The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-21


end. So that its backbone does not
terminate as in other fish, with broad blade
supporting the tail, or as in the front, salmon
and the like, but the backbone extends to the
very end. All these fishes moreover, have
their solid frame, that is their skeletons, soft
and consisting more of cartilage than bone
makes a drawing of the sturgeon on the
blackboard.) II differs from the shark, in
having the gills protected like the other
fishes, by n bony plate, and so that the gills
are covered externally. In having the snout
so prolonged, the mouth is far below the head
And then it shares with the shark that singu-
lar prolongation in the tail which l have
noticed. And it has that very singular fea-
ture, that the ventral fins occupy the middle
of the abdominal region, half way between the
pectorals and the anals. And, finally, there
is this last type Of fish (maltes a drawing of
iD, which is quite curious for its elongated
form; for the truncated termination of the head,
which is, as it were, cut square; and for the
presence of the simple fin extending all over
the body, without any pectorals or yentrals,
but with number of small openings upon the
side, as many as seven and one upon the
back. 1t is called the lamper-eel. To these
groups belong all the fishes known on the
earth; and to these groups may be referred all
the fishes that have lived in all times Cap
plause.) But then they assume such extra
ordinary differences in details that, by pro-
cess of changing some part or other, we can
at once see how one might have grown out of
the other; or we can see that by difference
of execution the same idea may have been ex-
pressed in different ways. And here l at once
express the different views which are enter
tanned concerning these afinities. They may
be the manifestations of the same idea ex-
pressed in different ways, or they may be modi-
fcations of few primitive facts.
THE AMAZON HAS FISHES OF IT'S OWN.
Now, what are the fishes which inhabit the
Amazon for wanted to say all this as pre-
paratiOn to give you some definite idea OF the
various types of fishes which we find in that
mighty basin. Not one of those fishes with
which we are familiar in our rivers is to be
found there. Not one of those which are in all
of the rivers of Europe is to be found there.
Not one from any other fresh-water basin is to
be found there. The Amazon has fishes of it's
own, entirely different from those of any other
basin. And these fishes are different even
from those of other fresh-water rivers of Brazil.
And in each part of the Amazon there are fishes
of peculiar character; so that those which in
habit the lower course of the Amazon say
below the mouth of the Tocautins as far as the
contact of the salt with fresh water, differ from
those which are found in the river between the
| Tocautins and the Xingu. At the mouth of
| the Xingu, we have fishes differing from those
| which inhabit the Tapajos. As we ascend from
the Tapaios and enter the district of the Rio
Madeira, we find still other fishes. If we go
into the district of the Rio Negro, we find still
| different ones; and if we go further up on the
ybrders of other rivers which have explored
| there are peculiar fishes.
TWO HUNDRED VARIETIES OF FISH IN ONE SMALL.
! LAKE.
| And so great is the variety that in small
| lakes of water we find endless varieties while
i'll Mainas, at the junction of the Rio Negro
| with the Amazon, | was led to examine one
| particular little lake of a very few hundred
| square yards in extent, with the view of ascer-
tanning how great that diversity among fishes
may be which occupy circumscribed area,
and i'll that pOol-for it is hardly anything
more; it is only few hundred square yards
at low WATER and only few thousand square
yards at high water-in that small lake, have
found in the course of two months, during
several excursions, over two hundred different
kind OF fishes (applause) )-three times as many
as are known from the Mississippi three times
as many as are known from the Nile, or Sene-
gal, or Ganges. And the number found in the
whole basin of the Amazon is not less than two
thousand different kinds-that is, ten times as
many as were known to Linn@us about a CEN
tury ago, from the whole world. (Applause0
And strange to say, it would appear that in
proportion as we became acquainted with
large number of these animals, they should be
found to resemble one another more and more;
but on the contrary, such are the peculiaritIes
of their features, such is the principle of their
differentiation which brings about the differ
ences we notice among them, that in proper
ton as found larger and larger number,
found that the difference between them seemed
grow. And you will understand that 1t seems
paradoxical, and yet it is strictly so. COncede
for moment that we have here extreme
points illustrating with dots on the board) be-
tween which there are certain intermediate
forms. Now, suppose that this represents the
varieties known when went to the Amazon
the sum total of the fishes described by NV
predecessors, including all the various expedi-
uons which had gone to that country with
view OF studying its natural productions-the
total number Of fishes then known did not
exceed one hundred and fifty, and the number
l have brought home exceeds 1500-it ap-
proaches 1000. (Applause.) And yet / say
that now the difference which we know to
exist between them is greater when we take
any two than the difference which existed
between them when we knew only $50. Every
new one has exhibited radiations, modifca-
tiOns in the direction of almost every other so
that the points of contact have, as it were
modified not only III point of resemblances,
but in point of differences, in consequence of
which the sum total of difference which is now
known among these 1000 fishes far exceeds the
extreme differences which appeared when only
the few hundreds were known before. Gap
plause)
THE swoRDFIsH.
And now | should like to give you some
idea of what are those differences, and what is
the appearance of some of these fishes, and Of
A in ur,f. III fha fah