LAMPREY, Petrompon, a genus of cartilaginous fishes, dermopterous (q.v.), aral having a circular mouth formed for sucking (rylostomons). They are of eel-like form, and have no scales. The skeleton is very soft and imperfect. The tongue acts aset piston in the sucking mouth, which is armed with numerous hard teeth, or tooth-like tubercles. There are seven roundish gill-orifices ou each side; the German nam•is _Yean-Augen (nine-eyes). Lampreys have the power of drawing in as well as of expel ling water through the gill-oriiices, and thus respiration is carried on even when. they are firmly attached to some object by the sucking mouth. Lampreys often attach them selves very firmly to stones, and seem to rest with the body floating in the water: they live by sucking the blood of fishes, the skins of which their teeth readily pierce., and which are unable to shake them off. They eat also any soft animal matter. The species are numerous, and are widely distributed in the seas of different parts of the- world. Some of them are periodical visitants of fresh waters, as the COMMON LAMPREY (P. inarinus), found on the shores and iu the rivers of most parts of Europe. It sometimes
attains a length of more than 3 ft., and is often 2 ft. long. It ascends rivers in the latter part of spring or beginning of summer, for the purpose of spawning. It was formerly in the highest esteem for the table, and it is an old custom for the city of Gloucester to present a lamprey pie annually to the sovereign. Worcester is also famous for its lamprey pies and potted lampreys. In Scotland a strong prejudice exists against the lamprey.—The lamprey of North America, although very similar, is said to be a distinct species (P.. Americanus).—A smaller species, the RIVER LAMPREY (P. fluviatilis), often called the LAMPERN, is very abundant in some of the rivers of England, at certain seasons of the year. It is seldom more than 15 or 18 in_ blue above, silvery white beneath. It is used for pies, like the common lamprey.—I little blood thrown into water where lampreys are supposed to be, soon attracts them to the spot. They are caught by baskets and other traps, like eels. They are very tena cious of life, living for days in a damp place, out of the water.