conical teeth on a transverse row at the anterior margin of both the
upper and lower jaw. Three or four similar teeth are arranged longitudinally
along the anterior end of the vomer. The palatines are
roughened by small callous papillae, but otherwise are edentulous.
In the Trachypterus Bogmarus there are six pretty large and sharp-
pointed teeth in the upper jaw, directed backwards towards the gullet;
the lower jaw is armed with eight similar teeth.
In the Vaegmaer or Deal-fish, (Gymnetrus arcticus) the intermax-
illaries and premandihulars are armed with small conical pointed
teeth. In the Gymnetrus gladius the maxillary teeth are so extremely
minute as hardly to he felt, and to he visible only with the aid of a
lens.
In the Band-fish, (Cepola rubescens) there is a row of slender
pointed, slightly curved teeth on the outer margin of each jaw ; those
of the lower jaw projecting considerably. The vomer, palatine bones
and tongue are edentulous.
In the Lophotes the palatines and vomer, as well as the intermax-
illaries and premandihulars, support teeth which are small and rasplike.
The teeth of the Tsenioids or Ribband-shaped fishes resemble
those of the Scisenoids in their microscopic texture, fixation, and
mode of reproduction.
GOBIOIDS.
42. The Gobies (Gobius Lacepede) are distributed by Cuvier into
four subgenera according to modifications of their dental system.
The original generic term Gobius, is restricted by Cuvier to those
species which have only small villous or carding teeth on both jaws,
the anterior row being sometimes more developed than the rest. Of
this sub-genus our common Rock-fish (Gobius niger) is the type.
The Gobies which have a single row of pointed teeth on each jaw,
and the lower series placed horizontally, with two teeth developed in
the form of canines behind them, form the family Apocryptidce. In one
species of this group, (Amblyopus Hermannianus, Cuvier), the mouth
is cleft vertically, and the teeth are long, sharp-pointed, recurved,
and interlock when the mouth is closed; there are eight or ten of
these teeth in each jaw, and they are always exposed to view, the lips
not being sufficiently developed to cover them.
In the sub-genus Sicydium the intermaxillary bones are beset with
more than a hundred teeth, as fine and flexible as hairs ; these teeth in
the Sycidium Plumieri are of a golden colour; in the Sicydium lago-
cephalum, they are extremely delicate. In the lower jaw, behind a
series of similar, but shorter flexible denticles, tbere is a row of well-
developed conical sharp-pointed and slightly recurved teeth.
In the Boleophthalmus the teeth of the upper jaw resume their
functional character as piercers and lacerators; and in one species,
hence called dentatus, the six anterior ones are larger than the rest,
project from the mouth and descend in front of the lower jaw.
In the Dragonets (Callionymus) the jaws are feebly armed with
minute and villiform teeth; in the Callionymus Lyra the anterior teeth of
the lower jaw are somewhat larger than the rest. In the Comephorus or
Callionymus Baikalensis, the maxillary teeth are so minute, as to give
a scabrous character to the dentigerous surface ; but the denticles are
hard, and when viewed with a lens, present a recurved sharp-pointed
form.
43. There is a small family of fishes, in which the pharyngeal
bones are so modified as to be subservient to the respiratory as well as
the digestive functions ; the surface of these bones is increased by being
produced into laminae variously convoluted, and intercepting labyrin-
thiform spaces, in which a certain quantity of water can be kept in
store. Thus provided, many of these fishes voluntarily quit their
proper element, and all of them can maintain life for a considerable
time out of water. These Gobioid fishes form a separate family,
called ‘ Pharyngnies Labyrinthiforms,’ in the system of Cuvier.
The Climbing Perch (Anabas scandens), has the third pair of
superior pharyngeal bones armed with close-set conical teeth, which are
opposed to similar teeth on the inferior pharyngeals; the posterior part
of the vomer, which lies between the dentigerous upper pharyngeals,
supports a group of villiform teeth ; and there is a transverse row of
similar teeth on the anterior part of the same bone ; this distribution
of vomerine teeth is peculiar to the Anabas. The palatines are eden