ADDITIONAL PACTS ABOUT THE PISH. 85 



The Skeleton. 



1. Clean the flesh from one of the bones of the 

 spinal column. 



2. Note the central portion (centrum). What 

 shape is it on the ends? 



3. Note the spinous processes. The one on the 

 back is the neural spine. See the opening through 

 which the spinal cord passed. 



4. How many pairs of ribs has your fish? How 

 are the ribs attached to the backbone? 



5. To what are the fin rays attached? 



Tlie Live Minnow. 



1. How does the fish swim? What is the chief 

 organ of locomotion? 



2. What is the chief use of each one of the fins? 



3. Notice the action of the mouth and gill covers. 

 Do both mouth and gill covers move at the same time? 

 Why does the fish move his jaws so constantly? 



4. Why does the fish generally lie with head up 

 stream ? Why does a fish die when it is taken out of 

 the water? 



5. Will these minnows ever grow larger? How 

 many kinds of fishes do you know? How many kinds 

 are on sale in the markets? 



6. Do fishes ever rain down? 



Additional Facts About the Fish. 



The fishes represent the class Pisces . There are four 

 groups of this class. Each group may be called an 

 order, although each has been subdivided into several 

 orders since the first division was made . The bony fishes 

 belong to the order Teleostei. The sharks belong to 

 the order Selachii, the sturgeon and garpike belong to 



