Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/73

Rh this be so or not, it is certain that they speedily exhibit symptoms of strong inflammation, attended with acute pain, extending to a great distance from the part lacerated. The Weever appears to be perfectly aware of the power of its weapons; it buries itself in the mud or sand at the bottom, with its mouth, which opens upwards, exposed. As it thus lies in wait for any passing prey, it may often be touched by an unconscious assailant, when instantly the little warrior strikes forcibly with his pointed spears, upwards and to each side. Pennant says of the Little Weever, that he has seen it direct its blows with as much judgment as a fighting-cock.

The last Sub-Family, the Helotina, "constitute," says Cuvier, "a group formed, as it were, to make naturalists despair, by showing how Nature laughs at what we deem characteristic combinations;" the genera possessing mutual relations sufficient to forbid their separation, and bearing a great resemblance to the other members of the common Family; while the species exhibit in the subordinate characters, such as the number, form, position, and even presence of the teeth, much diversity. None, however, have more than six gill-arches; they have no scales on the head, muzzle, or jaws; the dorsal spines, when depressed, fall into a longitudinal groove on the back; and the air-bladder is always divided into two distinct sacs, connected by a narrow neck. These too are chiefly inhabitants of warm latitudes, some marine, and some fluviatile; they do not possess much attractiveness of appearance, their colour being, in general, silvery grey, marked with dusky longitudinal lines.