The New York herald., 1867-02-19

the hsbee OF the Amazon, witnout saying somotnm&
Of the fundamental differences which exist among them
The 6rst type Of fish s the one 70 which me trout %
Tonga The characteristic Of this type OF hsn y the
Of the nm on the sos a in the esn
water trout and have its upper END prolonged greatly
as In some other representatives OF the family fhen
they have fn called the cordial fn near the TAIL with
which they mpart themselves an onward direction,
these motions being aided by the dorsal nm when the
fish moves rapidly and strikes with violence tnen ns
both us that the surface on whicn ne strikes
is enlarged When he moves gently ne uses oniy sne
cordial fn Then there are the ventraL me pectnai,
o sS ana the the pe,es Tne perch has
different dorsal and the cordial is comparatively small
and feeble In the position and character ol tne nns
from the trout third type Of fish is the shark, 2
fourth s represented IN the swordhsh, and the nltn
sna only other class OF sh s the sturgeon say oO
EARTH and TO these types may be referred a the shes
that have ever lived in all times But these have as
snmed such extraordinary differences In the details that
bv the process OF changing somehow other we can
ct once see how might have grown out OF the other
10 other words how BY different execution, the same
iaea may have been expressed In different ways
Now what the fishes which iubabt the Amazon for
wanted to say all this simply a preparation to give
which we find that mighty basin Not one Of those
fishes with which we familiar in rivers is to be
found there; not one Of those which known in the
rivers OF Europe s to be found there not from any
other fresh water basin 10 be found there The ANA
zon has fishes OF It's own, utterly different from those
OF any other basin, and these nshes are different
from those in al other fresh water rivers
OF Brazil and in each part OF the Amazon there are
fishes Of peculiar character, 90 that those which in
habit the lower course Of the Amazon differ from those
found 10 the upper 20 great the variety that small
lakes Of water, at parts OF the Amazon find end
less variety examined little lake. Just at the junc
tion OF the Rio Negro with the Amazon The lake wa
only few hundred yards In extent and In that pool 70
i was hardly anything more, found in the couree o.
two months two hundred different kinds of fishes
appause and three times larger than be found
the Mississippi the Senegal Ganges Nile The
number OF fishes found the whole basin OF the ANA.
s not less than two thousand different kinds that
Is, ten times many as were known about century
ago 70 exist in the whole world And STRANGE TO say 1t
would that, in proportion become acquainted
with larger number Of these animals they should be
found 10 resemble another more and more On the
features such the infinite number OF circumstances
which brings about differences among them, that, in
proportion as ! ind . larger and larger mum.
70 grow, and, though Il appears paradoxical:
II is strictly 60 When went TO the Amazon found
the som total Of the fishes described by nv
including all the various expeditions which have gone to
that country with the view OF studying it's natural pro-
ducons, did not exceed hundred and fifty, and the
indeed approaches two thousand. Every new variety
has exhibited tendencies radations notifications in the
direction OF almost every other, 30 that the points
Of contact multiply not in point Of resembances only
but also in points Of difference And now / should
like to eve you some idea OF what these differences
and Of the mode In which they differ from the fishes Of
our own waters In the first place. the type OF sharks
has only one representative in the Amazon, that the
swordhsb The swordfsh is shark which differs from
ordinary sharks in this that the skull prolonged The
swordhsh is a shark the sword Of which is
project large teeth forming the characteristic OF that
genus The sword fish genus the only kind Of shark
which is known to enter the large rivers II is not
properly an nhabtant Of the river but Is found the
seashore. similar species is found in the Mississippi
ver and another species found at the mouth Of the
Senegal on the other side Of the Atlantic Then in the
Amazon the amper eel type have not single repre-
sentative In the whole Of that mighty basin. II s
tirey foreign to the tropical waters while that type is
fpouh uvokor nf Nopth Auoor md
Europe and Northern Asia Next we come 70 the
sturgeon. All over the Northern world there are
rivers which empty into the Arctic Ocean The great
rivers Of Asia teem with variety Of surgeons from
Kantschatka to the Ura Mountains and n our Northern
nu nerous But they also found in soe OF the more
northern rivers Of the temperate zone but nowhere in
a. IN . sGs nss sp
New Orleans but does mot enter the ocean.
