from
its highest to its lowest developments, the visitor should again
resume his journey westward, to the fourth room of the gallery, in
which the collection of

FISHES

begins. Here the Osseous or bony fishes are distributed in and on the
top of the wall cases. While taking a general glance at the
arrangement of the room, the visitor will at once be struck by the
specimens of Sword fish--especially by the Indian flying sword fish,
which are placed on the top of the wall cases on account of their
length--and some of the pikes or swords of these fish, one of which,
it is asserted, was driven, by the fish to which it belonged, into the
hull of a stout oak ship. On the top of one of the cases the visitor
should notice also the remarkable large head, from Mexico, with a long
dorsal ray.

There are six orders or families of osseous or bony fish; and
specimens of all these will be found in the wall cases of this room.
First there is the family of

SPINY-FINNED FISHES.

This family occupies the first thirteen wall cases. Among the fishes
in the first four cases, the visitor should notice the flying
gurnards; the sea scorpions, and flying sea scorpions; the paradise
fish; and the perches, including the fingered variety. The next cases
(4-9) include, amid other varieties, the chaetodons, or
bristle-toothed fish; mackarel, and horse mackarel; tunny; scombers,
&c.; john-dories; and pilot fish. Then follow, next in succession, two
cases (10, 11) containing the lively dolphins, which are remarkable
for the rapidity with which they change colour when they are withdrawn
from the water; the sturgeons, with their lancet spine; and the sea
garters. The next two cases include the remaining specimens of the
spiny-finned fish. Among these are the wolf fish; the curiously formed
tobacco-pipe fish; the big-headed dolphins or anglers; the hand fish,
with its long fins; and the rook fish.

THE SOFT-FINNED FISHES

are deposited in nine cases. In the first two cases (14, 15) of the
series, are the fresh water fish of different countries, including the
voracious and long-lived pike: these form an interesting group for the
contemplation of anglers. The next case is devoted to hard-coated
fish, as the Callichthes, which are cased with a thick scale armour;
and the hard-coated Loricaria. The fish grouped in the other cases of
the series, are mostly familiar to the general visitor. Here are the
varieties of the salmon and the herring; cod;