376 THE ANGLBR-N'ATURALIST. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Series I. 'BO'NY FISBES. Family MVEJENIBX]. 



Order IV. MALACOFTEBTOII APODES •. Genua AJfOUILLA J. 



THE SHARP-NOSED EEL. 



{Anguilla acutirostris^.) 



Characteristics common to all the Eel Family. — Body elongated into 

 a serpent-like form. Skin thick and soft; scales almost invisible, 

 and very few bones. They have no ventral fins and no pyloric casca, 

 but almost aU have air-bladders. 



The special characteristics of the present genus, Anguilla, 

 to which aU our fresh-water Eels belong, are, that they 

 have the body rounded, and covered with a thick mucus 

 or slime ; a row of teeth on each jaw and a few in front of 

 the vomer or central bone in the roof of the mouth ; the 

 pectoral fins close to the openings of the gUls, which are 

 very small apertures; and the back-, anal, and tail-fins 

 united. 



* "Soft-finned Fish lacking ventral fins." (See p. 37.) 

 t Murtena, an eel-shaped fish, Lat. 



I From anguilla, a little snake; — § acutu.a, sharp, and rostrum, a 

 nose or snout, Lat. 



