F I S 
a dircriminatmg palate: by this they judge of fub- 
ftances that, firfl tin£luring the waters with their va- 
pours, are thus conveyed to the noftrils of the Fifh, 
and probably produce iome kind of fenfation. 
As to tailing, it feems very defe^Stive among 
Fifhes; the palate of moft: of them is hard and 
bony, and confequently incapable of the powers 
of relifhing different fubilances. This fenfe among 
quadrupeds, who poffefs it in a moderate degree, 
arifes from the foft pliancy of the organ, and the 
delicacy of the fl<in which covers the inftruments 
of tailing; and in them it may be conudered as a 
more perfect and delicate kind of feeling: but, in 
the bony palates of Fifhes, all powers of difbin- 
guifhing being wanting, they frequently fwallow 
the fifherman's plummet with as much avidity as 
his bait. 
The fenfe of hearing in Fillies is ftill more im- 
perfect, even if it exills at all. Certain it is, that 
anatomifts have not been able to difcover, except 
in the whale kind, the fmalleft traces of any organs 
of found about the heads of Fiflies. Indeed, in the 
centre of the brains of fome of thefe animals are a 
fewlittlebones; but their number andfituationfeem 
entirely accidental. Klein, however, fuppofes them 
to conflitute the organs of hearing; but if we confi- 
der their perfedl difTimilitude to thofe bones which 
ferve for hearing in other animals, we fnall be lit- 
tle inclined to adopt his opinion. The greateft 
number of FiQies are entirely deftitute of thofe 
bones; fome have them in fmall numbers, and 
others in abundance; vet neither teftify any excel- 
lence or defe(5l in liearing. To v/hat pui pofe, in- 
deed, fhould this fenfe be given to animals which 
are incapable of making themfelves heard? they 
have no voice to communicate with each other; 
and, confequently, auditory organs would be fu- 
perfluous. Mr. Gowan, who kept fome gold 
Fifhes in a vafe, informs us that, whatever 
noife he made, he could not difturb them. He 
fhouted as loud as polnble, putting a piece of pa- 
per between his mouth and the v/acer, to prevent 
the vibrations from affefting tlie furface, and the 
Fifhes feemed ftill infenfible; but when the paper 
was removed, and the found had it's full play on 
the water, the animals feemed infcantly to feel the 
change, and flirunk to the bottom. From this, and 
many other experiments, it is pretty obvious, that 
Fifhes are as deaf as they are mute; and that when 
they appear to be alarmed at any noife, it is only 
from the vibrations of found afFedting the wa- 
ter. 
Fifhes are in a tolerable degree pofTciTed of the 
fenfe of feeing; and yet, if we com.pare it with that 
of other animals, even this appears obfcure. The 
eyes of moft Fifhes are covered with the fame 
tranfparentf]<in that overfpreads thereftof the head; 
which nature feems to have given them as a de- 
fence in the water, they being totally deflitute of 
eye-lids. The cryftalline humour, vv'hich in qua- 
drupeds is fiat, in Fifties is perfe6l"ly round, or forne- 
timesovated: hence It IS evident, that thefe animals 
are extremely fhort-fighted ; and that, even in the 
water, they are incapable of perceiving objefts at a 
any confiderable diflance; which might be eafily 
afcertained, by comparing the refraction of bodies 
in the water with that formed by a fphcrical lens. 
From this fhort furvey of the fenfcs of Fiflies, it 
appears fufficiently obvious, that this clafs of ani- 
mals are far behind quadrupeds in their fenfations, 
and, confequently, in their enjoyments. Nature 
F I S 
feems to have fitted them with appetites and pow- 
ers of an inferior kind ; and formed them for a fort 
ofpaiTive exiftence in the heavy element to which 
they are configned. To preferve their own ex- 
iftence, and to continue it to their pofterity, fill up 
the whole circle of tlieir purfuits and enjoyments; 
and to thefe they feem impelled rather by necefTity 
than choice. Their fenfes are incapable of mak- 
ing any diftin6tions; and they move forwards in 
purfuit of whatever they can fwallow, conquer, or 
enjoy. 
A craving defire of food feems to give the ruling 
impulfe to all their motions. This appetite im- 
pels them to encounter every danger; and to their 
rapacity no bounds appear prefcribed. Evea 
wiien taken out of the water, and almoft expiring, 
they greedily fwallow the very bait which lured 
them to deftruftion. Their digeftive powers feem, 
in fome meafure, to increafe with the quantity of 
food they confume; and a fingle pike has been 
known to devour an hundred roaches in three 
days. The amazing digeftive faculties in the cold 
maws of Fifhes have juftly excited the curiofity of 
philofophers ; and have effedlually overturned the 
fyftems of thofe who maintain that the heat of the 
ilom.ach is a llifficient inftrument for dig<jftion. 
The truth feems to be, as fome experiments of the 
late eminent Dr. Hunter evince, that there is a 
power of animal aflimilation lodged in the ftomachs 
of all creatures, which we can neither defcribe 
nor define, converting the fubftances they fwallow 
into a fluid adapted for their own peculiar fup- 
port. This is effefted neither by trituration, by 
warmth, by motion, by a difTolving fluid, nor by 
their united efforts; but by fome principle in the 
ftomach yet unknown, which a6ls in a manner very 
different from all kinds of artificial maceration. 
The food taken into the ftomach or maw is ofteri 
fe^n, though nearly digefted, ftill to retain it's ori- 
ginal form; and, in faft, is ready for a total diffolu- 
tion, while to the eye it appears yet untouched by 
the force of the digeftive powers. 
But though the appetites of Fifhes are infatia- 
ble, no other animals can endure the want of food 
for fo long a time. Gold and filver Fi flies, which are 
kept in vafes, often live for months without any ap- 
parent fuftenance; and whether they feed on aqua- 
tic infeCls too minute for obfervation, or whether 
they fubfift on water only, is not fufficiently afcer- 
tained. Even the pike, one of the moft voracious 
of Fiflies, will exift in a pond wholly by itfelf. 
Fiihes that have fiiiall mouths feed on worms, 
and tlie fpawn of their own tribe; but thofe which 
have wider mouths, feek larger prey. The largefl- 
mouthed Fillies purfue almoft every thing which 
has life ; and they often meet each other in fierce 
oppofition. Indeed, the life of a Fiih, from the 
fmalleft to the greateft, is but one continual fcene 
of hoftility, violence, and evafion. The fmaller 
fry, fenfibie of their impotence, wifely retire into- 
thofe ftiallov/s v,/here the greater fpecies are unable 
to purfue them ; there tliey become invaders in their 
turn, and live on the fpawn of other Fifh which 
they find floating on the furface of the water. Yet 
even in the iliallows drey are befet with dangers: 
the mufcle, the oyfter, and the fcallop, lie in am- 
bulh at the bottom, with their lliells open to receive 
tiie inadvertent wanderers ; and> fhutting them up 
in thefe prifons, prey upon them at leifure. 
Nor is the purfuit of Fifhes, like that of land 
aniraixls, confined to a fin_gle region, or to a fingle 
effort; 
