186 PISCES. 



well clefl; operculum and suboperculum spinous; six branchial raysj 

 the ventrals narrow, inserted under the throat, and formed of but 

 three rays, the first of which is elongated and widened; pectorals 

 supported by a short arm, the result of the elongation of the carpal 

 bones. The first dorsal is short, and supported by three spinous 

 raysj the second is soft and long, as well as that of the anus which 

 corresponds to it. The lips are frequently furnished with filaments. 

 Those which have been dissected present a stomach resembling an 

 oblong sac, and short intestines, but there is no caecum. The fore- 

 part of the natatory bladder is deeply bifurcated. They keep them- 

 selves hidden in the sand, to surprize their prey, like the Lophius, 

 Sec; the wounds inflicted by their spines are reputed dangerous. 

 They are found in both oceans. 



Some of them have a smooth and fungous skin and a cutaneous 

 appendage over the eye.(l) 



Others are covered with scales, and have no appendage over the 

 eye.(2) 



We might distinguish those in which the scales and cirri are 

 wanting, but which have lines of pores pierced in the skin, (3) and 

 hooked teeth in the lower jaw. 



FAMILY XIV. 



LABROIDES. 



This family is easily recognized, the body is oblong and 

 scaly; a single dorsal is supported in front by spines, each of 

 which is generally furnished with a membranous appendage ; 

 the jaws are covered with fleshy lips ; there are three pha- 

 ryngeals, two upper ones attached to the cranium, and a large 

 lower one, all three armed with teeth, now en pave and then 



(1) Batr. tau, [Gadits tau, L. ), or Lophius bufo, Mitch., or Batrachoide verneul, 

 Lesueur, Mem. Mus., V, xvii;— the Batr.varie, Id. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil.;— ^a^r. grunni- 

 ens {Cottus grunniens,!..), Bl., 179, Seb. Ill, xxiii, 4;—Batr.gangene, Buch., XIV, 

 8;—Battr. dubius, Cuv., or L. dubius, J. AVhite, 265, Nieuhof, Ap., Will., Ap. 

 I^^ I; — Batr. 4-spinis, Cuv., or Batr. diemensis, Lesueur, Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. 



(2) Batr. surinamensis, Bl., Schn., pi. vii, given as the Tau, I.acep., II, xii, 1; — 

 B. conspicillum, Cuv., or the pretended Bair. tau, Bl., pi. Ixvii, f. 2 and 3. 



(3) Bat. porosissimus, Cuv., Niqui, Marcgr., 178, or the second Niqui of Pison, 

 295. N.B. The first Niqui of Pison, 294, is a badly copied figure from the col- 

 lection called Mentzel's, to which the engraver has added scales. 



