57 
Blennies by the jaws and palate being armed with large 
tubercular teeth, to which the fossil Bufonites were 
formerly referred. The gall of this fish is used as soap 
by the Icelanders, who compare its flesh to that of the eel. 
The Anglers ( Lophius ) have the bones of the wrist 
elongated, so that the pectoral fin appears to be placed 
on an arm. Their skeleton is very soft, nearly cartila¬ 
ginous, and their skin destitute of scales. They are 
very voracious, and from the small size of the opening 
of the gills, can live a long time out of the water. The 
common Angler (Lophius piscatorius) has an enormous? 
flattened head, forming the chief bulk of the fish, and a 
tail so compressed on each side that the creature seems 
composed of little else than head and tail. On the 
former, before the eyes, are two long rays, or filaments, 
of a horny substance, and four others, of a similar 
nature, but shorter, on the back, and the lower jaw is 
furnished with numerous vermicular appendages, or ten- 
tacula. This animal, according to Bloch, conceals itself 
amongst marine plants, or behind hillocks of sand, rocks 
and stones, when it opens its great mouth, and attracts 
the fish as they swim by, by wriggling the long fila¬ 
ments on its head, which they mistake for worms, and 
attempting to seize them, fail an easy prey to their vora¬ 
cious and subtle enemy. The hideous appearance of 
its monstrous, and almost constantly open mouth, well 
armed with teeth, has probably gained for the Angler 
the vulgar name of Sea Devil. 
The Hand Fish ( Chironectes ) have a compressed 
head and body, a smaller mouth, and the first dorsal 
fin placed between the eyes. The first ray of that fin 
is often free, and terminates in a series of small tentacu- 
la which the fish uses as a bait for taking his prey, 
after the manner of the Angler. They have the faculty 
of inflating their large stomach with air and giving 
themselves the form of a balloon, like several of the 
Gymnodontes *; and by means of their pedicelled 
* See p. 63. 
pectoral 
ROOM XI. 
Nat. Hist. 
