LUMP SUCKER. 3&g 



lined with innumerable small teeth ; the tongue 

 very thick : along the ridge of the back is a row of 

 large bony tubercles; from above the eye to within 

 a small space of the tail is another row ; beneath 

 that a thirds commencing at the gills ; and on 

 each side the belly a fourth row, consisting of five 

 tubercles like the other : the whole skin is rough, 

 with small tubercles : on the upper part of the back 

 is a thick ridge, improperly called a fin, being 

 destitute of spines; beneath that is the dorsal fin, 

 of a brownish hue, reaching within an inch of the 

 tail : on the belly, just opposite, is another of the 

 same form: the belly is of a bright crimson colour; 

 the pectoral fins are large and broad, almost unit- 

 ing at their base : beneath these is the part by 

 which it adheres to the rocks, &c. it consists of an 

 oval aperture, surrounded with a fleshy muscular 

 and obtuse soft substance, edged with small thread- 

 ed appendages, which concur as so many claspers : 

 (tail and vent fins purple.) By means of this part 

 it adheres with vast force to any thing it pleases : 

 as a proof of its tenacity, we have known, that on 

 flinging a fish of this species, just caught, into a 

 pail of water, it fixed itself so firmly to the bottom, 

 that on taking the fish by the tail, the whole pail 

 was lifted, though it held some gallons, and that 

 without removing the fish from its hold." 



" These fish resort in multitudes, during the 

 spring, to the coast of Sutherland, near the Of^d of 

 Cathness, The seals, which swim beneath, prey 

 greatly on them, leaving the skins ; numbers of 

 which, thus emptied, float at that season ashore. 



