Account of the organ of hearing in fish / By John Hunter.

  • John Hunter
Date:
1782]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Account of the organ of hearing in fish / By John Hunter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/14 page 382
    thofe canals or cavities they riiufi be compofed of fuch fub- ftance as is capable of keeping its form. Each tube defcribes more than a femi-circle. This refembles in fome refpeft what we find in moft other animals, but differs in the parts being diftinft from the fkull *. Two of the femi-circular canals are fimilar to one another, may be called a pair, and are placed perpendicularly ; the third is not fo long ; in fome it is placed horizontally, uniting as it were the other two at their ends or terminations. In the ikait it is fomething different, being only united to one of the perpendiculars. The two perpendiculars unite at one part in one canal, by one arm of each uniting, while the other two arms or horns have no connexion with each other, and the arms of the hori- zontal unite with the other two arms of the perpendicular near the entrance into the common canal or cavity. Near the union of thofe canals into the common, they arc fwelled out into round bags, becoming there much larger. In the ray kind they all terminate in one cavity, as has been obferved ; and in the cod they terminate in one canal, which in thefe fifh is placed upon the additional cavity or cavities. In this cavity or cavities there is a bone or bones. In fome there are two bones ; as the jack has two cavities, we find in one of thofe cavities two bones, and in the other only one ; in the ray there is only a chalky fubftance f. At this union of the two perpendiculars in fome fifh enters the external communication, or what may be called the external meatus. This is the cafe with all the ray kind, the external orifice * The turtle and the crocodile have a firuclurc fomewhat fimilar to this; and the intention is the fame, for their Ikulls make no part of the organ. + This chalky fab fiance is alfo found in the ears of amphibious animals. of
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