[ 234 3 
Tribe, which have one, two, five, or nine Air-Holes, 
at the Back, or Sides of the Head or m their Tho- 
rax, in which concealed Gills ar /J° und : ^ , 
Family comprehends all Kinds of F.thes, whofe G ils 
are ufually placed on each Side the Back of the 
Head. Our Author’s Antagomft alleges, that a 
Filhes of both Orders are equally deaf; but that all 
Naturalifts except Mr. Reaumur are o a contrary 
Opinion, that Fifties hear diftin&ly. . 
Our Author begins with an Air of Ridicule, a nd 
thews how far the Letter* writer is ignorant of the 
various Opinions, modem as well as antient. nr 
learnedCountryman Mr .Ray thinks to reconcile thele, 
by allowing that fome hear, while others are ca , 
but the greateft Part allow that Filhes actually hear ; 
and molt, except Scheuchzer , feem agreed about the 
auditory Paffages. But the Letter- writer denies they 
have any Organs of Voice, merely upon the pro- 
verbial Authority, Mute as a Fifh 5 hence^ he con- 
cludes they are likewife deaf. But in Anfwei, tis 
replied, the fpouting Whale hath all its internal 
Organs, precifely fimilar to the Organs of Voice in 
other Creatures, and therefore they may anlwerthe 
fame Purpofes, nay actually ferve this End: For 
when the Whales in the Greenland Fifhery are 
ftruck, they roar frequently fo loud, as to be heard 
at two French Miles Diftance. 
But fome of the firft Family of our fecond Clals, 
as the Skate, Lamprey, Conger, and others, our 
Author hath heard utter fome kind of Node ; and 
oives his Opinion, that mod Sorts of cartilaginous 
Filhes can do the fame. From Analogy he argues, 
that as no Bcaft, from the Lion to the meaneft Ani- 
4 nial, 
