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HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
LIBRARY
OF THE
MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY
Library of
SAMUEL GARMAN
~%H^W\J>^\i^,\^^'6.
BRITISH FISHES
VOL 11.
f^^
IFIiUMiB^IjIlD^r
£n(//uv,'/://Prt/u\A?</um/jst'sLUh'-,
A HISTORY OF
BRITISH FISHES
BY
E. HAMILTON, M.D., F.E.S.
WITH SIXTY-EIGHT COLOURED PLATES.
VOLUME II.
LONDON :
W. H. ALLEN AND CO., 13 WATERLOO PLACE, S.W
(All rights reserved.)
A,
MCZ LIBF^ARY ^
HARVARD UNlVERSitf
CAUBRiDQi. ^A iiSA^
CONTENTS.
PA6B
Memoir of Humboldt • . #17
NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH FISHES.
SECOND SUBDIVISION OF OSSEOUS FISHES WITH SOFT RAYS.
MALACOPTERYGII.
Order II. Soft-finned Fishes vnth. Abdominal Ventrals.
Malacopterygii Abdominales . . ,42
XIII. FAMILY OF CARPS. CYPRINID^
Gen. 51. Cyprinus. Carps, properly so called . 4S
Sp. 95. C. carpio. The Common Carp. PI. XXIV.
Vol. I. . . . . .46
96. C. carassitis. The Crucian Carp . . 60
97. C. gibelio. The Prussian or Gibel Carp . 51
98. a auratus. The Gold Carp . . 62
Gen. 52. Barbus . . . . . 5S
Sp. 99. B. vulgaris. The Barbel. PI. XXIV. Vol. I. 6Q
Oen. 53. Gobio ..... 58
Sp. 100. Q. fiuviatilis. The Common Gudgeon.
PI. XXV. Vol. I. . . .58
Gen. 64. Tinca ..... 60
Sp. 101. T. imlgaris. The Common Tench. PI.
XXV. Vol. I. . . . .60
Gen. 55. Abramis . . . . , Q5
Sp. 102. A. hrama. The bream. PI. XXVI. Vol. L 65
103. A. Uicca. White Bream ... 67
IQA. A. Buggenhagii, Pomeranian Bream • 68
Gen. 56. Leuciscus , , . , • 68
Sp. 105. L. doiwZa. The Double Roach • . 62
CONTENTS,
PAGK
Sp. 106. L. idus. The Ide ... G&
107. L. rutilus. The Roach. PI. XXVI. Vol. I. 70
108. L. vulgaris. The Dace ... 74
109. L. Lancastriensis. The Graining . 75
no. L. cephalus. The Chub or Skelly . 76
111. L. erythrophthahnm. The Red-Eye . 77
112. L. cceruUubs. The Azurine . , 79
\\d. L. alhurnus. The Bleak, or Bliek . 79
114. L. phoxinus. The Minnow, or Pink . 81
Gen. 57. Cobitis. ..... 83
Sp. 115. C. harlatula. Tht> Loach. PI. XXVII. Vol. I. 84
116. C. tcenia. The Spined Loach, or Ground-
ling. PI. XXVII. Vol. I. . .85
XIV. THE PIKE FAMILY. ESOCID^.
Gen. 59. Esox ..... 87
Sp. 117. E.Ucius. The Common Bike. PI. XXVIIl.
Vol. I. . . . . .88
Gen. 60. Belone . . . . .100
^^.n^. B. vulgaris. Gar-fish. PI. XXIX. Vol. L 100
Gen. 61. Scomberesox .... 103
Sp. 119. S. saurus. Saury-pike. Ph XXIX. Vol. L 103
Gen. 62. Hemibamphus . . . .105
Sp. 120. H. Europceus. The Half-Beak . .105
Gen. 63. Exocilus . . . . .107
Sp. 121. E. volitans. The Common Flying-fish.
PI. XXX. Vol. L . . .111
112. E. exiliens. The Great Flying-fish . 112
XV. THE FAMILY OF THE SILURIDjE.
Gen. 64. Siluris . . . . .114
Sp. 123. 5. ^Zow/s. The Sly SUuris, or Sheat-fish . 114
XVL salmon and trout family. SALMONIDJB.
Gen. 65. Salmo . . . . .116
Sp. 124. 5". saZar. The Salmon. PI. XXXI L Vol. L 116
The Parr. PI. XXXL Vol. L . 122
125. S. eriocc. Bull, or Grey Trout . .127
126. S. trutta. Salmon-trout. Pl.XXXIII. Vol. I. 1 30
127. S.fario. Com. Trout. PI. XXXIV. Vol. L 134
128. S. Levenensis. Lochleven Trout . . 139
129. S.ferox. Lake Trout. PI. XXXIIL Vol. L 141
130. S. savelvnus. Charr. PI. XXXIV. Vol. L Ua
CONTENTS.
Gen. 66. Osmerus ....
S-p. I SI. O. e2wlamis. Smelt or Sperling. PI. I.
132. 0. Hehridicus. Hebridal Smelt .
Gen. 67. Thymallus
Sp. 133. T. vulgaris. The Grayling. PI. I.
Gen. 68. Coregonus
Sp. 134. C./em. The Gwyniad .
135. a WillughUi. The Vendace. PI. II.
136. C.Zacepedei. The Powan
137. C. Pollan. The PoUan .
Gen. 60. Scopelus ....
