumerates thirteen different fpf<;ies of 

 the blenny, only four or live of which are known to fre^ 

 quent ourcoafls ; the gattorugine, the crelled, thefmooth- 

 headed, the fpotted, and viviparous blenny ; all thefe 

 haunt the rocky (hores, aqd at low water are found un- 

 der the ftones among thp tang. They are extremely ac- 

 tive and vivacious ; by means of their ventral fins they 

 can creep among the rocks; and fome fpecies can live out 

 of the water during the length of a whole day. 



4 



B b 



