The Hiflory of ANIMALS 
few fpots of a pale colour on it, and from the under jaw there hang four beards or 
cirri; they are fhort, of a cylindric figure, and whitilh : the eyes are fmall, and the 
apertures of the noftrils are not fo diftinCt as in the eel kind : the back is convex, and 
the fides prominent, fo that the whole body appears rounded ; the upper part of the 
back is of a blacldlh hue; the lower part, toward the fides, of a livid tinge, with an 
admixture of olive, and the fides themfelves, efpecially toward the belly, are princi¬ 
pally of an olive colour; the belly is white : the peCtoral fins Hand at the opening of 
the gills, and are fmall and obtufe : the back fin furrounds the tail, and returns up to 
the anus, which is fituated at a confiderable diftance above it ; it is low, but has a 
great number of rays, all of them bifid at the fummit. 
This is frequent in the Mediterranean, and is fometimes caught on the coafts of 
Sweden and Denmark. Pliny calls it Ophidium; Rondeletius, Ophidion; Gefner, 
Aldrovand, and Jonfton, Ophidion Plinii; Bellonius calls it Gryllus vulgaris afelli fpe- 
cies ; and Pliny, in another part of his work, defcribes it a fecond time under the name 
of Pifciculus Congro fimilis. 
Ophidion cirris carens. 
The Ophidion, without beards . 
This grows to about a foot and a half long ; but the greater number that are met with 
are much fmaller: the head is fmall, deprelfed a little toward the crown, and acute at 
the extremity ; it’s colour is a bright olive, with a ftrong admixture of yellow : the eyes 
are fmall; their iris is yellow, and the pupil is fmall, round, and blue : the back is 
rounded, as indeed is the whole body ; there are no beards on the under jaw, and the 
opening of the mouth is not nearly lb large as in the former: the peCtoral fins are 
fhort, and Hand near the apertures of the gills; the back fin is long, and goes round 
the tail up toward the anus: the back is of a dark colour, approaching to chefnut; the 
fides are yellow, and the belly is whitifh. 
It is frequent in the Baltic, and in fome other feas. Rondelet calls it Ophidion fla- 
vum five Ophidion imberbe; Willughby and Ray, Ophidium alterum five Ha¬ 
ve fcens. 
ANABLEPS. 
T H E Anableps has only one fmall fin at the extremity of the back * the bran- 
chioftege membrane contains fix bones. 
Of this genus there is but one known fpecies, which needs therefore no farther 
defcription. 
GYMNOTUS. 
T H E Gymnotus has no back fin : the branchioftege membrane contains only five 
bones. 
Of this genus alfo there is only one known fpecies; this is the Carapo of Mare- 
grave, and is fufiiciently diftinguifhed by the generical characters, without any far¬ 
ther defcription. p 
FISHES. 
Clafs the Second, 
ACANTHOPTERYGIL 
Fifhes which have the tail perpendicular , and have the rays of the Jim 
bony , a?td fome of them prickly , and have the branchice offtculated, 
B L E N N I U S. 
H E head of the Blennius is comprefied, ufually obtufe in the anterior part, and 
JL declivous from the eyes to the extremity of the mouth: the body alfo is of a 
comprefied figure, and more or lefs variegated in colour: the jaws are covered with 
• large 
