t 
488 The American Naturalist. [May, 
the mudfishes had meanwhile developed a trifid member (the left pec- 
toral fin) like the accompanying sketch (Fig. a). The keeper informed 
me that some weeks previously that fin had been bitten, but not quite 
severed, about midway, leaving a jagged wound with terminal portion 
pendant. It had now not only healed, leaving no trace of the wound, 
but the nearly severed portion had become firm and solid, forming one 
direct, tapering line from the body. The two lateral segments were, 
when quiescent, at right angles with the middle fin (or branch ?) ; but 
$ 
Drawn from nature 
s, Feh. 82 
by the authores 
EXACE SI. 
ame 
His days jater. 
Abnormal derelopments im fins of the 
Mud-Ash drawn from life, by 
the Aulhoress 4b.. & [arth 159. 
with the movements of the fish they collapsed or expanded freely as 
might be, and as far as I could decide each one appeared to possess 
independent action. They were flat, thin, exceedingly pliant and 
membranous, especially towards the edges; and when the fish was 
detained in a net out of the water, and I attempted to examine “ 
limb more closely, it was flapped about vigorously, or it clung to ; 
net, and to handle it would have invited a vicious and forcible bite, 
The segments somewhat resembled the tail of a tadpole. h 
Another of the mudfishes had grown a bifid fin (Fig. 4); thong 
one cannot affirm positively that a portion had not been nie 
before it was observed, for three days afterwards it isles alr z 
partially gone (Fig. 2), and the trifid fin had also been bitten, ® 