Sp. 138. S. Hmnloldtii. The Argentine. PI. II.
PAGE
145
145
146
147
147
151
151
152
154
156
158
158
XVII. HERRING AND PILCHARD FAMILY.
CLUPEID^.
Gen. 70. Clupea . . . . .161
^p. \2,9. C. harengiis. The Herring. PI. III. , 161
140. O. Leachii. Leach's Herring . . 167
Ul. C.pilchardus. The Pilchard. PI. IV. . 166
142. a sprattus. The Sprat. PI. III. . 171
143. a alba. Whitebait . . .173
Gen. 71. Alosa ..... 174
Sp. 144. J./nfa. Twaite Shad. PI. IV. . 175
145. A. communis. Alice Shad . , 176
Gen. 72. Engraulis. ... 176
Sp. 146. E. encrasicolus. The Anchovy . 177
Order III. Malacopterygii Sub-brachiati . . 1 79
XVIII. COD AND HADDOCK FAMILY. GADID^.
Gen. 73. Morrhua ....
Sp. 147. M. vidgaris. Common Cod. PI. V.
148. 3f. ccdlarias. Dorse, or Variable Cod
14.9. M. aglefinus. Haddock. PI, V.
150. M. lusca. Bib, Pout, &c.
151. M. miniita. Poor, or Power Cod
Gen. 74. Merlangus
Sp. 152. M. vulgaris. The Whiting. PI. VI.
153. M. alhus. Couch's Whiting
154. M. PollacMus. The Pollack, or Lythe
155. M. corlonarius. The Coalfish. PI. VI.
156. M. virens. Green Cod .
Gen. 75. Merluccius
Sp. 157. M. mdgaris. Common Hake. PI. VII.
181
181
185
186
189
190
191
191
192
194
197
199
200
200
COTTTENTS.
Gen. 76. Lota ....
Sp. 158. L. molva. The Ling. PI. VII. .
159. L. vulgaris. The Burbot
Gen. 77. Motella ....
Sp. 160. M. tricirrata. Three-bearded Rockling,
PL VIII.
161. M. quinquecirrata. Five-bearded Rockling,
PI. VIII.
162. M. cimhria. Four-bearded Rockling
\Q^. M. glauca. Mackerel Midge
164. M. argenteola. Silvery Gade
S-en. 78. Brosmius ....
Sp. 165. B. vulgaris. The Torsk, or Tusk. PI. IX
Gen. 79. Phycis ....
Sp. 166. P.fwcatus. Great Forked Hake. PI. IX
Gen. 80. Raniceps ....
Sp. 167. R. trifwcatus. Tadpole Fish. PI. X.
PA6B
204
204
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
213
215
216
216
217
XIX. FAMILY OF FLAT FISH. PLEURONECTID^.
Gen. 81. Platessa .
Sp. 168. P. vulgaris. Common Plaice
169. P.flesus. Flounder
170. P. lirmnda. The Dab. PI. X.
171. P. microcephala. Smooth Dab
172. P. pola. Pole Fluke, or Pole Dab.
173. P. limandoides. Sandsucker
174. P. elongata. Long Flounder
Gen. 72. Hippoglossus
S^. U 5. H. vulgaris. Tlie Holibut. PI. XL
Gen. 83. Rhombus .
Sp. 176. R. maximus. Turbot. PI. XL
177. R. vulgaris. The Brill .
178. R. hirtus. Miiller's Topknot
179. R. jmnctatus. Bloch's Topknot
mo. R.megastoma. The Whiff
181. R. Arnoglossus. The Scald-fish
Gen. 84. Solea
Sp. 182. -S. w^^'OT'w. Common Sole. PL XIL
183. S. Pegusa. Lemon Sole, or French Sole
Gen. 85. Monochirus
Sp. 184. M. variegatus. Variegated Sole. PL XII
185. M. lingmtulus. The Solenette
222
222
224
226
227
228
229
229
280
230
232
233
236
237
238
239
240
241
241
244
245
245
246
CONTENTS.
XX. FAMILY OF THE SUCKERS. CYCLOP-
TERIDiE. PAGB
Gen. 86. Lepadogaster .... 248
Sp. 186. L. Cornubiemis. Cornish Sucker. PI. XIII. 249
IS7. L.bimaculatus. Two- spotted Sucker . 249
Gen. 87. Cyclopterus .... 250
Sp. 188. a lumpiis The Lump Sucker. PI. XIII. 250
Gen. 88. Liparis . . . . .251
Sp. 189. L. vulgaris. Unctuous Sucker. PI. XIV. 252
190. L. Montagui. Montagu's Sucker . 252
XXI.
Gen.
FAM. OF REMORA SUCKERS.
). ECHENEIS .
ECHENEIDiE.
253
Sp. 191. £'. rem&ra. Common Sucking-fish. PI. XIV. 253
Order IV. Malacopterygii Apodes
256
XXIL FAMILY OF THE EELS. MUR^NID^E.
Gen. 90. Anguilla . . . . ,
Sp. 192. A.acutirostris. Sharp-nosed Eel. PI. XV
193. A. latirostris. Broad- nosed Eel .
194. A. mediorcitris. Snig Eel
Gen. 91. Conger , , . .
Sp. 195. a vulgaris. Com. Conger Eel. PI. XV
Gen. 92. Mur^na ....
