A N G 
them to attrafl fl-nall f\{h. With thefe extended, 
he informs us, it hides in muddj/ waters, and leaves 
nothing but the beards to be feen; the curiofity of 
the Imaller fifh brings them to view thefe filaments, 
and their hunger inducing them to feize the bait, 
the animal in ambufh fuddenly draws in it's fila- 
ments with the little fifli v^hich had taken the bait, 
and inftantly devours them. This ftory, though 
improbable encugh, has gained credit among ibme 
of our moPc diftinguifned naturalifts; though a (Irong 
prefumption to the contrary may fairly be inferred, 
from rlie con f deration that there is one fpecies of 
this fifh deftitute of thefe filaments, which it cer- 
tainly v/ould 'not want were they neceflary to the 
exitlence of the kind. Along the e Iges of the head 
and body are a grea t number of fnort fringed flcinny 
fubftances, placed at equal difbances. The ventral 
fins are broad, thick, and fiefhy, jointed like arms, 
and in the infides divided into fingers. The aper- 
ture to the gills is fituated behind, and is very large ; 
the back fin is placed very low, near the beginning 
of the tail; and the anal fin is beneath, nearly 
oppofite the former. The body becomes extremely 
flender near the tail, the end of which is quite even. 
The upper part of the Common Angler is of aduiky 
colour, the lower part is white, and the fl<in is 
fmooth throughout. 
Rondolelius informs us, that if we take out the 
bowels of tliis fifli, the body will exhibit a tranf- 
parcnt appeavance ; and thiat, if a lighted candle 
be placed within the body, as in a lanthorn, the 
whole will have a very luminous and formidable 
afpeft. The fifliermen, in general, entertain a very 
great veneration for this ugly fifli, fuppofing it to 
be an enemy to the dog-fifh, the body of that fierce 
and voracious animal being frequently found in 
it's ftomach; for Avhich reafon, wlienever they hap- 
pen to catch the Common Angler, they compliment 
it with it's liberty. 
ANGLER, LONG. A fpecies of fifh very lit- 
tle known by naturalifts, othemife than by de- 
fcription. Dr. Borlafe fays, that it is much longer 
than the common kind; that the head is more bony, 
rough, and aculcated; that it has no fin-like ap- 
pendages round it's head, but that on each fide 
of the thinner part of the body there is a feries of 
them three quarters of an inch in length, begin- 
ning beneatli the dorfal fin, and reaching within 
two inches of the tail; and that, at the extremity 
of the pectoral fins, there are fpines nearly two 
inches long, and others of three quarters of an inch 
at the end of the tail. 
ANGUELLA. A name given by fome natu- 
ralifts to the fifh more ufually called the hofpetus 
or atherina, commonly caught on the fhores of the 
Mediterranean, and efteemed very delicate food. 
ANGUILLA. See Eel. 
ANGUILLIFORM. A term applied to ex- 
prefs a very large clafs of fifhes, whicli are foft and 
lubricous like the eel, and deftitute of fcales. This 
term is derived from, the Latin words Anguilla, an 
Eel; and Forma, Shape or Appearance. 
Moft fifhes comprized in this clafs are long and 
flender-bodied like the eel: fome have no fins either 
at the gills or belly, as the murus and lampetra ; 
others have fins at their gills, but none on their 
bellies, as the fea-fnake, eel, conger, ophidion, and 
ammodytes ; and others are furnifhed with both, 
as the tenia;, muftellse, alaudrE, and the lilce. 
The word Anguilliform is alfo applied to cer- 
tain land animals, bearing fome diftant refem- 
bhnce to eels, though rhey certainly do not belong 
A N H 
to that clafs. In this fenfe we fpeak of Anguilli- 
form worms, &c. 
ANGUIS. A diftinft and nuinerous genus of 
the order of ferpents, and clafs of amphibious ani- 
mals, in the Linnsran fyftem ; the charaderiftics of 
which are, that tliey have a fcaly body of a cylmdric 
figure, and are deftitute of feet. See Snake. 
ANGUIS iESCULAPII. See Coluber. 
ANHIf^.IA. A Brazilian bird, fomewhat re- 
fembling tlie crane kind, though not regularly re- 
ferable to that clafs. It is a water-fowl of the ut- 
moft rapacity, and larger dian a fwan. The head is 
fmall in proportion to the ho ^/; imd the b"ll, which 
is black, not above two incii; .-; long. But the moft 
diftinguifhing peculiarity of this bird, is a kng 
round liorn, of an ivory colour, v/^hich grows from 
the fore-part of the head, and isfurrounded bv .ifmall 
tuft of black and white feathers. This forinidable 
bird, wliich feems armed at all poin'-s, lias alfo in 
the front of each v/ing, at the f.^iond joint, two 
ftraiglit triangular fpurs abou*- the thicknefs of 
a fwan's quill; the forem-,ft o:^ thefe fpurs bc'ng 
about an inch long, the hinderone foiiiewhatftior tr, 
and both of a dufky colour. It's claws are long ..nd 
fliarp, and connedted by a membrane, as in the 
cormor ant and duck k:nds. It's tail is about eight 
inches long; and it's wings, when folded, reach 
more than half die length of the tail. The n'-ad 
and neck are of a yellov/ifli colour, and covered 
with extremely foft feathers; the bre.ift, belly, and 
thighs, are of a fuvery white; and the upper part 
of the back is brown fpotted v/idi yellow, all the 
reft being black. The Anhima lias a loud and 
terrible cry, founding fomething like * Vyhoo ! 
V yhoo !' It is never found alone, but always in pairs; 
the cock and the hen conftantly prowling together: 
and fuch is faid to be the fidelity of thefe birds, 
that when the one dies, the other remains by the 
dead carcafe till it expires with hunger. It builds 
a neft of clay on the ground, near the trunks of 
trees, in the fhape of an oven. 
ANHINGA. A very elegant fpecies of the 
mergi aquatici, or divers, in the Brazils, particu- 
larly among the people called TupinambjE. This 
fowl is thus defcribed by Willughby. k's body, 
except the neck, is the fize of a common tame 
duck's ; it's bill, which is fharp and flender, is 
three inches long, the foremoft half of the lov/er 
and upper parts containing a double row of little 
hooked teeth inclining backwards; it's head, v/hich 
fom.ewhat refembles a ferpent's, is not two inches 
long; it's eyes are black, encircled with gold; and 
it"s round flender neck is a foot in length, though 
the body is only feven inches. The legs are re- 
markably fhort, and . the thighs are'feathered. It 
hath four toes ; three turned ' forwards, joined to- 
gether by membranes, after the- manner of ducks 
or cormorants ; the fourth fhorfer, extended fide- 
ways below, and joined to the reft by a membrane. 
The claws are very fharp and crooked. It has a 
broad tail, ten inches long, confifting of tv/elve fea- 
thers; and the wings terminate about the middle 
of the tail. The bill is grey, and after it's rife a 
little yellowifli. All the head and neck are cover- 
ed with very fine feathers, as foft to the touch as 
velvet; on the upper fide a colour from grey in- 
clining to yellov/, and thofe at the throat being en- 
tirely grey. The whole breaft, lower belly, .and 
upper legs, are covered with foft feathers of a filver 
colour ; and the beginning of the back is cloathed 
v/ith brov/n ones, each having an oblong fpot of 
whitifhycllowinthe centre, fothat it appearsfpeck- 
