Alabama, ip 13. 71 



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THE FISH. 



A TYPICAL fish is a cold-blooded animal, with a bony skeleton, 

 and elongated body which is covered with over-lapping scales, 

 and an outfit of fins for balancing, steering and propulsion. It has 

 gills instead of lungs, fixed eyes, and a swimming-bladder, and is 

 socially fitted for a wholly aquatic life. It is provided with teeth, 

 it hears sounds by the transmitting power of the bony plates of 

 the skull, and usually it lays eggs for the production of its young. 

 The body of a typical fish is wedge-shaped, narrowest at the tail, 

 thin from side to side, and the head tapers to a blount point. This 

 form is specially designed for rapid and easy progress through 

 water. 



The Black Bass may fairly be regarded as a perfectly typical 

 fish. 



The variations from the perfect type are almost innumerable. 

 For example : 



The lung-fish has foot-like fins, and practical lungs. 



The catfish has no scales. 



Some Sharks and a few other fishes bring forth their young 

 alive. 



The Rays and Skates are the flattest of all vertebrates. 



The Climbing Perch can climb. 



The Flying-Fish can rise from the sea, and fly. 



The Lantern Fish, of the deep sea, carries a phosphorescent 

 light upon its head. 



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