Sp. 196. M. Helena. Common Mursena. PI. XVI
Gen. 93. Leptocephalus . . .
Sp. 197. L. Morridi. Anglesey Morris .
Gen. 94. Ophidium
Sp. 198. O.imherhe. Beardless Ophidium. PI. XVII
199. 0. harhatmn. Bearded Ophidium
Gen. 95. Echiodon ....
Sp. 200. E. Drujnjnondii. Drummond's Echiodon
Gen. 96. Ammodytes
Sp. 201. A. Tohianus. The Sand-Eel. PI. XVIII,
202. A. lancea. Sand-launce
257
258
262
262
263
263
265
265
266
266
267
267
268
269
269
270
271
27
Order V. Lophobranchii
274
XXIIL FAMILY OF PIPE-FISHES. SYGNATHIDiE.
Gen. 97. Sygnathus .... 275
Sp. 203. S. Acm. Great Pipe-fish. PI. XVIII. . 275
204. S. Ty^hk. Lesser Pipe-fish . 277
CO?s"TEyTg.
PAGB
Gen. 98. Acestra , . . . . 278
Sp. 205. A. cequorea. Equoreal Pipe or Needle-fish.
PI. XIX. . . . .278
206. A. anrjumea. Snake Pipe or Needle-fish . 278
207. A. ophidion. Straight- nosed Pipe-fish . 279
208. A. lumhridformis. Worm Pipe-fish , 279
Gen. 99. Hippocampus .... 280
Sp. 209. H, brevirostris. Short-nosed Sea-horse.
PI. XIX 281
Order VI. Plectognathi, or Fishes with soldered Jaws 282
XXIV. FAMILY WITH NAKED TEETH.
GYMNODONTID^.
Gen. 100. Tetrodon .... 283
8Tp. 210. T. Pennantii. Pennant's Globe-fish. PI.
XX. ..... 284
Gen. 101. Orthagoriscus . , . . 285
Sp. 211. O.mola. Short Sun-fish . 285
212. 0. ollongus. Oblong Sun-fish . . 285
XXV. FAMILY OF THE FILE FISHES
Gen. 102. Balistes
BALISTID^.
288
Sp. 213. ^. capriscus. European File-fish. PI. XXI. 288
SECOND SERIES. CHONDROPTERYGIAN OR
CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.
XXVL FAMILY OF THE STURGEONS. STURIONID^.
Oren 103. Acipenser. .... "291
Sp. 214. A. sturio. Common Sturgeon . . 292
215. A. lat'&ostris. Broad-nosed Sturgeon . 293
XXVIL FAMILY OF THE CHIM^R^. CUIMMRIDJE.
Gen. 104. Chimera ..... 295
Sp. 216. C. monstrosa. Northern Chimsera. PI. XXII. 295
XXVIII. FAMILY OF THE SHARKS. SQUALIDjE.
Gen. 105. Scyllium . .' . . .209
Sp. 217. ^. camcM/a. Small-spotted Dog-fish . 300
218. S. catuhis. Large-spotted Dog-fish . 300
219. ^. melanostomwn. Black-mouthed Dog-
fish. PI. xxin. . • • S02
COT^TEXTS.
The Blue Shark
The White Shark .
Hammer-headed Shark. PI
Common Tope. Ph XXIV
PI. XXV.
iSen 106. C arch arias
Sp. 220. C. glaucus.
221. C. vulgaris.
Gen. 107. Zyg^na .
Sp. 222. Z. malleus.
XXIV.
Gen. 108. Galeus .
Sp. 223. O. Tulgans.
Gen. 109. Mustelus
Sp. 224. M. Icevis. Smooth Hound.
Gen. 110. Lamna
Sp. 225. L. CornuUca. Porbeagle Shark. PI. XXV
Gen. 111. Selachus. ...
Sp. 226. S. maximus. The Basking Shark. Pl.XXVI,
Gen. 112. Alopias ....
Sp. 227. A. mdpes. Fox-shark. PI. XXVII.
Gen. 113. Acanthi as
Sp. 228. A. vulgaris. Picked Dog-fish. PI. XXVII
Gen. 114. Scymnus , . . .
Sp. 229. S. horealis, Greenland Shark
Gen. 115. Echinorhinus
Sp. 230. E. spinosus. Spinous Shark. PI. XXVIII
Gen. 116. Squatina ....
^^.12,]. S.angdus. Angel-fish. PI. XXIX
PAGa
303
303
304
SO.fj
306
307
307
308
308
309
309
311
311
312
313
313
313
315
315
317
317
318
319
XXIX. FAMILY OF RAYS OR SKATES. RAIID^.
Gen 117. Torpedo ....
Sp. 232. T. imlgaris. Common Torpedo. PI. XXX
233. T. nobiliana. New British Torpedo
Gen. 118. Raia ....
Sp. 234. R. mucronata. Long-nosed Skate
235. R. oxyrhynchus. Sharp nosed Ray
236. R. intermedia. Flapper-skate
237. R. batis. The Skate
238. R. marginata. Bordered Ray
239. R. mici'ocellata. Small-eyed Ray .
240. R. miraletm. H^fnelyn or Spotted Ray
241. R. sptnosa. Sandy Ray .
342. R. chagrinea. The Shagreen Ray
243. R. clavata. The Thomback
244. R. radiata. Starry Ray. PI. XXXI.
Gen. 119. Trygon ....
