Hi! CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



teryges, and quadrupeds,, where these powers are evi- 

 dently diminished, would stand opposite to each other. 

 Be this, however, as it may, we had better, perhaps, for 

 the present, leave these gi-oups as they now stand, and 

 proceed to the two next ; that is, the cartilaginous fishes 

 and the reptiles. Between these two there is no ana- 

 logy, however remote, to be discovered in their extern-al 

 shape ; and yet, independent of the mode of their pro- 

 duction, this is the strongest point in our present pro- 

 position, because it rests upon an authority which no 

 one would be disposed to question. M. Cuvier com- 

 mences his remarks upon the Chondropteryges, by ob- 

 serving that ^"'many of the genera approximate to the 

 reptiles in the conformation of the ear and of the 

 genital organs ;" and one of our best ichthyologists has 

 expressed a similar opinion.* Having before adverted 

 to the analogy of the typical Plectognathes and the 

 amphibious frogs, we may pass on to that by which the 

 apodal order remains to represent the whole class of 

 fishes. Now this may be inferred, if not substantiated, 

 in two ways, negatively or positively : first, it might be 

 safely concluded, that if the four previous analogies are 

 correct, then there can be no doubt about this last, see- 

 ing that it embraces the only two groups which yet 

 remain; but we do not rest altogether upon this de- 

 duction. The whole class of fishes are remarkable for 

 the smallness of their posterior members, which, in 

 them, are fins : these are almost universally of a much 

 less size than their dorsals, pectorals, ventrals, or caudals. 

 Now, this characteristic is more conspicuous in the 

 ApodeSf or anguilliform type of fishes, than in any 

 other; because, among them, the ventral fins are alto- 

 gether wanting. If we wished to trace this character 

 through other orders of animals, we need only look to 

 the aquatic division of the JIanunalia, and to the nata- 

 torial order of birds ; both of which have the most 

 imperfect feet of their respective classes : the corrc" 



* Yarrell'3 Brit. Fishes, vol i. p. 40/ 



