COLLECTION OF FISH. 4^5 



The flying fishes are to be found in every sea, 

 but more particularly near the tropics. The size 

 of their pectoral fins enables them to support 

 themselves some minutes in the air ; when they 

 spring out of the water to escape the fishes 

 which pursue them, they often become the prey 

 of sea birds. We possess three species of them. 

 The genus of the mormyri comprehends eight 

 species, all inhabitants of the Nile, from whence 

 they were brought by M. Geoffroy. One of them, 

 which has a very long snout, was known and 

 revered by the ancient Egyptians under the name 

 of oxjrhjnchus , and it is often seen depicted on 

 their monuments. 



The fourth family, that of the carps (cy print), 

 consists of fresh water fish, found in all latitudes, 

 of which we have thirty-five species. To the 

 first genus, cyprinus, belong the barbel, the 

 bream, the tench, and several white fish which 

 have served as types of various sub-genera esta- 

 blished by M. Cuvier. The gold-fish of China, 

 which adorns our ponds, is a species of this 

 genus, the domesticated varieties of which are 

 very numerous. Next to the carps is the gono- 

 rhjnchus, of which only one very rare species 

 is known, which was brought from the Cape 

 by M. Delalande. The loches come next ; we 

 have four species of them : the three first inhabit 



28. 



