294 PISCES. 



wards, the first dorsal very shorl:, but \uth a furiuiiiable spine on the first ray, the second dorsal lon^, the 

 pectorals larg'e, and a stronji; spiiio on Uie 0))ci-calLiiii. Tliese fishes lie in tli<; mud, and inflict severe wounds 

 with their dorsal spine, which the lishernien believe has a poisonous quality, but it is merely rut2^f,^ed, and lacerates 

 an ill-conditioned wound, shnilar to what is inflicted by the aiit)er of a Staj^. Perch; which resemble the Weevers, 

 and inhabit the warm seas, have crooked teeth on the mamillaries and the vomer, but none on the palatal bones. 

 Pinguipcs, also of the warm seas, more slun;g-lsli than the preceding- ffenus, with the teeth strong; and conical, 

 fleshy lips, and teeth on the palate. Percojihis, with the body very Ions, some of their teeth long' and pointed, and 

 the lower jaw much advanced. 



One very remarkable g"enus of Percida; is UranoftcopK.'i, the Star-f;"azrr, so called because the eyes are placed 

 on the upper surface of the nearly cubical head, and directed toward tin- heavens. Thcir-pre-operculum is toothed 

 on the lower part ; their mouth is cleft vertically ; they have a strong; spine on each shoulder, and only six rays 

 on each gill. \Vithin their mouth, behind the ton;^ue, is a narrow slip which they can protrude, and with which 

 they attract small fislies, while themselves are concealed in the mud. Their gall bladder is of immense size. 

 One species, U. scaber, inhabits the Mediterranean, but none of llie otiters are I'luropean. This is a very ugly ti&li, 

 but still it is eaten. 



The tliinl divi^iuii cumprisob llic Jhilominal Percid.T, or those which have tlic ventral tins beUiiicl 

 t!ic pectorals. 



<.)ne genus has them still partially attacherl to the bones of the shoulder. This is P')i'j/«cm».? (many fillets), so 

 called because the infeiior rays of their pectorals are filled and extended into long threads. Their teeth are in part 

 velvety, like those of the true Perches, and partly also like those of a Carp, and they have them on the maxiUaries, 

 the vomer, and the palate. Their snout, however, is rounded, and the vertical fins ai-e scaly. They are found in 

 the waters of Avarm countries, and one, P. parad/seus, of a beautiful yellow colour, with sc\'en filaments from the 

 fin on each side, at least twice as long as the body, is the celebrated "mango fish" of the Ganges, reckoned 

 the most delicious in India. Most of the other species have the filaments shorter, but the flesh of all of them is 

 excellent. 



Tlie following genera have the veutrals still farther behind, and (he hones of the pelvis quite detach-ed 

 from the hones of the shoulder. Of these there are several : — 



Sphfii-'riia, the Sea Pike, which has been confounded with the E^ox or True Pike. They are large 

 fishes, wiMi an 'liiloni,'- liead and projecting under jaw. There are several species inhabiting the warmer 

 seas, and one, .V. ban-'innht, is as much dreaded as the White Shark. Paralcpls, small fishes, resembling 

 the last genus in general characters, but witli the second dorsal fin small and fleshy. Mh////m, the Sur- 

 mullet, a very celebrated genus, and held in much estimation by epicures. These fislirs nnl^t not be 

 confounded with the MuDets properly so called, which give name to another family, and are tyiiical of 

 it, being very different in form and appearance from the Surmullets. The latter have the body thick and 

 obtong, with the protile of the head nearly vertical, the eyes far up, teeth in the lo\\er jaw and palate only, two 

 cirri inwards at the lower jaw, and but four rays in the gills. There are two species, both of which are European, 

 the Striped Red Mullet, M. surmnlntus, which is not very uncommon on the southern coast of England ; and the 

 Plain Red Mullet, M. barbatus, which, though named as a British fish, is chictly found in the M(Ttiri.'rrarioan. 

 Both species are delicious eating ; and the luxurious Romans used to feast tlhjir eyes \\itli tin- i-lianix':"^ of colour 

 in the Red Mullet when dying, before they devoured its Ilesh. Upeneus is a genus of the tropical seas, with tcth 

 in both jaws, but none in the palate. They have only four gill-rays, like the Surmullets, but have also an air- 

 bladder, which the latter are without. These complete the fauiity of the Pcrchi<e, as now known. 



THE SECOND FA:\IILY OF ACANTIIOPTEUYGII. 

 Fishes w[ti-i Hard Cheeks. 



This famdy comprehends a niiml>er of fishes of which the appearance of the head is lingular, being 

 variously mailed, or defended by spines and sealy plates of liard matter ; but they have many clmraeters 

 in common witii the Percida^. Their principal distinction consists in the stdjorliiial hone being 

 more or less extrnded over ihc clicck, and artirulatrd with the upoi ctilnni. The Star-yazer is the (Jiily 

 gctnis of the Perch fannly which rescnihlc^ llicni in this respect ; itut in it, tl)ou'.;h the snborliital bono 

 is very liroad, it is connected jiosreviorly with the temporal bones, and nut with the opercnluni. 



The following are the princi[)al genera : — 



TrigfiJ, the Gurnards, so calh'd from tlie sounds which they utter with tln.-ir gill-lids whrn taken out of tlie water. 

 They have an immense suborbital plate, to whicli the operculum or gill-lid is articulated by an immo\'eal)le suture 

 so as to be incapalde of separate motion. They have the head vertical in the sides, hard and rougii bones, two 

 distinct dorsals, three free rays under the pectorals, twelve coeca, and an air-bladder of two lobes. The Gurnanls 

 properly so called, have small teeth in both jaws, and in front of the vomer, together with large pectorals, 

 but not sulficicntly so for raising them out of the water, like those of the Flying Fishes. There are many species 

 found in the temperate seas, which, though in estimation fiu' the table, are inferior in this respect to the Snr 

 r.iiiUets. The English species are T. cucidm, the Red Gurnard, with strong plates in the' cheeks, the body 



