128 PEARL-BLADDERED ARGENTINA. 



parallel ranges: those in front of the lower jaw 

 disposed in a single range : base of the upper jaw, 

 towards the throat, beset or paved with numerous, 

 small, orbicular grinders or bony tubercles : tongue 

 like that of some small quadruped^ but on its back- 

 part, or towards the throat paved with similar 

 tubercles to those of the upper jaw : lateral line 

 strait : tail bifid, and scaly between the lobeSi, 

 Native of the Red Sea. 



PEARL-BLADDERED ARGENTINE. 



Argentina Sphyraena. A. argent ca iiitidissimaj pinna &ni taiits 

 novem. 



Bright- Silvery Argentine^ with nine rays in the anal fin. 

 Argentina Sphyraena. A. pinna ant tadiis novem. Lin, Syst. 



Nat. Gmel. p. 13g4. 

 PiscicullTS Romae Argentina dictus. TFill. ichth. p. 22g. 



Tms is a small fish inhabiting the Mediterranean 

 sea, and is remarkable for the brilliancy of it» ap- 

 pearance, being of a bright silver-colour, tvilh a 

 cast of green on the upper parts, and a purplish 

 tinge on the head : the air-bladder is of as bright a 

 colour as the body, resembling polished silver, and, 

 together with the scales, affords some of the best 

 kind of silvery matter used in the preparation of arti- 

 ficial pearls, being washed off, collected, and intro- 

 duced into the small globes of glass blov/il for that 

 pirpose. The scales of many other fishes however 

 ?jfe used in the same manufactory, which is said to 

 be principally carried on in the city of Paris. 



