THE SEA LAMPREY. 
neighbourhood till the young are quickened into life. 
She is then feen, with her numerous family playing a- 
round her ; which, as foon as they have acquired fuftici- 
ent ftrengtb, Ihe gradually condu&s to the fea. 
He River Lamprey *. 
This fpecies is fmaller than the former, feldom exceed- 
ing ten inches in length ; and is diltinguilhed by tranf- 
verfe lines of a blackilh colour f. The mouth is of the 
fame round form as in the preceding fifti, and is poffeffed 
of the fame adhefive power. On the upper part of it, 
is a large bifurcated tooth ; on each fide there are three 
rows of very minute ones ; and on the lower part there 
are feven, the exterior of which on each fide is the 
largeft J. 
Like all the other fifties of this genus, there is between 
the eyes a fpout-liole or orifice, refembling that of the 
cetaceous fifties, and probably defined for a fimilar pur- 
pofe, that of ejecting water from the throat and lungs. 
The back fin of the river lamprey is not continued un- 
interrupted to the tail, but is broken off; and behind it 
there rifes a fecond, which goes round the tail, terminat- 
ing at the anus. 
This fpecies, as well as the larger kind, is alfo eaten, 
potted and highly feafoned : By fome it is preferred to 
fhe fea lamprey, being milder .tailed. All thefe difbes 
are 
* Lampctra medium genus, Will. La lamproye d’eau doulce, Bdofl* 
Petromyzon fluveatilis, Lin. Syft. 
1 Willough, page 106. i_Britiili Zool, daft iv. gen. iv. 
