[ 201 ] 
fhore ; and therefore, as foon as fuch fifh are brought 
out of the water, after having flounced a while, they 
lye motionlefs, and foon die. 
Let us now examine into the reafon why thefe 
vermicular fifh, the eel and ferpent kinds, can live a 
confiderable time on land, and the vertical and hori- 
zontal kinds die almoft immediately, when taken out 
of the water: and, in this refearch, we fhallcometo 
know what analogy there is between land animals and 
thofe of the waters. All land animals have lungs, 
and can live no longer than while thefe are inflated by 
the ambient air, and alternately comprefled for its 
expulfion j that is, while refpiration is duly carried on, 
by a regular infpiration and expiration of air. 
In like manner, the fifh in general have, inftead 
of lungs, gills, or branchiae ; and, as in land 
animals, the lungs have a large portion of the 
mafsof blood circulating through them, which mufi 
be flopped if the air has not a free ingrefs and 
egrefs into and from them ; fo, in fifh, there is a 
great fhare of blood veflels that pals through the 
branchiae, and a great portion of their blood circulates 
through them, which muff in like manner be totally 
flopped, if the branchiae are not kept perpetually wet 
with water; fo that, as the air is to the lungs, inland 
animals, a conflant affiftantto the circulation, fo is the 
water to the branchiae of thofe of the rivers and leas ; 
for when thefe are out of the water, the branchiae very 
foon grow crifp and dry, the blood veflels are fhrunk, 
and the blood is obftru&ed in its paflage ; fo, when the 
former are immerfed in water, or otherwife prevented 
having refpiration, the circulation ceafes, and the 
animal dies. 
Vol. LVI, D d Again, 
D d 
