Volume 1
The history of British fishes / [Robert Hamilton].
- Hamilton, Robert, M.D.
- Date:
- [1876]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The history of British fishes / [Robert Hamilton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
60/392 page 54
![M. Geoffrey. Immediately under the skin, there is a distinct and peculiar membrane composed of rhomboidal cells, the walls of which are compressed against each other as in young leaves. A longitu- dinal aponeurotic band or raphe, proceeding from the skin to the muscles, both on the back and abdomen, divides it into two portions, one on either side. The whole of its internal aspect is doubled by a silvery aponeurosis, which is com- posed of interlacing fibres. This tunic extends up- wards as far as the eye, leaving a hollow space for the pectoral fin, and do\Miwards does not extend below the ears; backwards it reaches no further than the anal fin, and beyond that is simply aponeuro- tic. The par vagum nerve runs under this aponeu- rosis, and supplies it with numerous branches, which penetrate it, to be distributed among the cells. !M. Geoffrey, as already stated, had previously described this peculiar coat. To this M. Rudolphi adds, that there is present, moreover, another re- markable tunic, covered with minute cells, consist- ing of a flaky irregular tissue, quite peculiar in its nature. When a portion of this membrane is taken hold of with a pair of pincers, its tissue appears to be composed of loose tufts of exceedingly soft fibres, without any regular arrangement, and without any fatty matter in its composition. M. Valenciennes describes the former of these tunics, ]M. Geoffrey’s, ns a thick layer of spongy cellular tissue imme- diately under the true skin, and strongly adhering](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29002151_0001_0060.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
