REP 
been afcribcd to the feathers of this bird; but fo- 
bcr naturalifts rejeLtthe afiertion as fabulous. 
REIN-DEER. Aii animal of the deer kind, 
a native of the hyperborean re,;2;ions; remarkable 
for it's tra'flability ; it's perfeverance ; and it's 
utility to mankind, both as a faithful fcrvant and 
as nutritious aliment. See Deer, Rein. 
RELL. An B^nglifii appellation for the v/iiite- 
bfllied moufe, with a blackifh back, and long 
body. Naturalifts are much divided in their opi- 
nions concerning the qualities^ and even the exiil- 
ence, of this creature. 
REMORA, the Sucking-FiHi. This fiHi, 
which bears fome refemblance to the herring, is 
tlie Echeneis of the Greeks; and has been cele- 
brated from remote antiquity for it's adhefive 
qualities, It belongs to the genus of echeneis, 
and ckds of thoracici in the Linnsean fyfcem. 
According to the Artedian and Linnrean de- 
fcriptions, it's characters arethefe: the branchio- 
ftege membrane on each fide contains about ten 
bones ; the head is thick, deprefled, naked, and 
marked on the upper fide with tranfverfe rough 
ftriai; the body, which is of a hoary colour, is 
oblong, roundifn, and naked, but fomewhatcom- 
preffcd ; the doi-fal fin is oblong, and placed very 
fxr towards the tail; the under jaw is longer than 
the upper; and in each there arc a great number 
of teeth. The fins arefeven in number, tv/o pec- 
toral, two ventral, one anal, one dorfal, and one 
caudal. The ftri;t of the head, which are from 
eighteen to twenty-four, are rough and tranfverfe, 
but divided as it were into two feries by a middle 
longitudinal line; and thefe frrias or ridges are 
the inllruments by Vv/hich the fifii can affix itfelf 
to any other animal or fubftance. 
Linnfeus mentions two fpecies of the echineis, 
the Remora and neucratcs: the former is diftin- 
guifned by having a bifid tail, and eighteen firrijE 
on the head; the latter by having an entire tail, 
twentv-four (Iris, a larger body, and fnarper fins. 
Botii fpecies are natives of the Indian Ocean. 
The ancients, who afcribed marvellous quali- 
ties to whatever they could not fufficiently com- 
prehend, unanimously believed that the Sucking- 
Fiili was capable of flopping a vefiTel in full fail, 
or a whale in fv/imming; and hence it obtained 
the appellation of Remora, from Remorando. 
Catefby, however, juftly remarks, that feveral 
of thefe fifiics together pofTefs no more efficacy 
than fhells or corals, v/hich by adhefion occafion 
a flight interruption: and alfo afiurcs us, that he 
has taken four or five of them from the body of a 
fiiark. 
R.EMORA MUTIANI. A term by which 
fome authors exprefs the genus of flnells called 
alfo concha venerea and porcellana. See Porce- 
lain Shell. 
REPTILES. A genus of animals fo deno- 
minated from their creeping or advancing on 
their bellies: or they may be defined as a genus 
of animals and infetfls v/hich, inftead of feet, reft 
on one part of the body, while they move forward 
with the remainder. Of this clafs are earth- 
worms, fnakes, and various other creatures. 
Naturaliils have remarked the peculiar aptitude 
of conformation in Reptiles for their defiined mo- 
tion. Thus, with regard to the earth-worm, Dr. 
Willis obferves, that the whole body is only a 
chain of annular mufclcs; or, according to Der- 
ham, but one continued fpiral mufcle; the orbi- 
cular fibres of wliichj by being contracted, render 
R H A 
each ring narrower and longer than before; and 
by this means the creature is enabled, like the 
worm of an auger, to bore it's paffage into the 
earth. It's reptile motion may alfo be e:{plained 
by a wire wound on a cylinder, Vv'hich, when 
fi:ripped off, and one end extended and held flifi:, 
will bring t!ie other nearer: fo the earth-worm 
having fliot out, or extended it's body, which is 
formed with a wreathing, it takes hold by the af- 
fifrance of izs m.inute feet, and fo conirafcs tiie 
hinder part of it's body. Dr. Tyfon adds, that 
when the forepart of the body is extended and ap- 
plied to a plane at a difiance, the hind part relax- 
ing and fiiortening, is eafily drawn towards it as 
a centre. In the earth-worm, the feet are difpofed 
in a quadruple row the whole len.^th of t!ie body,; 
and with them, as vnth fo many hooks, it fafiens 
down fometimes this, fometimes that part, of it's 
body, to the plane; and at the fame time extends 
or drags afcer it another. 
The progrefilve motion of ferpents is effeded 
after a manner fomewhat different, ori'Tinatino- 
from a diverfity in their ftrucfcure; thei° bodies 
being compofed of a compages of bones articu- 
lated together. In thefe creatures, the body is 
not drawn together, but as it were complicated, 
part of it being applied on the rough ground, 
and the refi: ejaculated and fhot from it; which 
being fet on the ground in it's turn, draws the 
other after it. The fpine of the back, which in 
thefe animals is variou'ly wreathed, has the fame 
clTecfts in fpringing as the joints of the feet in 
other animals; the fprings or leaps of this tribe 
being performed by means of mufcles, which ex- 
tend the plic£ or folds. 
In the Linnnean difiiribution. Reptiles confti- 
tute an order of animals under the clafs of am- 
phibia. Their diftinguifliing charafteriftics are; 
that they refpire through the mouth by means of 
lungs only; and are furniilied wi th four feet. To 
this order appertain four genera, namely, the tor- 
toife, frog, dragon, and lizard, comprehending 
eighty-four fpecies. Linnsus, it ought to be ob- 
ferved, has referred the generality of thofe ani- 
mals, which other naturalifts have reputed Rep- 
tiles, to the order of ferpents, and clafs of vermes 
or worms. See Serpents and Worms. 
REUTELE. An appellation by which fome 
ichthyologifts exprefs the unibla minor, or red 
charr; a fifh common in the German lakes, and 
thofe of the northern parts of England and Wales. 
REX MULLORUM. A term ufed by fome 
writers to fignify a fpecies of mullet; diftinguiflied 
from the other kinds by having a prominent belly, 
and no beards under the mouth. 
RHAQUUNDA. A Brazilian fifli, about ten 
inches in length and tv/o in breadth, nearly of 
tiie fame fize from the head to the tail. The 
head and m.outh are fnaped almoft like thofe of 
a pike ; and the jaws are extremely rough, though 
deftitute of teeth. The irides are brown; and 
fiom the origin of the back a fin extends almoft 
to the root of the tail, which is three inches long, 
and nearly one broad, except tov/ards the extre- 
mity, where it is fomewhat broader. The tail is 
covered with a hard black fhell ; and the fcales 
are of a moderate fize. The back and fides are 
of a dark grey hue, with a filvery glofs; and on 
each fide there is a row of round black fcales, 
each about the fize of a pea; and between them 
many blue fpecks. All the fins, and the tail, are 
of a gold colour, except the dorfal fins, which are 
fpotted 