Sp. 245. T. pastinacea. Sting Ray. PI. XXXI.
322
322
323
323
324
325
325
326
328
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
334
CONTENTS.
Oen. 120. Myliobatis
Sp. 246, M. aquila. Eagle Ray. PI. XXXII.
Gen 121. Cephaloptera
Sp. 247. C. giorna. Homed Ray
TAGS
335
335
336
337
XXX. FAMILY OP LAMPREYS. PETROMYZID^.
■<3ren. 122. Pteromyzon .... 339
Sp. 148. P. marinus. The Lamprey. PI. XXXIII. 339
149. P. fluviatilis. River Lamprey , . 340
150. P. Planeri. Planer's Lampem , ; 341
'Gen. 123. Ammoccetes .... 342
Sp. 25 1 . A.hranckialis. The Pride, or Mud Lamprey.
PI. XXXIII 342
Gen. 124. Gastrobranchus . . . 343
Sp. 252. a ccBcus. Myxine. PI. XXXIV. . 343
Gen. 125. Amphioxus .... 344
Sp. 253. A. lanceolatus. The Lancelot. PI. XXXIV. 344
■SYNOPSIS ....
Portrait of Humboldt, Frontispiece,
Vignette Title-page.
347
In all Thirty-six Plates in this Volume.
MEMOIR
OP
BAEON ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT
The reputation of this illustrious philosopher and
traveller is at once brilliant and solid. It is now
upwards of half a century since he first appeared
as an author ; * and during the many years that have
since passed away, his life has been almost inces-
santly devoted to perilous enterprise and laborious
and successful investigation, insomuch that there is
not in the civilized world a man of science whose
character is held in higher veneration.
Frederick Henry Alexander Yon Humboldt
was bom at Berlin on the 14th of September, 1769.t
* " Observations on the Basalts of the Rhine," Brunswick,
1790, 8vo.
+ It is remarkable that some of the most distinguished
men of the present age were bom in the year 1769 ; such
as Napoleon and Wellington, — Cuvier, Chateaubriand, and
Humboldt. B
18 MEMOIR OF
He is of honourable lineage, and holds the rank of a
Prussian Baron. Fortunate in possessing ample
pecuniary resources, he was enabled to prosecute
his early studies, and his researches in after life,
without experiencing those privations against which
many other eminent men have been doomed to
struggle. He received his academic education at
Gottingen and Frankfort on the Oder. His propen-
sity to travel was early manifested; for in 1790
while only in his twenty-first year, he, in company
with the naturalists Forster and Geuns, not only
traversed part of Germany, especially the country
on the banks of the Rhine, but also visited Holland
and England. In the same year his first work, en-
titled " Observations on the Basalts of the Rhine,"
appeared. In 1791 he proceeded to Freyberg, for
the purpose of profiting by the instructions of the
celebrated Werner, the founder of geological science.
There he devoted himself to the study of mine-
ralogy and botany; and two years afterwards he
published the results of some of his observations
in the mines of that district, under the title of
Specimmi Florce Frilergensis Suhterranece.
Having been appointed assessor of the Council of
Mines at Berlin in 1792, and soon afterwards direc-
tor-general of the mines of the principalities of
Anspach and Bayreuth, in Franconia, he formed in
these districts several establishments of general uti-
lity ; among others, the public school of Streben,
from which there have issued several distinguished
persons. In 1795 he resigned his ofiice with the
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 19
view of travelling, and visited part of Italy and
Switzerland. About this time his active mind was
attracted by the discoveries of Galvani, upon which
he was one of the first that made improvements.
Not satisfied with repeating Galvani's experiments
upon animals, he subjected himself personally to
several, both laborious and painful. The results
w^ere given in a work published in 1796, and en-
riched with notes by Professor Blumenbach. In
the previous year he had gone to Vienna, where he
remained some time, ardently engrossed in the study
of a fine collection of exotic plants. He next tra-
velled through several cantons of Salzburg and Styria
with the celebrated Leopold von Buch, but was pre-
vented by the war, which then raged in Italy, from
revisiting that country.
In 1797? accompanied by his brother* and Mr.
Fischer, he visited Paris, where he formed an inti-
mate acquaintance with M. Aime Bonpland, a pupil
* Charles William Baron Humboldt, who was two years older
than the traveller, having been born at Berlin in 1767. In his
Personal Nan-ative, our author says, — " I separated myself from
a brother, who, by his advice and example, had hitherto exer-
cised a great influence on the direction of my thoughts. He
approved the motives which determined me to quit Eiurope ;
a secret voice assured me that we should meet again ; and that
hope, which has not proved delusive, softened the pain of a
long separation." This estimable brother of the traveller at-
tained to great distinction, having served the King of Prussia
in a diplomatic capacity at various courts, and been a privy
councillor and a minister of state. He was deeply versed in the
philosophy of languages and in ancient literature, as his various
publications testify. He died on the 8th April, 1835.
