LECTURE VIIL 
55 
freedom, and bestowing an unmerited pardon on 
the offender ; sparing his life in consideration of 
former friendship This story has been so often 
related that it cannot be supposed to be impressive 
to many from its novelty, but many authors make 
a mistake as to the Fis//, which instead of a Mu- 
rasna they erroneously suppose to be a Lamprey. 
The Eels strictly speaking, are furnished with pec- 
toral or breast-fins ; but the Murgenge have none. 
Authors therefore who are partial to a highly 
precise division of the genera of fishes, instead of 
comprehending the Eels and the Murienm under 
the common title of Murcena, as Linnaeus has 
done, divide them into distinct genera under the 
titles of Mw'cena, Anguilla, Synbranchus, and some 
others j all agreeing in general form, but dis- 
tinguished from each other by the absence or pre- 
sence of breast-fins and some other circumstances, 
A more remarkable genus of apodal or foot- 
less fishes is that of Gymnotus, which is distin- 
guished by a lengthened body, without any back- 
fin, but furnished with one beneath, running along 
almost from extent or length of the animal. The 
principal species is the Gymnotus electricus or Elec- 
trical Gymnotus, sometimes improperly termed the 
