NATURAL HISTORY. 
49 
ROOM XI.] 
differ from tlie Perches, in the palate being without teeth. 
Some of these, as the Sargi ( Sargus ), have large teeth on 
the side of the jaw ( Chrysoplirys and Dentex). 
The Maenoid Fish differ from those of the two former 
families, by the jaws being protractile. 
The Chaetodons are known by their compressed form 
and by their dorsal, and often their other fins being covered 
with scales like the rest of the body. The teeth are 
usually very small and numerous, resembling bristles, from 
whence the name. The common Chaetodons ( Chcetodon ) 
have their opercular bones finely ciliated, while the horny 
Chaetodons have the lower part of the operculum ending 
in a large spine. These fish are very numerous on the 
rocky shores of the seas of warm climates. They are 
generally beautifully and variously coloured, and good for 
food. Many are rejected from prejudice, though the Sea 
Bream ( Bra-mo ) has many of the characters of the Chaeto¬ 
dons, except that the palate is not toothed. 
The Scomberoid fishes have a smooth skin covered with 
a multitude of small scales, and a large caudal fin. They’ 
are much used as food, and afford great employment to the 
fishermen. 
The Mackrel (j Scomber ) has two dorsal fins : the hinder 
rays of the posterior are separated from each other, form¬ 
ing, as it were, a series of small fins, as in the common Mack¬ 
rel (a Scomber scombus ). Some of the species have a ridge 
of cartilaginous spines on the side of the tail. 
The Sword Fish ( Xiphias ) is very like the Tunny, but 
the front part of its upper jaw is produced into a long 
beak, with which it attacks the larger sea animals. It swims 
with excessive rapidity, and its flesh is much praised. The 
common Sword Fish ( Xiphias gladius) has no ventral fins. 
The Flying Sword Fish ( Notistium ) has distinct vertral fin, 
and the dorsal very high and long, which enables it to swim 
with such velocity that it can drive its beak through the 
stout oak planking of a ship. A fine specimen of this fish 
is in a Case over the Fire-place, and by the side of it a 
piece of oak plank pierced by the beak of a larger fish of 
this species. The fish itself is very rare, yet several well 
recorded instances of similar occurrences are known. In 
many genera of the Scomberoid family, the spines, which 
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