The naturalists' miscellany, or, Coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described immediately from nature

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TURCO SINE PARRA LEET.

fri roundisti, placed in the base of the bili.

tribe, not very much excee ling in si1ge the figure hererepresented. It is remarhable that this diminutive species bears at fir st view a considerable resemblance to the Psittacus Ararauna, or great bitae and yello Macca v. It is an undoubted non-descripi, and is a native of Ne Holland.

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SILURUS CALLICHTHYS.

CAARACTER GENERICUS. Caput nudum. Os cirris aliquot filiformibus tentacu latUm. Membr. branch. radiiS q-14. Corpus: Radius pinnarum pectoralium aut dorsalis primus spinosus, retrodentatUS.

Lim Sets. Nat. p. 5OI. ARACTER SPECIFICUS, Sc. SILURUS pinna dorsali postica uni radiata, squamis ordine duplici, cirris quatuor. Lin. Sest. Mi. p. 5O6.

Ain n. 1. p. 317. t. 14. f. a. -. metts 1. n. 7O. 3. t. 29. L 13. Squamarum quibus pisces mUniuntur, pulchritudo et diversitas, observationum microscopicarum studiosis amplissimam diu praebuerunt materiem. Nonnullis sunt squamae ovatae, annulis concentricis fibrarum reticulatarum ornatae: aliis fere quadratae, fibris in divisiones inaequales dispositis, marginibus aculeorum pellucidorum serie distinetis. Quarundam specierum squamae ob exigui-

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exiguitatem primo visu vix discerni possunt; aliarum

non modo minimas sed et muco denso coopertas attentissima oculorum acie investigare necesse est. Sunt econtrario pisces qui squamis teguntur amplisiimis; quod insigniter evenit in peculiari illa varietate, ni potius distinctam speciem putemus) Cyprini, nomine Cyprini Regis distincti; cujus squamae quadrantem diametri

ipsius corporis aequant. Non desunt denique exempla piscium ad diversissima genera pertinentitam, qUOrtim squamae amplissimae ct durissimae a reliquis in tantum discrepant, ut prima facie ad ipsa animalia crustata videantur accedere. HOS Vocat Linnaeus cataphractos, quod

scilicet quasi lorica muniantur. Rusmodi principes sunt Silurus cataplaractus, Silurus Callichthys, Cottus cataphractus, Trigla cataphracta, Loricaria cataphracta. Silurus Callichthys, quem ostendit tabula, tum Europam tum Americam inhabitat; plerumque autem in America Australi, et praecipue in Brasilia invenitur. Rivulos incolit, equibus, si etestate fervidiore fere exsiccati fuerint, mirum dictu i se surripit, et per prata late eVagathar, a Uas altiores quaeritans. E piscinis quoque in quibus servatus sit interdum erepit, margines seu aggeres perforando. Relictis tamen aquis, super terram incedere non solius

est Callichthys; idem enim facere solent alii nonnulli. Muraena praecipue Anguilla dicta, quae per prata noctu prorepit, limaces fortasse aliaque id generis praedatura; et si hyems fuerit severior, sub ipso etiam foeno et in

cavernis latitans interdum deprensa est. Callichthys longitudo communis est circiter quatuor pollices : color fusco-savescens, dorso paulum obscuriore. Oculi minuti ; et utrinque ad latera oris ut in aliis ejusdem generis tentacula duo longa et magna eXtendUntur.

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GENERIC CHARACTER.

tacula or beard S.

Gron. muf. 3. t. 29. fig. 13. Marcgr. D HS. 151. The beautiful and varied structure whicli distinguimesthe scales of fistres, has long assorded an extensive sieldfor microscopical observation. In some the scales areos an ovat mape, with concentric rings of reticulated fibres; in others of a squarisii form, with the fibres curiousty disposed into dissimilar patches or subdivisions, and ornamented at the extremities With a series of trans parent aculei or priclites. In s me sista es the scales areso extremely smali as to be scarce distinguimable on a Cursory Vie , and in sonae they are not only very smali, but

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hut se coaled over by a mucous tegument as to require the most attentive investigation in order to dissec ver

ri ely is not distinet species) of Cyprinus or Carp,

known by the titie of the Κing-Carp, in Whicli thes Cales are equat to a solarili part of the diameter of thesis h. Lastly, there are not wanting sonae instances of sisti belonging to very different genera, Whicli are coaledu illi scales of a fige so very large, os a structure so Uncommoraly strong, and of a disposition so unlike that Whicli appears in the scales of other fim, that they seemat sirst glance to belong to the crustaceous tribe. Fishes of this peculiar cast are termed by Linnaeus cataphra tedor malled fish, as is in suits of armour. Os these themost remari able are the Silurus cataphractus, Silurus Callichthys, Cottus cataphractus, Trigla cataphracta, and Loricaria cataphracta. The Silurus Callichthys,

here represented, is a native both of Europe and America, but is more common in South America than in

Europe, being principalty found in Brasit. It inhabit;

rivulcis, and when these during a dry season grON extremely Palloru, it has the extraordinary faculty of creeping out and traversing over the dry ground inorder to seela deeper Water. It has also been known tomahe iis escape from fistiponds in whicli it has been confined, by piercing through the banks. This terrestriat locomotion os fimes is not ho ever confined tothe Callichthys, but is known to take place in sonaeothers, and particularly in the common cel, whicli frequently creeps about meado s by night, in quest per-haps of sugs, &c., and has been kno n during theseosts of a severe Winter to take refuge under hay-ricksand

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and in caverns. The generat tength of the Callichthys, is about four inches: iis color is a yellowissi brown, somewhat deeper on the back than on the other paris. The eyes are sinati, and on each side the mouili arestuated as in severat others of this genus) tWo Verylarge and long cirrhi or beards.