In Europe there are variety Of surgeons
Sea- and one in the Mediterranean which descsnds
TO Rome. Surgeons are also found In the Yanneset
river In Asia but none IN those rivers which empty into
South america But while that family Is entirely for
eign 70 the tropics South America has what may be
called representative nshes that s fishes that ape the
sturgeon without assuming all Its characteristics Tho
sturgeon characterized by the atnees OF its snout
and the pos'on q the mouth underneath and fur.
the body and which are arranged 10 Ave
rows over the flesh. along the middle Of the
body, and one each side along the lower side Of
the body, and these shields bony hard and even
covered with enamel Now while we have no surgeons
In the Amazon, We have variety Of fish akin 10 the
sturgeon in some respects, having the fiat snout and
the mouth shaped IN the same way underneath and
having the body covered with shields, but these
shields occupy either the whole body In various
or have only some rows In a different
arrangement from the surgeons All these fishes differ
also from the surgeons In having solid bony frame
instead of soft cartilage and the tail 10 not SYM
metrca az In the sturgeon. Then the mouth is sur
q curtain from the mouth, and the dorsal fin may be
very large, and in some Of them the anterior part s
prolonged like whip. and extends FAR beyond the
general length The upper lobe Of the tail also s
times extended Some Of these fishes in the Amazon
have very singular mode OF taking Of their young.
,ss ns S vs m
holes The fish makes long hole in the bank OF the
river the interior end Of the hole being larger than at
the entrance and deposits its eggs In this enlarged
space. when the young are developed the fish comes
to the hole, resting its head over the
s e 80 q
i thar way protected BY ,,. these iSd: :s Of the
ready 70 hatch. ! have frequently caught
sh with thoee punches Of eggs in the folds Of Their
gils and have even raised some Of them and
TO trace the changes which they undergo and have
thus been enabled 70 observe very singular feature
which applies to all the young nsh Of the xm9zon The
VII which saa We ave- Ss ns .Ssr and % he and
In fact ID feature 70 aH the pshes Of the old
geological formations, 20 that We may ~ wlnous 81.
nggeraon that In form the fishes Of Che earliest days OF
creation resemble the young nsh Of the Au,azon In
bur day. This shows again vhas 20 intimate
link there is whether % : material Or IN
Intellectual link thr-snout creaton from beginning 70
snd This f..siy Of young nsh 3 Known By the name
pf asprsdo and they exclusively found In the waters
south America replacing the yps Of surgeons which
the fresh waters Of our northern hemi
phere. BY the side of them We have another group
which s more blunt In FORM and which the ecses are
remarkable for having only two scales in o.eh
ride This nsh is remarkable for the faculty enjoys OF
eavipg the and walking considerable distance
,ver land Il IL found sometimes three four or ve miles
rom water and specmens which have brought homo
have le under ground without water for half day,
md when put back into water they have been as lively
q they had never been distlbed. This fish has an
other peculiarly: il builds hesa large nest, about
he size Of mans head with hole leading 70 the in
eror-in which deposits VS. eggs; and II is not only
capable Of creeping land but creep up inclined
planes; and have been told by very Trustworthy per-
sons that they are frequently found many feet above
Inc water on stumps Of trces which have fallen down
and which reached the earth in a santing way.
rhe fish has reached sometimes 90 great height
that Ash and bird have than once been brought
down by the same shot Another species OF fshes.
known charrasins, and may be compared In internal
and external structure but at the time presenting
such differences In other respects that they form
family by themselves Their number is legion and the