﻿190 _ Transactions. — Zoology. 



had it placed upon the gridiron forthwith. Having many times partaken of 

 the finest kinds of the salmon, cooked in the most approved style, I hesitate 

 not to say that this fish was infinitely superior in delicacy, richness, and flavour, 

 to that of the Salmo solar. 



The dentition in the Mugil family exhibits a striking instance of the direct 

 connection it has with the structoral type of stomach, and the kind of food the 

 animal lives upon. Indeed, the fish may be said to be toothless, a series of 

 almost microscopic cilise supported upon the lip surrounding the mouth, and 

 a small patch on the palate bones, constituting the entire system of dentition. 



The gills, having four arches, are fully developed, consisting of the usual 

 bi'anchise, closely placed, and of great length, measuring, about the centre of 

 the arches, one inch in length, and occupying, as usual, the external or convex 

 margin of branchial arches, whilst the inner or concave margin supports a 

 series of laminae of extreme delicacy, placed transversely to the axis of the 

 arch, and forming, no doubt, a filter of the most artistic description.* 



The pharyngeal bones differ entirely from those of most other fishes. The 

 lower (two in number) are delicate, and may be viewed as a modification of 

 the branchial arch, being covered internally with similar laminae. The upper 

 pharyngeal bones (two in number) are of an irregular cone shape, one side of 

 the cone rounded and covered with exceedingly minute cilise. This part 

 evidently corresponding to, and in certain actions of the throat will be in 

 contact with, the concave aspect of the lower pharyngeal bones. 



The entire apparatus is saturated with a fine oil, and the action of this 

 remarkable structure it is difficult to suggest, more especially when we have 

 ascertained the nature of the food. 



In the carnivorous fishes, as in the Sparoidces, Cuvier, (such as the Snapper, 

 Pagrus unicolor) the teeth present nearly every variety of shape or form for 

 holding, tearing, and crushing, notwithstanding which they swallow the fry of 

 other fishes entire, so that the stomach has to select and reject, and thus the 

 intestines are generally loaded with debris of bones, fins, etc. 



In the Scicenadce, as, for instance, the Moki (Latris ciliaris), a row of minute 

 teeth are placed on the margin of the inter-maxillary bones and lower jaw, 

 whilst the branchial arches and pharyngeal bones present a most complex, and, 

 at the same time, beautiful system of dove-tailing, and a variety of teeth in 

 shape and form. Those in the pharyngeal bones are mostly rounded, blunted, 

 cones. The food of the Moki I have found to consist of the testacean mollusca, 



* "The fishes of this genus feed on organic substances which are mixed up with 

 the sand or mud ; a considerable indigestible portion of the latter is swallowed ; and 

 in order to prevent larger bodies from passing into the stomach, or substances from 

 passing through the gill-openings, these fishes have the organs of the pharynx modified 

 into a filtering apparatus." — Dr. Giinther's "Catalogue of Fishes," Vol. III., p. 410. 



