54 AMERICAN ANGLER'S BOOK. 



ing ; the tongues of some species are nothing more than hard 

 cartilage, in others the tongue is armed with teeth. None have 

 the salivary glands to lubricate the parts with the moisture 

 necessary to the sensation of taste. 



The sense of feeling is confined almost entirely to the nose ; 

 most fish being covered with scales, which are of a horny or 

 bony substance, with as little sensation as a man's finger-nails. 

 In some, as the southern Garfish, the scales are enamelled, and 

 it is said, resist a bullet if not fired point blank. The Catfish, 

 and also the Barb (a species of Umbrina) have barbels or 

 cirri, by which they appear to detect the nature of substances 

 and whether they be food or not. These organs of touch, as 

 they may be termed, are provided by nature to assist them in 

 their nocturnal search, or groping in deep water for food. 



Yarrell, in his work on the Fishes of Great Britain, says : 

 " There are external openings to each nostril, surrounded by 

 several orifices, which allow the escape of a mucous secretion. 

 These apertures are larger and more numerous about the 

 heads of fishes generally, thaD over the other parts ; the 

 viscous secretion defending the skin from the action of the 

 water. Whether the fish inhabits stream or lake, the current 

 of the water in one instance, or progression through it in the 

 other, carries this defensive secretion backwards, and diffuses 

 it over the whole body. In fishes with small scales, this 

 secretion is in proportion more abundant." 



The latter part of the above quotation sufficiently explains 

 the presence of a large supply of this mucous secretion on 

 Trout and Catfish, and the increased quantity of slime on Eels. 



Teeth, with which fish are generally well supplied, are not 

 not only serviceable in seizing their prey, but by their 

 peculiar position and form assist them in swallowing it. 

 Teeth are found in many genera on the maxillaries inter- 

 maxillaries, palatine, vomer, and tongue ; sometimes also on 



