32 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 



Before commencing a particular description of 

 the fishes, peculiar to the sea-board and interior of 

 this Commonwealth, which is the ultimate object 

 of this essay, it may, perhaps, contribute towards 

 the advancement of such as are desirous of under- 

 standing some of the first principles of the science 

 of ichthyology, to make the following preliminary 

 observations on the anatomy of this great and 

 truly diversified tribe of animals. Avoiding all 

 the jargon of technical language, a plain and con- 

 cise description of the most prominent physical 

 characteristics, is all that is contemplated. 



willing to feed on putrid aliment. In this respect, they re- 

 semble the frogs, toads, serpents, and indeed, several families 

 of reptiles, that would starve, before they would voluntarily 

 swallow animal matter in a state of decomposition — or, in- 

 deed, deprived of motion. Frogs and serpents, as far as the 

 writer's observation extends, never dart upon insects or other 

 reptiles, unless they first perceive that they possess some 

 power of motion. 



The toad, whose biography is given in some of the books 

 on natural history, in consequence of the loss of one eye, was 

 not only unable to strike the object regularly, when it darted 

 its tongue, as in former times, but it was also deceived in the 

 character of the object. At any rate, the poor toad became 

 melancholy, took less exercise than formerly — and, if the 

 above account is true, which there is? no reason to doubt, — 

 took less food too, — and being sick of the world, finally died of 

 a broken heart ! This is a fair specimen of a very clever 

 gentleman's sympathy for the inferior animals, which was ex- 

 ceedingly excited by his researches in natural history. 



