292 The Hiftory of A N I M A L S. 
there are no fpines on any part of it: the ground colour is a pale tawny-brown, but it 
is elegantly variegated with fpots in different figures. 
It is frequent about the fhores of the American iflands. Clufius, Willughby, Ray, 
and others call it Orbis oblongus tefludinis capite 5 Sir Hans Sloane, Orbis kevis ob- 
longus cinereis et fufcis maculis notatus. 
OJlracton cathetoplateus fubrotundus inermis afper^ for ami- 
nibus quatuor in capite. 
The comprejfed\ roundif.rough-Jkinned Oftracion 3 with 
four holes on the head. 
3CI )t Sim- 
SCI), 
This is one of the mod fingularly-fhaped fifh in the world : it is of a very consi¬ 
derable fize, often weighing more than a hundred pounds j and it’s figure, at firffc 
light, more refembles that of the head of fome large fifh cut off from the body, than 
of a compleat animal of this kind': the head is Small, and not much diffinguifhed 
from the body 5 the eyes are Small, and are covered with a cuticle 5 the whole body, 
as well as the head, are of a compreffed form : the fldn is very rough: the colour 
on the back is blackifh, and on the belly it is a Silvery white : the belly and back are 
both Sharp and edged : the noflrils are confpicuous; they have each two Small aper¬ 
tures, but befide thefe there are four large apertures or foramina on the head : the pec¬ 
toral fins are Small, of a roundifh figure, and are placed horizontally ; they have each 
twelve rays: the apertures of the gills are of an elliptic figure, and are Situated on 
each fide at the roots of the pe&oral fins; there is one fin on the Summit of the back, 
and the pinna ani flands exadly over-againfl it on the belly : the tail is Semicircular and 
perpendicular; it Surrounds the extremity of the body. 
The liver is undivided ; the gall-bladder is large ; the kidnies are very large, and the 
ureters run in a very confpicuous manner to the urinary bladder: the intedines are 
thick, and full of circumvolutions; it is Said to be viviparous, but this is not yet well 
attefted: the bones are cartilaginous j the flefh is Soft, and is more than that of all 
other fifh liable to fhine in the dark. 
It is caught frequently in the Mediterranean, and Sometimes in other places. It has 
been taken about the coafts of Cornwall, and fome other parts of England. 
This lingular fifh was well known to the antients. Pliny calls it Orthagorifcus-; 
and Gefner, and Several others follow him, in calling it, fimply, by that name; Ronde- 
let calls it Orthagorifcus five Luna pifcis ; Salvian, Jonfton, Willughby, and Ray, 
Mola. We call it the Sun-fifh; and in fome places, from it’s flat figure and rough 
fkin, the Millftone-fifh. 
CYCLOPTERUS. 
T H E body of the Cyclopterus is thick, oblong, and approaching to a rounded 
figure: the ventral fins coalefce at their extremities, and form a Angle, oblong 
hollow, and, in fome degree, infundibuliform fin : the fins are fix, and the bran- 
chioftege membrane on each fide contains fix oblong and flender bones. 
Of this genus there is but one known fpecies. 
Cyclopterus. %\)£ JiUfllfCSCl). 
This is a very fingularly-fhaped fifh, extreamly thick, in proportion to it’s length, 
and of a remarkably clumfy figure: the head is moderately large j the eyes are (mall, 
and are covered with a cuticle : the mouth is moderately large, and there are a great 
number of fmall but fharp teeth in the jaws and fauces: the noflrils have each 
only a fimple aperture, and that is oblong and tubulous: the back of the fifh is ele¬ 
vated into a ridge 5 the belly is broad and flat: there are no fcales, but on fe- 
veral parts of the body there are feries of low but fharp tubercles: the colour is va¬ 
riegated of black and an elegant pale red and whitifh j the tubercles are all of them 
black, and the back is blackifh : on each fide there are three feries of acute and crook¬ 
ed tubercles turning backward, and on the back there is a Angle feries, confiding of 
eight of thefe tubercles: the upper feries on the fides has twenty-fix of them, the 
middle feries has fixteen, and the lower one has eight tubercles: before the back fin 
there flands a cutaceous protuberance, emulating alfo the form of a fin, but fupported 
