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BLIND GASTROBRANCHUS. 



of the animal from the head, are situated, beneath 

 the body, the two spiracula, which consist of a pair 

 of oval apertures. On laying open the fish, it ap- 

 pears that each of these apertures communicates 

 with a series of globular red cells or vesicles, dis- 

 posed, to the number of six, on each side the 

 body: every one of these twelve cells or vesicles 

 communicates on its exterior side, by a short 

 branch, Avith the duct leading from the spiracle ; 

 and on its interior side with another duct leading 

 into the mouth : below these cells is situated the 

 heart, which is of a roundish or but slightly cordate 

 shape : the liver is large, and consists of two lobes 

 or divisions, of which the upper is smallest : the 

 ovarium is of a lengthened form, and the ova appear 

 to arrive at a very considerable size before they 

 are excluded from the body, and it is doubtful 

 whether they may not hatch internally, as in some 

 other fishes, before exclusion. The general colour 

 of the animal is whitish with a dusky blueish cast 

 above, and reddish towards the head and tail : the 

 fin surrounding the tail-part is yellowish-brown. 



The manners of this fish are represented as highly 

 singular : it is said to enter into the bodies of such 

 fishes as it happens to find on the fishermen's hooks, 

 and which consequently have not the power of 

 escaping its attack, and by gnawing its way through 

 the skin, to devour all the internal parts, leaving 

 only the bones and the skin remaining. Another 

 particularity in this animal consists in its uncom- 

 monly glutinous nature : if put into a large vessel 

 of searwater, it is said in a very short space to 



