RKMORi, 
115 
naturalist, Commerson — an observer of high excellency — that its 
mode of swimming, even under ordinary circumstances, is with 
the hack downward: a position which its general appearance in 
the relative distrih”‘ion of colour and action of the smaller fins 
render prohahle, and which the act of adhesion in its final 
operation must necessarily require. In this action the pectoral 
fins are directed towards the hack, and the ventrals are turned 
in the contrary direction; so that each of these pairs is engaged 
in performing what in other fishes is the office of the other; 
and the Eemora glides along the surface of that to which it 
seeks to affix itself, until it has reached the place where it will 
he least exposed to injury from the violent actions of its hearer. 
A slight effort of the sucking laminae displaces the fluid on the 
skin; and then hy a movement in its nature much like that hy 
which a hoy contrives to cause his plaything of leather to adhere 
to a stone, hy which to drag or lift it, the fish remains firmly 
fixed to the body that supports it; and from which a violent 
direct effort is scarcely sufficient to dislodge it, although a 
sliding movement in a forward direction may accomplish the 
removal with comparative ease. From a remark of Commerson, 
there seems reason to suppose that the adhesion is further 
secured hy some specific action communicated to the skin of 
its hearer by the sucking organ, and by which its sensibility is 
greatly blunted. Lacepede quotes the manuscript of Commerson, 
as saying that on applying his finger to the organ of an active 
fish, he found it powerfully affected with numbness, so as to 
render it almost paralytic for a long time afterwards. 
It was this remarkable habit of adhesion that excited so much 
wonder in ancient times; for the explanation of which, as it 
was far beyond the philosophy of the age, they were driven to 
the resource of an occult quality; which in that day was a 
common method of accounting for every obscure or otherwise 
unaccountable appearance of Nature. Nothing was too wonderful 
to lie beyond this ready method of explanation, and hence arose 
an ordinary article of popular belief, that by attaching itself to 
any moving object, and even to the largest ship, this fish was 
able in an instant to stop its course through the waves, and 
fix it in the midst of the sea immoveable as a rock. 
After arguing on this subject, and holding up to scorn the 
doubts of unbelievers, Oppian represents his own and the ordinary 