20 MEMOIR OF
of the School of Medicine and Garden of Plants,
who afterwards became his companion in travel,
and greatly distingnished himself by his numerous
discoveries in botany. Animated by a desire to
explore distant regions little known to Europeans,
Humboldt contemplated joining the expedition of
discovery to the southern hemisphere, under the
direction of Capt. Baudin, then preparing in France ;
but the war in which that country was then en-
gaged, compelled the government to withhold the
funds allotted to this enterprise. Becoming ac-
quainted with a Swedish consul who happened to
pass through Paris, with the view of embarking at
Marseilles on a mission to Algiers, he resolved to
embrace the opportunity thus offered of visiting
Africa, in order to examine the lofty chain of moun-
tains in the empire of Morocco, and ultimately to
join the body of scientific men attached to the
French army in Egypt. Along with his friend Bon-
pland, he therefore repaired to Marseilles, where he
waited for two months the arrival of the frigate
which was to convey the consul to his destination.
At length, learning that this vessel had been injured
by a storm, he resolved to pass the winter m Spain,
reckoning on easily finding the means of passing
from thence to Africa in the spring.
On his arrival at Madrid, he was received with
merited distinction by all the men of science in that
city. He had also the honour of being presented at
the court, and was graciously received by the King,
to whom he explained the motives which induced
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 2i
him now to propose undertaking a voyage to the
New Continent. From his majesty he obtained the
extraordinary i:)rivilege of visiting and exploring,
without impediment or restriction, all the extensive
territories in America, then belonging to the Crown
of Spain. He immediately wrote to his friend M.
Aime Bonpland, who had returned to Paris, to
engage him to join in the vast enterprise which he
had conceived. M. Bonpland readily accepted tlie
invitation, and the two philosophers, well provided
with instruments, proceeded towards Corunna, where
they were to embark, making by the way observa-
tions upon the geology, climate, and productions of
the country they traversed.
On the afternoon of the 5th of June, 1799,
they sailed from Corunna, on board the Spanish
corvette Pizarro. At nightfall they spied the fire
of a fishing-hut, the light of which mingled itself
with the stars that rose on the horizon. This
was the last object they beheld on the coast of Eu-
rope, and drew from Humboldt the following fine
reflections : — " Our eyes remained involuntarily
fixed upon it. Such impressions do not fade from
the memory of those who have undertaken long
voyages, at an age when the emotions of the heart
are in full force. How many recollections are
awakened in the imagination by a luminous point,
which, in the middle of a dark night, appearing at
mtervals above the agitated waves, marks the shore
of one's native land !" The vessel having touched
at Teneriffe, the travellers made an inspection of
22 MEMOIR OP
that island, and ascended the Peak. Resuming the
voyage, during the whole of which they were occu-
pied in making physical observations, they, on the
16th of July, safely arrived at Cumana, on the
north-east coast of South America.
The first excursion which our travellers made was
to the peninsula of Araya ; after which they under-
took a journey to various Indian missionary stations.
At Cumana they observed an eclipse of the sun, on
the 28th of October ; and on the 4th of November
they experienced three shocks of an earthquake.
Having in some measure become acclimatized, they
proceeded to the city of Caraccas ; from thence tra-
versed the Llanos, or Great Plains, to the missionary
stations of the Orinoco ; ascended that river as far
as the Rio Negro ; and returned to Cumana by An-
gostura, the capital of Spanish Guiana. They next
visited Cuba, the largest of the West Indian islands.
Returning to the continent of South America, they
landed at Carthagena, and sailed up the Rio Mag-
dalena ; leaving which, after a hazardous voyage of
thirty-five days, they proceeded to Santa Fe de
Bogota, the caf)ital of New Grenada, to Popayan,
and Quito. From Quito they made excursions to
the snowy mountains in that region, especially the
celebrated Chimborazo, which they ascended to the
height of 19,798 feet above the sea-level, being an
elevation more than any that had been attained by
man. The summit of the mountain was still 1439
feet higher, but they were prevented from proceed-
ing to it by a deep chasm in the snow From
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 23
Quito they travelled by a devious course to Trux-
illo, and then along the arid coast of the South Sea
to Lima, where they remained several months, and
at its port of Callao had the satisfaction of observ-
ing the transit of Mercury. Turning northwards,
they sailed along the coast to Guyaquil, ^and from
thence stretched across the ocean to the port of
Acapulco in Mexico or New Spain. That interest-
ing country they traversed in various directions,
studying its natural productions, examining its
mines and volcanoes, and making numerous scien-
tific observations and experiments. In Mexico, the
capital, they passed some months in the agreeable
occupation of inspecting its many antiquities and
curiosities, and in enjoying the society of its en-
lightened inhabitants. Leaving the capital, they
descended to the port of Yera Cruz, on the Mexican
Gulf, at which they embarked for Havannah, in
the island of Cuba, w^here they had left part of their
specimens. They remained there two months, after
which they set sail for the United States of North
America. Arriving at Philadelphia, and afterwards
visiting Washington, they spent two months in that
important country, for the purpose of studying its
political constitution and commercial relations. In
August 1804 they returned to Europe, carrying
with them the extensive collections they had made,
among which there were 6300 species of plants.
Reckoning from the time when the travellers
quitted France, their expedition occupied a period
of about six years, in the course of which they en-
24 MEMOIR OF
countered innumerable difficulties and dangers. To
the credit of Humboldt let it be told that this en-
terprise, which would have done honour to a nation,
was executed at his own expense. Its results have
been of the highest importance to science in many
• lepartments, especially those of natural history,
botany, geology, geography, and astronomy, and
were from time to time communicated in various
pubHcations, most of which appeared in the names
of both the associated philosophers. The Personal
Narrative of their travels is familiar to the English
reader by means of the translation by Mrs. H. M.
