76 CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



and Tripterygion, which passes into Lahrisomus by L. 

 Delalandii, a fish having three sinuosities on its dorsal, 

 representing the three distinct fins of Tripterygion. 

 Thus we have a perfectly circular succession of the 

 whole, in which not a single link can be said to be 

 wanting. Our arrangement, therefore, rests on af- 

 finity : let us now look to analogy. The Blennince 

 and the Clinincp, if they are natural groups, will cor- 

 respond in all their subordinate divisions, and that not 

 vaguely, but definitely ; because, as they are closely 

 related, their analogies should be strong in the same 

 proportion. 



Analogies of the Clinin^e and the Blennin^. 



Genera of the . „. . Genera of the 



CUnin^. Analogies. Blennmce. 



r Anterior teeth very strong; ^ 

 Labrisomls A'oA. ■< dorsal fins deeply emargi- VBlennius Linn. 



C nate. j 



r Teeth very fine; dorsal finT 

 Clixus Cuv. ^ of nearly equal breaoth >-Salarias Cuv. 



L throughout. j 



r Body anguilliform; dorsal and T 

 Blennophis Aoi. < anal fins linear, equal and vChirolophis Nob. 



C reaching to the caudal J 



f Mouth sub-vertical ; dorsalT 

 Climtrachus A'o*. < fins two, the first of three J-Cristiceps Cuy. 



C rays ; lower jaw longest. j 



Tripterygion Ris. Muzzle elongate. Myxodes Cuv. 



The most remarkable feature, perhaps, of this table 

 is, that the analogical characters are almost word for 

 word the same as those which designate the absolute 

 generic characters of these groups, omitting only those 

 which especially mark the distinction between the two 

 columns or sub-families ; so that, in fact, if these are set 

 aside, there is no possible way of separating the one 

 from the other. 



(80.) As Lahrisomus and Clinus are thus shown to 

 be typical genera, still possessing several singular, although 

 subordinate variations in form, it follows that they con- 

 tain the types of sub-genera ; these, however, are not 

 all discovered, and, having gone thus far, we shall not 



