160 



TOAD GADVS. 



compressed, tapering pretty suddenly towards the 

 tail : the eyes are large, with gold-coloured irides, 

 and are situated towards the upper part of the head; 

 on each side the eyes is a series of small warts t the 

 mouth is wide ; the upper jaw famished with several 

 rows of sharp teeth ; the lower with only two rows : 

 the upper lip projects somewhat beyond the lower, 

 which is fringed with a semicircle of short cirrhi or 

 beards : the pectoral and ventral fins are of a 

 sharpened form, and the first ray of the latter is 

 very strong, and of a considerable length : the rays 

 of the first dorsal fin, which is very small, are spiny ; 

 those of the second dorsal, as well as of the anal and 

 caudal, are soft, and project somewhat beyond the 

 edge of the membrane : the tail is rounded. The 

 colour of this fish is yellowish brown, paler beneath* 

 and the whole body as well as the fins variegated 

 with pretty numerous and somewhat irregular 

 blackish spots: the tail marked by two or three 

 transverse bars, and between the eyes is commonly 

 observed a transverse yellow bar or band. Native 

 of the American and Indian seas. Grows to the 

 length of about a foot, but is generally found of 

 smaller size. It is supposed to be of a predacious 

 nature, but its particular history seems to be not 

 very distinctly known. The Count de Cepede 

 places this fish, together with the Gadus blenrtoides 

 of Linnaeus, in a distinct genus, to which he gives 

 the title of Batrackoides. 