Williams, which was for the most part revised by
Humboldt himself, and has much of the air of an.
original work. When the first portion of the trans-
lation appeared, the Edinburgh Review (vol. xxiv.
p. 134) pronounced the following just eulogium on
FTumboldt : — " We congratulate the present age on
raving produced a traveller, armed at all points,
and completely accomplished for the purpose of
physical, moral, and political information. In M.
<le Humboldt we have an astronomer, a physiolo-
gist, a botanist, one versed in statistics and political
<;conomics ; a metaphysician, an antiquary, and a
learned philologist, — possessing at the same time
the enlarged views, the spirit, and the tone of true
philosophy. This assemblage of acquirements, so
seldom found in the same individual, is in him
accompanied with the most indefatigable industry;
with the zeal, the enterprise, and the vigour which
are necessary to give these their true effect." And
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 25
subsequently, when returning to the work, the same
high authority (vol. xxv. p. 88) said : — " The view
which here, and indeed everywhere else, presents
itself of the author, is that of a man feeling with
enthusiasm the beauty and magnificence of Nature ;
having his mind inspired by that sentiment, and
his character formed by it from his early youth."
It is these last mentioned qualities, that have recom-
mended Humboldt's writings, especially the Personal
Narrative^ to minds little imbued with taste foi
pursuits purely scientific. In the preface to that
work Mrs. Williams says — " Happy the traveller
with whom the study of Nature has not been
merely the cold research of the understanding, in
the explanation of her properties, or the solution
of her problems ! who, while he has interpreted her
laws, has adored her sublimity, and followed her steps
with passionate enthusiasm, amidst that solemn and
stupendous scenery, those melancholy and sacred
solitudes, where she speaks in a voice so well un-
derstood by the mysterious sympathy of the feeling
heart." And again — " The appropriate character
of his writings is the faculty he possesses of raising
the mind to general ideas, without neglecting indi-
vidual facts ; and while he appears only to address
himself to our reason, he has the secret of awakening
the imagination, and of being understood by the
heart."
After his return to Europe, Humboldt formed an
intimate friendship with the celebrated M. Gay-
Lussac. For eight years they usually dwelt under
26 MEMOIR OF
the same roof, in France, Germany, and Italy ; and
tliey witnessed together one of the great eruptions
of Yesuvius. They made numerous magnetic ex-
periments, and verified Biot's theory respecting the
position of the magnetic equator. They also found
that the great mountain- chains, and even the active
volcanoes, have no appreciable influence on the
magnetic power; and they established the fact,
that it gradually diminishes as we recede from the
equator.
In October 1818 Baron Humboldt visited Lon-
don, where he was received with merited distinc-
tion, and where it was said that the allied powers
had requested him to draw up a political view of
the South American colonies.
He long enjoyed the favour and friendship of his
enlightened sovereign, Frederick -William III., the
late King of Prussia, who, in November 18)8,
granted him an annual pension of 12,000 dollars
(upwards of £ 1700 sterling), with the view of
facilitating the execution of a plan which he had
formed of visiting India and Thibet. That plan he
was unfortunately unable to carry into effect, but
the pension has since been continued, in considera-
tion of his performing the duties of chamberlain at
the Prussian court.
In 1822 he accompanied the king to the Con-
gress of Verona ; and he afterwards visited Venice,
Rome, and Naples.
In 1827 and 1828 Humboldt delivered, at Ber-
lin, a course of lectures on the physical constitution
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. §7
of the globe, which was attended by the royal
family and the court.
In 1828, the office of President of the Society of
German Naturalists and Natural Philosophers, which
is annually changed, was assigned to him ; and at
the opening of the Society at Berlin, on the 18th of
September in that year, he, as President, delivered
a philosophic and eloquent speech, which, as it
is comparatively but little known, we here present
to the reader, although under the disadvantage of a
translation : —
" Since through your choice, which does me so
much honour, I am permitted to oj)en this meeting,
the first duty which I have to discharge is one of
gratitude. The distinction which has been conferred
on him who has never yet been able to attend your
excellent Society, is not the reward of scientific ef-
forts, or of feeble and persevering attempts to dis-
cover new phenomena, or to draw the light of
knowledge from the unexplored depths of nature.
A finer feeling, however, directed your attention to
m&. You have assured me, that while, during an
absence of many years, and in a distant quarter of
the globe, I was labouring in the same cause with
yourselves, I was not a stranger in your thoughts.
You have likewise greeted my return home, that,
by the sacred tie of gratitude, you might bind me
still longer and closer to our common country.
" What, however, can the picture of this our na-
tive land present more agreeable to tlie mind than
the assembly which we receive to day for the first
S'S MEMOIR OP
time within our walls? From the banks of the
Neckar, the birth-place of Kepler and of Schiller,
to the remotest border of the Baltic plains ; from
thence to the mouths of the Rhine, where, under the
beneficent influence of commerce, the treasures of
exotic nature have for centuries been collected and
investigated, the friends of nature, inspired with the
same zeal, and, urged by the same passion, flock to-
gether to this assembly. Everywhere, where the
German language is used, and its peculiar structure
aff*ects the spirit and disposition of the people, —
from the great European Alps to the other side of
the Weichsel, where, in the country of Copernicus,
astronomy rose to renewed splendour ; everywhere
in the extensive dominions of the German nation
we attempt to discover the secret operations of
Nature, whether in the heavens, or in the deepest
problems of mechanics, or in the interior of the
earth, or in the finely woven tissues of organic
structure.
