CLUPEID^. OSTEOGLOSSUM. 



287 



purpose, and would, in fact, be anticipating our future 

 exposition of the order Acanthopteryges, we shall pass 

 them over, and at once proceed to the other groups of 

 the Clupeince. 



(243.) We have now disposed of the two most typical 

 groups of the family before us, and shall proceed to the 

 other three, which we consider are aberrant. We com- 

 mence with Osteoglossum, because it follows that of the 

 toothed herrings, represented by Elops and Megalops. 

 The annexed cut (fig.60.) of this singular type (O. Mcir- 



rhosum Sw.*) will give an accurate idea of its general 

 structure. In the continuity of the dorsal, caudal, and anal 

 fins, as well as its lengthened tail, it reminds us of the 

 eels; while its large oblique mouth, and very short muzzle, 

 present some resemblance both to Laurida and Thryssa: 

 the teeth, however, although numerous and sharp, are 

 not very unequal in their length. Cuvier remarks of 

 this type, that it has many relations with Sudis; but he 

 has not stated what these relations are, and to us they 

 appear few and very remote; — the one is nearly cylin- 

 drical, the other much compressed ; and their general 

 physiognomy is very different. There is no fish, yet 

 discovered, where the scales, in proportion to the size of 

 the body, are so enormously large as in this type ; and 

 Spix mentions that they are very hard. Cuvier remarks 

 that the tongue is osseous, and singularly rough, from a 

 multitude of short, straight, and truncated teeth, with 

 which it is covered ; so that, as he conjectures, it serves 

 like a rasp to reduce fruits to a pulp, or to express their 



* Ichnosoma bicirrhosum of Spix, pi, 25. 



