NATURAL HISTORY. 
14.3 
ROOM IV.] 
hinder dorsal fin, but the body is covered with regular scales. They 
principally ascend rivers to spawn. They are voracious, and prey on 
insects and small animals. This family has been divided into several 
genera, according to the form and presence of the teeth, and the posi¬ 
tion of the fins. 
The Herrings ( Clupeid^) have a scaly body like the Salmons, but 
no adipose dorsal fin, and their upper jaw is formed in the middle by 
the intermaxillary, and on the sides by the maxillary bones. 
With the Herrings are placed the Bony Pike ( Lepisosteus ), which 
has many of the characters of the Pike, w r ith the structure of the head of 
the Herring. The body is covered with a case formed of very hard 
square scales, and the two outer rays of the tail and of the other fins, 
are fringed with similar scales. They live in the warm parts of America, 
and afford good food. 
The second division of this order contains those fishes whose ventral 
fins lie immediately under the pectorals. It contains three families, 
distinguished by the shape of the body. 
The family of Cod-Fish (Gadim:) have a lance-shaped body, 
covered with small scales. The head is without scales, and the back has 
generally two or three dorsal fins ; the ventral fins are always slender. 
They generally live in the seas of cold and temperate climates, and by 
their abundance are important as objects of commerce. They are di¬ 
vided into several genera, according to the number of the fins. 
The true Cod ( Morrhua ) has three dorsal fins and a small beard ; 
the Coal-Fish ( Merlangus ) has also three dorsal fins, but no beard; 
while the Stock-Fish Merluccias) has only two dorsal and one anal 
fin. The Ling (Lota) differs from the latter in having a beard, while 
the Torsk ( Brosmius ) has only a single long dorsal fin. 
The family of Flat-Fish ( Pleuronectid^e) are peculiar amongst all 
the vertebrated animals, in having both eyes placed on one s : de of the 
head, which side is always uppermost when the fish swims, and strongly 
coloured, whilst the other is w T hite. The body is compressed, fringed 
above by a long dorsal, and below by an anal fin. They live constantly 
in shallow water, near the shore. They are liable to varieties; sometimes 
both the upper and under side are dark-coloured, and at others both 
are pale rosy white. When both the sides are brown, the fins are in¬ 
terrupted over the forehead, and the eyes are placed one on each side 
of the head of the fish. These fish have been divided into several genera, 
according to the length of the dorsal, and the distinctness of the pecto¬ 
ral fins. Some, as the Zebra Sole ( Plagusia ), are entirely without 
pectoral fins, and have the anal, caudal, and dorsal united into one. 
The third family of this division are the Suckers ( Cyclopterid^:), so 
called from the pectoral fins being united together into a disc, by which 
they attach themselves to marine bodies. Their skin is slimy and naked, 
or with hard grains embedded in it. The pectoral fins are targe. They 
live in shallow water, near coasts, and swim wdth great vivacity. 
The second group of soft-finned fish consists of those which have no ven ¬ 
tral fins (Apoda). 
The first family of these are the Eels ( MuR/ENiiXffi), which have 
a long slender body, covered with small scales sunk into a hick 
slimy skin. Their gill-flaps are small, surrounded by the gill-ray^. 
H 
