ICHTHYOLOGY. 



at the back part of the neck; and forms externally, an 

 angular opening. The colour of the body is of a pale 

 amber, shaded with brown, and which is divided into ribs 

 transversely placed, and continued in a closer manner upon 

 the neck and tail; the mouth is truncated and without teeth, 

 and has two small horns standing upon the forehead immc* 

 diately above the eyes. Higher up and projecting from 

 the crown of the head are two pointed tubercles, and one 

 below, fixed upon the under jaw; the back is invested 

 with a spreading fin, which is filamentous and pointed down* 

 wards. In the front part of the abdomen, are placed two 

 small circular fins curvated, and these are all which the 

 animal seems to possess. 



In the infinite varieties which occur in the different 

 kingdoms of animals, fishes, birds and insects, we have 

 had frequently our attention drawn to those intergenera, or 

 connecting links, which unite by analogy, two different 

 tribes of beings. Thus the Bat exhibits a gradation, being 

 placed between the bird and the quadruped ; the flying fish, 

 endowed with a power of moving through the air, joins the 

 characters of the fish and bird, and the present specimen 

 seems to unite the qualities of fish and insect, its covering 

 being divided into partitional segments, yet without any fin 

 to its tail; it still has a sufficient analogy, in its situation 

 and habits to be reckoned by a superficial observer, a fish, 

 but a difference in its form from all fish, is observable 

 thoughout the whole of this most curious animal. 



