LECTURE VIIL 
63 
able in the midst of the sea. The adhesion how- 
ever of a number of these Fishes at once to the 
side of a small canoe, in the earlier ages of man- 
kind, may really be supposed to have considerably 
retarded its progress, and have even caused it to 
incline on one side ; and the tale once related, 
might have gradually grown into the exaggerated 
powers afterwards ascribed to the animal. The 
real fact is, that the Remora being a Fish of very 
weak powers of fin, takes the advantage of occa- 
sionally attaching itself to any large swimming 
body, whether animate or inanimate, which it 
happens to meet with ; for when left to its own 
exertions it swims weakly, unsteadily, and often 
on its back. It is therefore necessary that it 
should avail itself of the occasional assistance of 
some larger floating body, and for this purpose 
the wonderful structure of the bead is formed. 
The common Remora or E. Remora of Linnasus 
is a native of the Mediterranean sea, and is of a 
brown colour, with about eighteen bars across the 
sucker on the head. 
Another species, called the Indian Remora, is 
of an olive-green colour, with ^4 bars across the 
sucker. A third species has been discovered in 
