THE

Sect. I. A PODAL.

HE most imperfect, wanting the ventral fins; illuftrated by the CONGER, fig. 3. This alfo expreffes the union of the dorsal and anal fins with the tail, as is found in fome few fish.

THE

JUGULAR.

HE ventral fins b, placed before the pectoral fins a, as in the HADOCK, fig. 4.

Sect. III.

THE

THORACI C.

HE ventral fins a, placed beneath the pectoral fins b, as in the FATHER LASHER, fig. 5.

Se&t. IV. A B DOMINA L.

T1

HE ventral fins placed behind the pectoral fins, as in the MINOW, fig. 6.

Div. I. CETACEOUS FISH.

NA

ATURE on this tribe hath bestowed an internal structure in all refpects agreeing with that of quadrupeds; and in a few other the external parts in both are fimilar.

Cetaceous Fifh, like land animals, breathe by means of lungs, being deftitute of gills. This obliges them to rife frequently to the furface of the water to respire, to fleep on the furface, as well as to perform feveral other functions.

They have the power of uttering founds, fuch as bellowing and making other noises, a faculty denied to genuine fish*.

Like land animals they have warm blood, are furnished with organs of generation, copulate, bring forth, and fuckle their young, fhewing a strong attachment to them.

Their bodies beneath the fkin are entirely furrounded with a thick layer of fat (blubber) analogous to the lard on hogs.

The number of their fins never exceeds three, viz. two pectoral fins, and one back fin; but in fome fpecies the laft is wanting.

Their tails are placed horizontally or flat in refpect to their bodies; contrary to the direction of those of all other fish, which have them in a perpendicular fite. This fituation of the tail enables them to force themselves fuddenly to the furface of the water

*Pontop. Hift. Norw. ii. 123. Blafius Anat. Animal, 288.

to

to breathe, which they are fo frequently constrained to do.

Many of these circumftances induced Linnæus to place this tribe among his Mammalia, or what other writers ftyle quadrupeds.

To have preserved the chain of beings entire, he fhould in this cafe have made the genus of Phocæ, or Seals, and that of the Trichecus or Manati, immediately precede the whale, thofe being the links that connect the Mammalia or quadrupeds with the fish; for the Seal is, in respect to its legs, the most imperfect of the former class; and in the Manati the hind feet coalefce, affuming the form of a broad horizontal tail.

Notwithstanding the many parts and properties which cetaceous fish have in common with land animals, yet there still remain others, that in a natural arrangement of the animal kingdom, muft determine us after the example of the illustrious Ray*, to place them in the rank of fish; and for the fame reasons, that first of systematic writers affigns,

That the form of their bodies agrees with that of fish.

They are entirely naked, or covered only with a fmooth skin.

They live entirely in the water, and have all the actions of fish.

*Who makes two divifions of fish.

1 Pulmone refpirantes.

2 Branchiis refpirantes.

Genus