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Excerpt from A Catechism of Ichthyology: Being a Familiar Introduction to the Natural History of Fishes, Scientifically Arranged Q. By what means are the bodies of fish secured from the macerating influence of the water? A. Besides a strong scaly covering with which many species are furnished, they are protected from the influence of the waters by a glutinous matter, which is an effectual preservative against the ill effects which might otherwise arise from the element in which they dwell. Q. Do fish possess the external senses in perfection? A. It is impossible to answer this question with certainty; but it is probable that their scaly covering renders their sense of touching very imperfect; that from their hard bony palate, they can have but little delicacy of taste; the density of the fluid in which they live must render their sense of smelling not very acute; and it is very doubtful whether they hear at all. Q. Is not their sight very quick? A. Their sight is supposed to be quick, but, from the structure of the eye, there is reason to believe that their powers of vision do not enable them to discern objects at a considerable distance. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.