[ io6 ] 
may call them fo) fins, placed one on each fide, juft be- 
hind the head, over the fora?nina J'piratoria^ which are 
fmall, and generally covered with a lax fkin, fituated in 
the axilltz of thefe fins. Thefe fins are fmall for the fize 
of the fifti, being, fcarcely an inch in length, of a very 
thin, delicate confiftence, and orbicular fliape. They 
feem to be chiefly ufeful in fupporting and railing the 
head of the fifli when he wants to breathe, which he 
does every four or five minutes, by railing his mouth 
out of the water. This fliews that he has lungs and is 
amphibious, and the foramina fpiratoria feem to indicate 
his having branchi<^ likewife ; but this I only offer as a 
conjecfture, not being certain of the fact. I muft now 
mention the appearances of a number of fmall crofs 
bands, annular divifions, or rather ruga, of the fkin of 
the body. They reach acrofs the body down to the bafe 
of the Carina on each fide ; but thofe that crofs the back 
feem to terminate at the lateral lines, where new rings 
take their rife, not exadlly in the fame line, and run 
down to the carina. This gives.the fifli fomewhat of a 
worm-like appearance ; and indeed it feems to have fome 
of the properties of this tribe, for it has a power of 
lengthening or fliortening its body to a certain degree, 
for its own conveniency, or agreeable to its own inclina- 
tion. I have feen this fpecimen, which I have meafured 
three feet eight inches, fliorten himfelf to three feet two 
inches; but befides this power of lengthening or fliorten- 
ing his body, he can fwim forwards or backwards with 
apparently equal eafe to himfelf, v hich is another pro- 
perty 
