THE SEA LAMPREY. 443 



one-tenth of the whole length of the body ; eyes small and round 

 placed mid-way between the tip of the snout and the fifth branchial 

 opening. Mouth large, of an oval form ; when widely expanded., 

 circular ; border by a fleshy lip, fringed on the inner surface ; armed 

 on the inside with numerous hard conical tooth-like projections, dis- 

 posed in concentric rows, increasing in size as they advance in- 

 wards; the outer row very small, scarcely perceptible, all the 

 points directed inwards ; immediately beneath the tongue is a se- 

 micircular bone with eight sharp, conical teeth pointing outwards ; 

 on the roof of the mouth is a strong, conical tooth divided in the 

 middle with the points directed outwards and downwards ; tongue 

 bilobed, having each lobe rounded and armed with six fine sharp- 

 pointed teeth; also a number of minute teeth at the root of the 

 tongue. Branchial openings seven on each side of the neck, ar- 

 ranged in a longitudinal series, in a line with the eye ; between 

 and a little in front of the eyes is a small aperture scarcely larger 

 than a pin's head. Two dorsal fins, the first commencing exact- 

 ly mid- way between the eye and the end of the tail, somewhat of 

 a triangular form, the base about four times longer than its height ; 

 second dorsal commencing at a short distance from the termination 

 of the first, and ending at a very short interval from the caudal, 

 commencing at first low and attaining its greatest height somewhat 

 suddenly, from thence sloping gradually off to near the commence- 

 ment of the caudal, its height about one-sixth part the length of its 

 base. Caudal truncated, commencing at first low and then gradual- 

 ly expanding ; pectoral and anal fins wanting. Colour of the back 

 and sides greenish marbled with dark brown ; beneath of a yellowish 

 tinge. Skin perfectly smooth, without scales. 



The Lamprey is a migratory fish ; it leaves the sea early 

 in the spring, and enters the large rivers to spawn, and 

 after this process is accomplished, it returns again to its 

 natural residence some time in autumn. According to 

 Yarrell, " it has a very extensive geographical range. It 

 is found in the Mediterranean, and from thence northwards 

 in most of the rivers in Europe as far as Scandinavia, du- 

 ring spring ; it appears to be common in the rivers of North 

 America, attaining a larger size in those of the more south- 

 ern states, but not exceeding seventeen or twenty inches in 

 length in a high northern latitude. Dr Mitchell also in- 

 cludes this species among his fishes of New York. It is 

 rather common during spring and summer in some of the 



