84 



THAT S IT ; 



smaller conical teeth behind 

 them, and two rows of rounded 

 molar teeth on each side of both 

 jaws. The red wrasse, 17, has large 

 muscular lips, and its teeth are 

 conical, sharp, and projecting. 

 The pike, 18, has a very large 

 mouth, the roof of which is 

 studded with small teeth. The 

 lower jaw exceeds the upper, and 

 is armed in front with small 

 teeth, and behind them are five 

 or six very long and sharp 

 weapons. 



The trout has recurved teeth * 

 embedded in its tongue. 



The pike is a most voracious creature. It 

 not only devours fishes of considerable size, 

 but frogs, water-rats, field-mice, young ducks, 

 moor-hens, and other aquatic birds. It has 

 frequently been known to bite the feet of 

 persons in the water. Dr. Plot narrates that 

 at Lord Gower's canal at Trentham, Stafford- 

 shire, a pike seized the head of a swan, as the 

 bird was feeding, with the head and neck im- 

 mersed in the water, and gorged so much of it 

 as killed them both. The servants, perceiving 

 the swan with its head under water for a long 

 time, went to it in a boat, and found both the 

 pike and swan dead. 



Fishes have no salivary glands, 

 and their sense of taste is very 

 imperfect ; they appear, however, 

 to have the sense of smelling, as 

 they prefer paste and worms that 

 have been prepared with par- 

 ticular perfumes. There is no 

 external appearance of an organ 

 of hearing — but a rudimentary 

 ear is found internally. The blood 

 of fishes is cold, and generally 

 without colour — hence the white- 

 ness of their flesh. 



" That fish have the power of hearing," says 

 Mr. Harmer,t " there can be no doubt ; I have 

 seen them suddenly move at the report of a 

 gun, though it was impossible for them to see 

 the flash. They have also some curiosity, 

 which I have witnessed by putting a new object 

 into the water, when they have assembled 

 around it, and appeared to reconnoitre. Carp, 

 especially, would come up to a new fish which 



• Bent back. f Philosophical Transaction* 



was put in amongst them. Roach, and other 

 small kinds, are perfectly aware of, and careful 

 to avoid, those fish which prey upon them. I 

 have seen large carp swim amongst a shoal of 

 roach withou t in the least disturbin g th em, w hile, 

 if a pike comes near them, they make off in 

 every direction. Fish appear to be capable of 

 entertaining affection for each other. I once 

 caught a iemale pike, during the spawning 

 season, and nothing could drive away the male 

 from the spot at which the female disappeared, 

 whom he had followed to the very edge of the 

 water." 



Let us now examine a few of the more un- 

 common forms of the interesting families of the 

 deep. Attention to their peculiarities will 

 teach us "how and what to observe," when 

 we may have an opportunity of examining 

 specimens of the finny tribes: — 



The Indian flying gurnard 

 (Dactylopterus orientalis), \ 5 is a 

 native of the Indian Seas, and is 

 found also in the Atlantic and 

 Mediterranean. We notice the 

 large size of its pectoral fins, 2, 

 and the proportionate greatness 

 of its caudal fin, 3 ; its first and 

 second dorsals, 4, 5, are composed 



346. 



of remarkably stiff spines, two of 

 which are destitute of membrane, 

 and are enlarged into formidable 

 weapons. The head is angular 

 andshort,and the eyes remarkably 

 large, 6. The living fish is sin- 

 gularly beautiful, the pectoral fins 

 being nearly transparent, and of 

 an olive green colour, marked 

 with bright blue spots ; the tail 

 is of a pale violet. "When these 

 fishes are chased by the dolphin, 

 they swim at a tremendous speed, 



