314 PISCES. 



L. cephalus ; L. erythropthalmus, the Red Eye ; L. cceritleus, the Azurine ; L. albitrnus, the Bleak ; and L. 

 phoxinus, the Minnow ; but none of them are fishes of any great importance, except as bait for more valuable 

 ones.] 



Gonorhynhus, have the head and body elongated, the operculum covered with small scales, the muzzle angular, 

 the small mouth without teeth or cirri, three gill-rays, and a small dorsal over the ventrals. Known only in 

 Southern Africa. 



Cobitis, Loche, or Loach, have the head small ; the body long, covered with small scales, and slimy ; the ventral fins 

 are far backwards, and above them there is a single dorsal ; the mouth is at the end of the muzzle, little cleft, and 

 without teeth, but having lips forming a sucker, and numerous barbules ; the gills have small openings, and only three 

 rays ; the lower bones of the pharynx are strongly toothed ; no coeca to their intestines, and these are very small ; 

 their two-lobed air-bladder is inclosed in a case of bone, adhering to the third and fourth vertebrae. There are 

 three species in the fresh waters of Europe. C. barbaiula, the Common Loach, or Beardie, is a little fish of four or 

 five inches long, clouded, dotted with brown on a yellow ground, and having six barbules at the mouth. It is not 

 uncommon in the shallow and clear-running streams; but on account of its lurking habits, the rapidity of its 

 swimming wlien disturbed, and its small size, it is not often seen. Small as it is, its flesh is very good. C. fossilis, 

 the Pond Loach, is sometimes a foot long, with longitudinal stripes of brown and yellow, and ten barbules to the 

 mouth. They inhabit the mud of stagnant waters ; and can subsist for a long time after the water has been dried 

 up, or covered with ice. When the weather is stormy, they rise to the surface of the water, and keep it in a state 

 of agitation by their motion; and when cold, they bury themselves in the mud. Ehrman states that they 

 habitually swallow atmospheric air, which is discharged by the vent, after being changed into carbonic acid, — 

 [a fact which is contrary to the usual physiology of the class]. Their flesh is soft, and has a muddy flavour. 

 C. tcenia, the Groundling, has six barbules, and the body compressed, of an orange colour, marked with a row of 

 black spots. It has a large spine behind each nostril. It is the smallest of the species inhabiting the smaller 

 running waters, and lurking under stones. [It is found in the British rivers, and is probably much more nume- 

 rous than is generally represented ; but as it is of no value, it is regarded only by naturalists.] 



Anableps. This genus, long, but very improperly, united with Cobitis, has strong peculiar characters. The 

 eyes are prominent, placed under a sort of roof formed by the side of the frontal; and the cornea and iris are di- 

 vided by transverse bands, which gives the fish the appearance of having four eyes, whereas in reality it has only 

 two. There are certainly two openings to each eye, but still, in its essential parts, the organ is single; and 

 whether vision is performed by the anterior or posterior opening, the same sentient organ is acted upon. They 

 have also the generative and urinal aperture, in the male, placed before the vent ; and the female brings forth her 

 young alive, and in a state of considerable advancement. The body is cylindrical, with strong .scales; there are 

 five gill-rays; the head is flat ; the snout blunt, and the mouth across its extremity, with small crowded teeth in 

 both jaws ; the intermaxillaries have no peduncle, but are suspended to the nasal bones ; the pectorals are in 

 part scaly ; the dorsal is small, and nearer the tail than the anal ; the pharyngals are large, and covered with 

 small globular teeth ; the air-bladder is large ; and their intestine is wide, but without any coeca. Only one spe- 

 cies, A. tetroptltalmus, the Four-eyed, is known. It inhabits the rivers of Guiana. 



P(f cilia. These have the jaws horizontally flattened, with a small opening, and furnished with a single row of 

 small and very fine teeth ; the upper part of the head flat ; the gill-openings large, with five gill-rays ; the body 

 rather short ; the ventrals rather forward ; and the dorsal and anal against each other. They are small fishes of 

 the fresh waters of America, and bring forth their young alive. 



Lahias, resemble the preceding, only the teeth have several points. One species, a very small fish, with little 

 black streaks on the flanks, is found in Sardinia. 



Fungulus, still resemble Poecilia, but their teeth are set like velvet : those in the anterior range are crooked, and 

 they have strong conical ones in the pharynx. They have only four gill-rays. 



Molenesin, have the anal between the ventrals, and immediately under the anterior part of the large dorsal ; 

 teeth like Fungulus, and four or five gill-rays. [These genera are chiefly found in America.] 



Cijprinodnn, have fine velvety teeth, and six gill-rays, but in other respects are like the preceding genera. 

 C. umbra inhabits the lakes, and especially the subterranean waters which are so common in Southern Austria. 

 They are small fishes, of a russet colour, with brown spots. 



THE SECOND FAMILY OF THE MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMINALES. 



EsociD.E (the Pike Family). 



These have no adipose dorsal fin. The margin of the upper jaw is formed by the intermaxillary; or 

 when not so formed, the maxillary is toothless, and concealed by the lips. These fishes are extremely 

 voracious ; their intestine is short, and has no ccsca ; all of them have an air-bladder. Many species 

 inhabit the fresh waters, or ascend rivers. With the exception of Microstoma, all the known ones 

 have the dorsal opposite the anal. LinnsGus included them all in the genus Esox, but we divide that 

 genus into the following subgenera : — 



Esox, Pikes properly so called, have small intermaxillaries, furnished with small pointed teeth in the middle of 

 the upper jaw, where they form two rows, but the lateral parts of the maxillaries are without teeth. The vomer, 

 the palatals, the tongue, the pharynx, and the gill-arches, are roughened with teeth like a card ; and they have, in 



