But let us now look more closely into the structure of fishes, so that we may be enabled to see how marvellously they are adapted to their aquatic life, and in order that we may become acquainted with the few technical terms which will, as a matter of convenience, be used in the descriptions of species. Taking first the external features, we note that the body is generally covered with scales, sometimes very large and distinct, but often so small and closely set that they are not visible without careful examination; indeed they are often so small, and so thoroughly embedded in the slimy skin as not to be discovered without the aid of a microscope. When the scales have unbroken edges and overlap one another they are said to be _cycloid_, but when the projecting edges are toothed or serrated, giving a roughness to the touch, they are described as _ctenoid_. Sometimes the scales are modified into bony plates or little isolated bony granules, and in either case they are practically identical in structure with teeth, consisting as they do of dentine, capped with a little harder substance resembling enamel. [Illustration: FIG. 227.--THE PILCHARD 1. Dorsal fin. 2. Pectoral fin. 3. Pelvic fin. 4. Ventral or anal fin. 5. Caudal fin.] We often observe a row of scales, of a different nature from those covering the body generally, running along each side of a fish from near the eye to the end of the tail; and these constitute what is called the _lateral line_. If we examine these scales closely, we observe that each one is pierced by a hole that communicates with a little sac beneath containing a gelatinous material, and in which a nerve tendril terminates. The presence of the nerve filament evidently denotes that the scales in question, with the little sacs beneath them, are organs connected with sensation, and it is also believed that they have something to do with the secretion of the slimy mucus that covers the scales of the body. The mouth of a fish is generally situated on the extreme front of the head, but occasionally, as in the sharks and rays, quite on the under side. If it contains a tongue at all, this organ is of small size and simple structure; thus it is highly probable that the sense of taste is very feeble in these animals, and this is just what one might expect when one remembers that fishes never retain their food in the mouth for any length of time, but simply bolt it without any attempt at mastication. The arrangement and nature of the teeth are very variable. Often they are developed on the membrane of the mouth only, in which case they are generally renewed as fast as they are worn down, but sometimes they are persistent structures more or less embedded in the bone of the jaws. In some cases teeth are altogether wanting, but in others they are situated not only on the jaws, but also on the tongue, the roof of the mouth, and even on the bony arches that support the gills.