254 



GREAT LAMPREY. 



ances whatsoever. Among other particulars in its 

 anatomy, it is remarkable that the heart, instead 

 of being inclosed in a soft pericardium, as in other 

 animals, is guarded by a strong cartilaginous one :^ 

 the liver, which is of an oblong form, is of a fine 

 grass-green colour, somewhat deeper in the female 

 fish, and may be used for the purpose of a pigment. 



A vulgar error, arising from inattentive inspec- 

 tion, and total ignorance of the nature of the ani- 

 mal, is said sometimes to prevail ; viz. that the 

 Lamprey is furnished with nine eyes on each side : 

 this mistake appears to have excited unusual indig- 

 nation in Sir Thomas Brown, who in his Pseudo- 

 doxia Epidemica thus expresses himself on the 

 subject : 



" Whether Lampries have nine eyes, as is re- 

 ceived, we durst refer it unto Polyphemus himself, 

 who had but one, to judge it. An error concern- 

 ing eyes occasioned by the error of eyes ; deduced 

 from the appearance of divers cavities or holes on 

 either side, which some call eyes that carelessly 

 behold them ; and is not only refutable by experi- 

 ence, but also repugnant unto reason. For besides 

 the monstrosity they fasten unto Nature, in con- 

 triving many eyes, who hath made but two unto 

 any animal, that is one of each side, according to 

 the division of the brain ; it were a superfluous 

 inartificial act to place and settle so many in one 

 plane; for the two extreams would sufficiently 

 perform the office of sight without the help of the 

 intermediate eyes, and behold as much as all the 

 seven together. For the visible base of an object 



Ci 



