THE 
FORK-TAILED REMORA. 
Generic Character. 
Head flattened at the top into an oval shield 
marked by numerous transverse divisions. 
Specific Character, &c. 
REMORA with forked tail and about eighteen 
divisions on the shield. 
The REMORA or Pilot-Fish, 
The Sucking-Fish. 
This highly singular genus is at once distinguish- 
ed by the uncommon appearance of the head, which 
is formed on the upper part into a flat, oval space, 
divided by numerous transverse dissepiments: by 
this part the animal adheres at pleasure either to the 
bottom or sides of vessels, or even to several of the 
larger fishes themselves. The popular superstition 
of die ancients magnified this into a kind of mira¬ 
culous power in the animal, which was supposed to 
be able to stop a ship in full sail by adhering to it. 
This idea, absurd as it is, might yet have originated 
in truth; nor can it be thought improbable that 
some 