''' Protected by noble princes, this assembly has
annually increased in interest and extent. Every
distinction which difference of religion or form of
government can occasion is here annulled. Germany
manifests itself as it were in its intellectual unity ;
and since knowledge of truth and performance of
duty are the highest object of morality, that feeling
of unity weakens none of the bonds which the reli-
gion, constitution, and laws of our country, have
rendered dear to each of us. Even this emulation
in mental struggles has called forth (as the glorious
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 29
history of our country tells us) the fairest blossoms
of humanity, science, and art.
" The assembly of Gennan naturalists and natural
jDliilosophers, since its last meeting, when it was so
hospitably received at Munich, has, through the
Hattering interest of neighbouring states and aca-
demies, shone with peculiar lustre. Nations have
renewed the ancient alliance between Germany and
the Scandinavian North.
" Such an interest deserves acknowdedgement the
more, because it unexpectedly increases the mass of
facts and opinions which are here brought into one
common and useful union. It also recals lofty re-
collections into the mind of the naturalist. Scarcely
half a century has elapsed since Linne appears in
the boldness of the undertakings which he has at-
tempted and accomplished, as one of the greatest
men of the last century. His glory, however bright,
has not rendered Europe blind to the merits of
Scheele and Bergman. The catalogue of these
great names is not completed ; but lest I shall of-
fend noble modesty, I dare not speak of the light
which is still flowing in richest profusion from the
North, nor mention the discoveries in the chemical
nature of substances, in the numerical relation of
their elements, or the eddying streams of electro-
magnetic powers. * May those excellent persons,
who, deterred neither by perils of sea or land, have
hastened to oiu* meeting from Sweden, Norway,
* The philosophers here referred to are Berzelius and Oersted.
30 MEMOIR OF
Denmark, Holland, England, and Poland, point out
the way to other strangers in succeeding years, so
that by turns every part of Germany may enjoy
the effects of scientific communication with the dif-
ferent nations of Europe.
" But although I must restrain the expression of
my personal feelings in presence of this assembly, I
must be permitted at least to name the patriarchs
of our national glory, who are detained from us by
a regard for those lives so dear to their country ; —
Goethe, whom the great creations of poetical fancy
have not prevented from penetrating the arcana of
nature, and who now in rural solitude mourns for
his princely friend, as Germany for one of hex
greatest ornaments ; — Olbers who has discovered
two bodies where he had already predicted they
were to be found ;— the greatest anatomists of our
age — Soemmering, who, with equal zeal, has inves-
tigated the wonders of organic structure, and the
spots and facidae of the sun, (condensations and
openings in the photosphere) ; Blumenbach, whose
pupil I have the honour to be, who, by his works
and his immortal eloquence, has inspired everywhere
a love for comparative anatomy, physiology, and
the general history of nature, and who has laboured
diligently for half a century. How could I resist
the temptation to adorn my discourse with names
which posterity wiU repeat, as we are not favoured
with their presence ?
" These observations on the literary wealth of
our native country, and the progressive development
PA.RON VON HUMBOLDT. 31
of our institution, lead us naturally to the obstruc-
tions which will arise from the increasing number
of our fellow- labourers. The chief object of this
assembly does not consist, as in other societies whose
sphere is more limited, in the mutual interchange
of treaties, or in innumerable memoirs, destined to
be printed in some general collection. The princi-
pal object of this Society is to bring those personally
together who are engaged in the same field of science.
It is the immediate, and therefore more obvious in-
terchange of ideas, whether they present themselves
as facts, opinions, or doubts. It is the foundation
of friendly connection which throws light on science,
adds cheerfulness to life, and gives patience and
amenity to tne manners.
" In the most flourishing period of ancient Greece,
the distinction between words and writing first
manifested itself most strongly amongst a race,
which had raised itself to the most splendid intel-
lectual superiority, and to whose latest descendants,
as preserved from the shipwreck of nations, we still
consecrate our most anxious wishes. It was not the
difficulty of interchange of ideas alone, nor the want
of German science, which has spread thought as on
wings through the world, and insured it a long con-
tinuance, that then induced the friends of philosophy
and natural history in Magna Groecia and Asia
Minor to wander on long journeys. That ancient
race knew the inspiring influence of conversation as
it extemporaneously, freely and prudently penetrates
tne tissue of scientific oiDinions and doubts. The
MEMOIR OP
iiscovery of the truth without dlfFerence of ophii* r,
is unattainable, because the truth in its greatest ex-
tent can never be recognized by all, and at the same
time. Each step, which seems to bring the ex-
plorer of nature nearer to his object, only carries
him to the threshold of new labyrinths. The mass
of doubt does not diminish, but spreads like a
moving cloud over other and new fields ; and who-
ever has called that a golden period, when difference
of opinions, or, as some are accustomed to express
it, the disputes of the learned, will be finished, has
as imperfect a conception of the wants of science,
and of its continued advancement, as a person who
expects that the same opinions in geognosy, che-
mistry, or physiology, will be maintained for several
centuries. /
" ITie founders of this Society, with a deep sense
of the unity of nature, have combined in the com-
pletest manner all the branches of physical know-
ledge, and the historical, geometrical, and experi-
mental philosophy. The names of natural historian
and natural philosopher are here, therefore, nearly
synonymous, chained by a terrestrial link to the
type of the lower animals. Man completes the
scale of higher organization. In his physiological
and pathological qualities, he scarcely presents to us
a distinct class of beings. As to what has brought
him to this exalted object of physical study, and
has raised him to general scientific investigation, be-
longs principally to this Society. Important as it is
not to break that link which embraces equally the
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. ^
investigation of organic and inorganic nature, still
the increasing ties and daily development of this
institution renders it necessary, besides the general
meeting \Yhich is destined for these halls, to have
specific meetings for single branches of science.
