438 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



The second family of the same order, vulgarly 

 called flat-fish, is composed of the great genus of 

 the flounders (pleuronectes) , of which we have 

 fifty-nine species. To this genus belong the tur- 

 bot, the dab, the sole, etc. These are the only 

 vertebrated animals that are not symmetrical ; 

 both the eyes and both the nostrils are placed 

 on the same side of the head, and the mouth 

 is unequally divided. A very large hippoglos- 

 sus, Cuv. , from the North seas, is fixed to the 

 ceiling; it was caught at St.Yalery, and sent to 

 us by M. Eaillan. 



The third family, that of the discolobi, com- 

 prehends four genera not very numerous in spe- 

 cies. The two first (lepadog aster, Gouan, and cy- 

 clopterus, Lin.,) are most of them very small fish, 

 which hide themselves under the stones ; there 

 are eight species in the collection. The eche- 

 neides, Lin., are remarkable for the lamellated 

 and flat discus on their head, by means of which 

 they attach themselves to different bodies, either 

 to large fishes or to the bottom of vessels, and 

 are thus carried with them in their course. 

 We have four species: the two most common 

 are the e. remora and the e. naucrates ; the first 

 from the Mediterranean, and the other from the 

 Indian seas. It has been said of the remora, that it 

 can arrest the progress of a ship. We have three 



