Volume 1

The history of British fishes / [Robert Hamilton].

  • Hamilton, Robert, M.D.
Date:
[1876]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The history of British fishes / [Robert Hamilton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    71/392 (page 65)
    tnided. Tlie able author of the elaborate work on J ishes in the Cabinet Cyclopaedia asserts, that .il( the blennies—his Blmmdce—are “ altogether vivi- parous.” In his arrangement, this tribe or family is very numerous, and he states repeatedly that tiiev all have this peculiarity.—(Sec Vol. ii. 10,11, 182). According to his own subsequent showing, however, this statement is incorrect, his Blennophis being ovi- parous (lb. 2/0) j and hence the assertion, from athrming too much, possesses little or no value. But besides, the assertion directly contravenes the posi- ti\e statement of many naturalists. j\I. A^alenciennes, respecting the sub-family Blennokles, of the great work upon Fishes (agreeing generally with that of the Cyclopiedia), remarks,—“ Although I have exa- mined a vast number of the females, nothing has led me to conclude that these Blennies are vivi- parous.” Of a Gattoruginous Blcnny Mr. Couch remarks (apud Yarn, i. 257), “ at the end of May I liaAe found it large with roe, some of a mulberrv, and others of a leaden colour; and !M. Risso ex- pressly affirms, that the females of certain kinds ha\ e their ovaries full with more than a thousand ova, differently coloured and spotted, which thev deposit towards the end of spring, or during sum- (Cuv. & Val., xi. p. 147.) M e fear the objection equally applies to the same author’s state- ment respecting the Loaches, his Cvbitidce^ a lariic family of the soft-rayed or Malaco])ter\'geous group, which he also alleges is entirely vivijKirous.—(Ut.