306 riSGi^S. 



They live in sriKill troops, among rocks near the coast, swimming and leaping:, anrl can exist for iome 

 time withont watiT. Their skit\ is cuvercd with a miiicous secretion, "whence they have their cnmmoii 

 name Blcnnies. Many of them arc viviparous, or hring forth their young alive, fully formed, and 

 ca])ahle of suhsisting by themselves. They are divided as follows: — 



BleiinirSj properly so called, have the teeth eqiia.! and closely set, forrnini:^ onlv a sinfclc and rf'2"iilEir row in each 

 jaw, but terminating: behind, in some of the species, by a longer and crooked tooth ; their head is blunt, their 

 protile vertical, and their muzzte short. Most of them have a fringed appenda^^e over each eye, and sonie have 

 another on each temple. Their intestines are wide and short. The following are some of the more reniarkable 

 species : — B. oceltaris, Ocellated Blenny, or Butterfly-fish. This has two lobes in the dorsal, the tiist marked with 

 around black spot surrounded by a white ring;, and then a black one. It is a native of the Mediterranean, [but is 

 occasionally hiund in tl:e South of Kntrland by dredginj^. It li\'es amon:^ the rocks and sea-weed, and is under- 

 stood to feed oil mini.itc Crubtacea ami Mollusca. It sjiawns in syirinp. It is a very small fish.] B. icn/acu/ar/s 

 has four filaments on the head, the dorsal fin even, and a black spot on the fourth and fifth rays. [It is not 

 named among the English Blemncs.] B. <iattonigiiie, has the dorsal nearly even, and only two fillets on the head. 

 [It is found on the Cornish shores, varying in length from one inch to five. The general colour is reddish-brown, 

 paler on the belly.] B. pabmcor)us,'hR?, the appendage over the eye fringed, and the dorsal almost quite even, 

 the anal long, and the caudal rounded; [it is found on various parts of the British shores, and even as far north as 

 Norway. It is usually of ^mall size, and pale brown, mottled with dark dull brown]. In some the appendages 

 o\"er the eyes are hardly viNible, but they carry a prominent membrane on the top of the head, which becomes red 

 and inflated in the pairing season. Of these there are several in the European seas. B. galeriia. [Head blunt and 

 rouriiled, body smooth, compressed, and clammy, one long dorsal fin, ventrals before the pectorals, with only two 

 rays each, and both joined at the base. This is an insignificant species, found occasionally on the British shores, but, 

 like most of the genus, quite valueless.] B. rubiccps, has the first three rays of the dorsal elevated, with red 

 points, and the top of the liead of the same colour. B. phol'is, has the head without any appendages, the dorsal 

 notched, and the pectorals rather large. [It is found on the British shores, and is remarkably tenacious of life, 

 being capable of living a good many days if kept in moist grass or moss : like the rest, it is of trifling value.] 



The following subgenera are separated from the Blennies, properly so called : — 



Myxodcs, \\ ith the head lengthened, the muzzle pointed, and prnjcctcd in ad\ ance of the juouth ; a single row of 

 teeth, but no large or canine ones. 



i^fz^rtrmj, have the teeth in a single row, placed close, hooked, but very slender and nunierous. In a recent 

 specimen they yield to the touch like the keys of a musical instrument. The head is much compressed above, and 

 enlarged transversely below; their lips are fleshy and thick ; their profile is quite vertical. Their intestines bave 

 spiral convolutions, and are longer and more slender than in the Common Blenny. They are found in the Indian 

 Ocean only. 



Clinus, have short pointed teeth, dispersed in several rows ; their muzzle is less obtuse than in the foi'mer ; the 

 stomach is more ample, and the intestines shorter. Iliere are some variations of character. 



CirrJitharba, resembles Clinus in shape, has small curved teeth, a little filament over the eye, one in the nostril, 

 three larger ones at the end of the muzzle, and eight under the point ot (lie Inw^i- jaw. Found in India. 



il/urtc/;iy7rft'#, the Spotted Gunnel, or Butter-fish, has the ventral smaller than in any of the rest, often only a 

 single ray ; head small ; body lengthened like a swurd-blade ; a low dorsal, extending the wdiole length of the 

 back; teeth like Clinus; and the stomach and intestine ha\e a UTiiform appearance. [Found generally in the 

 European seas, even as far north as (iieenland, wheie it is eaten. There it is said to grow to the length often 

 inches, but on the British shores it is seldom more than six. The mucous secretion of the skin is very copious.] 



Opiatognalhus, resembles the true Blennies in form, especially its short snout ; has large maxillaries prolonged 

 backwards to a sort of moustacbe ; teeth rasp-like, the external row stronge&t ; three rays in the ventrals, which 

 are directly under the pectorals. From the Indian Ocean. 



Zoarcu.s. These cannot be separated fmnj the Hlennies, though they have no spinal ray, for they have all the 

 more essential characters ; [one species, Z. i-ivijHinns, is very common on the British shores, especially the north 

 and east ; it is easily taken about the season when charlock is in fiij\\er in the corn-fields ; but it is of little value, 

 and generally disliked, because when boiled its bones turn green. It attains the len;ith ot seven or eight inches, 

 and the female brings forth her young alive. The body is heavy and lumbering, for so small a fish. Z. hihrosKS 

 is an American species, of an olive colour, with brown spots, and it sometimes attains the length of three fe-et.] 

 Anarhchas. [iSo very similar did Cuvier consider these fisli to the Blennies, that he was disposed to consider 



th m IV Blennies without ventral fins.] Their dor- 



^^^'"-'lor,,,,,^ sil tin I') composed entirely of simjile but not stitf 



"''^ ^^ 'i ^^^"JX.^^^ '^^"^ '^"'^ extends, as does also the anal, very close 



to the base of the caudal, which last, as well as the 



■^ \.';^"4^i.g^^^^ "^ I e ti t ds is rounded The whnie body is soft and 



L-.,^.-*^'Sfi^"5Mi^^^^ sl„n\ Iheir panetul bunes, vomer, and man- 



i!)U>, aie hard, with stout liony tubercles, sur- 



mounted by small enamel teeth ; but their fiont 



teeth are much larger and conical. This stmcture of the teeth gives them an armature, which, added to their large 



si/.e, makes them both fierce and dangerous fishes. They have six rays in the gills; stomach short and fleshy, 



with the pyrolus near its base ; the intestines short, wide, and without co^ca ; and they have no air bladder. 



