The Hiftory ^ ANIMALS, 289 
but it is all over fpotted with fmall, round, or lefs regularly figured dots of black, or 
of a very deep reddifh-brown. 
This is brought to us dried from the Eaftern Seas, and has fometimes been caught 
in the Mediterranean. Lifter, in his Appendix to Willughby, calls it Orbis afper ma~ 
culofus. 
Oftracion cathetoplateo-oblongus ventre tantum aculeato, et fubrotundo. 
The oblong and comprejfed Oftracion , with only the belly rounded and 
prickly . 
This is the moft fingular in it’s figure of all the fpecies of this remarkable genus: it 
grows to about a foot in length, but does not exceed five inches in diameter in the 
largeft part: the mouth is fmall, and has only four teeth, which are but imperfectly 
covered by the lips: the eyes are large, and ftand high 5 they are covered with 
the cuticle : the noftrils have each a double aperture, placed at fome diftance below 
the eyes, and not very confpicuous: the body is of an extreamly fingular figure 3 it is 
oblong, and the back is not elevated but ftraight, and the hinder part of the body, 
toward the tail, is (lender : what gives it the refemblance of the reft of this genus is, 
that the belly is rounded and prominent, in the manner of that of the others of this 
kind: the back and the fides are fmooth5 the belly, in this prominent part, is co¬ 
vered with fpines: the pedtoral fins are broad and fhort3 the dorfal fin and the pin¬ 
na ani are fmall3 the tail is large, and is fomewhat forked, but not very deeply. 
We have this dried from the Eaft, and from America, and it is not uncommon in 
the collections of our naturalifts. Willughby calls it Orbis cauda produ&iore, dorfo 
laevi, ventre fpinofo 5 and Grew, in his catalogue of the mufeum of the Royal Society, 
Orbis lagocephalus. 
OSTRACIONESe 
Divifion the Fourth, 
Thofe which have bony jaws, without any dtflinEi teeth, 
Oftracion fphcericus aculeis undique denfis triquetris. 
The fpherical Oftracion ? with numerous triquetrous fpines. 
/T'HIS is a fmall but a fingular and beautiful fpecies: the general fize is about 
that of a goofe’s egg, to which it in fome degree approaches in form : the head 
is fmall, and not at all erecft3 the eyes are fmall, and covered with the cuticle : the 
mouth is fmall, and the jaws are bony 5 there is a divifion, which gives the appearance 
of two teeth, but in reality there is no tooth at all: the noftrils are fcarce at all con¬ 
fpicuous ; there are, toward the eyes, two fmall apertures3 the lower one round and 
fmall, the upper larger, oblong, and tranfverfe5 but they are not diftinguifhable, ex¬ 
cept on a very clofe attention : the whole body is covered with fpines of a bony ftruc- 
ture, fhort and triangular at the bafe5 thofe on the back and toward the head are 
longer than the others, the reft are about equal in length: the general colour of the 
fifh is a pale brown 3 the fpines are whiter than the reft, and the fins, which are nearly 
of the colour of the (kin, are fpotted with a deeper brown, approaching to black. 
We have dried fpecimens of this, as of the others, from the Eaft, and from Ame¬ 
rica. Lifter calls it Atinga alter minor orbicularis. 
Oftracion fubrotundus aculeis undiqtte brevibus planis , ventre glabro. 
The roundijh Oftracion , with fort plane fpines , and with the belly fmooth . 
The head of this fpecies is fmall and erecft5 the eyes are large, and covered with 
the cuticle 3 the mouth is fmall, and the jaws are bony and hard* but there are no 
teeth : the lips are flefhy and moveable, and, when clofed, they cover the jaws almoft 
entirely : the noftrils are very confpicuous 3 they have each a double aperture, and ftand 
at about an equal diftance from the eyes, and the extremity of the roftrum : the body 
approaches to a fpherical figure 3 the back and fides are furnifhed with a great number 
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