For it is only in such contracted circles, — it is only
among men whom reciprocity of studies has brought
together, that verbal discussions can take place :
without this sort of communication, would the vo-
luntary association of men in search of truth be
deprived of an inspiring principle.
" Among the preparations which are made in
this city for the advancement of the Society, atten-
tion has been principally paid to the possibility of
such a subdivision into sections. The hope that
these preparations will meet \\4th your approbation,
imposes upon me the duty of reminding you, that,
although you had entrusted to two travellers, equally
the duty of making these arrangements, yet it is
to one alone, my excellent friend, M. Lichtenstetn,
that the merit of careful precaution and indefatigable
activity is due. Out of respect to the scientific
spirit w^iich animates the Society of German Natu-
ralists and Natural Philosophy, and in acknowledg-
ment of the utility of their efforts, Government have
seconded all our wishes with the greatest cheerful-
ness.
" In the vicinity of the place of meeting, whicli
has in this manner been prepared for our general
and special labours, are situated the museums dedi-
cated to anatomy, zoology, oryctognosy, and ge-
34 MEMOIR OP
ology. They exhibit to the naturali t a rich mine
for observation and critical discussion. The greater
number of these well arranged collections have ex-
isted, like the University of Berlin, scarcely twenty
years. The oldest of them, to which the Botanical
Garden (one of the richest in Europe) belongs,
have during this period not only been increased, but
entirely remodelled. The amusement and instruc-
tion derived from such institutions call to our minds,
with deep feelings of gratitude, that they are the
work of that great monarch, who modestly and in
simple grandeur, adorns every year this royal city
with new treasures of nature and art ; and what is
of still greater value than the treasures themselves, —
what inspires every Prussian with youthful strength,
and with an enthusiastic love for the ancient reign-
ing family, — that he graciously attaches to himself
every species of talent, and extends with confidence
his royal protection to the free cultivation of the
understanding."
In the summer of 1829 this enterprising man
performed, at the age of sixty, an important under-
taking which he had long contemplated. This was
a journey to the Uralian mountains, the frontiers
of China, and the Caspian Sea. His principal
companions on the occasion were MM. G. Ehren-
berg and G. Rose. The expedition having been
undertaken with the sanction, and at the expense,
of the Emperor of Russia, Humboldt, on his return,
pronounced an able discourse at an extraordinary
sitting of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 35
St, Petersburg, held on the 28th November 1829,
wherein he gave a general view of the scientific
researches which had been recently carried on in
the Russian empire. The full details of the jour-
ney may be expected in a work announced, while
we write, as in the press, entitled Asie Centrale^ —
Recherches sur les chaines de montagnes et la cli^
matologie comparee. Three volumes 8vo. with a
map. *
For many years past Baron Humboldt has chiefly
resided in his native city of Berlin, the acknow-
ledged head of Prussian science and literature. Al-
though far advanced in life, his active mind continues
engaged in various investigations. In the words of
a distinguished periodical publication, — " The uni-
versality of his acquirements, which have left no
branch within the wide range of science indifferent
or unexplored, has connected him by friendship
with nearly all the most celebrated philosophers of
the age ; while the polished amenity of his man-
ners, and that intense desire of acquiring and of
spreading knowledge which so particularly charac-
terizes his mind, render him accessible to all strangers,
and ensure for them the assistance of his counsel in
their scientific pursuits, and the advantage of being
* It was during this journey that another of the travellers,
M. Schmidt, a German, found the first diamonds that have
been discovered in the Uralian mountains, — an event which
Humboldt had foretold from the analogy of the formation of
tliat range to the mountains in Brazil, in which diamonds
occur.
36 MEMOIR OP
made known to all those who are interested or oc-
cupied in similar inquiries."*
The following extract represents the subject of
our sketch as the accomplished courtier, and gives
some glimpses of his manners and personal habits.
It is taken from a publication by an English travel-
ler, t and refers to a visit which he made to the
baths of TepHtz in the month of July, 1834, when
the late King of Prussia and Humboldt were so-
journing there : —
" Even the formalities which here surround the
Prussian monarch have something of a redeeming
quality from the character of those who are its
agents. He admits about him nothing that is pre-
sumptuous or impertinent: his chamberlains are
philosophers, and the honorary offices of his court
are bestowed on those most distinguished for their
civil and military talent. He is the zealous patron
of science and of art ; and Humboldt is his chosen
counsellor. Except the Grand Chamberlain and the
Minister-at-War, this great man, in whom profound
and varied science is combined with the most grace-
ful elegance, was the only attendant of the Sove-
reign at Teplitz; for his high talent and habitual
knowledge of courts and politics, and men, render
him a counsellor almost as valuable for the general
affairs of the state, as for those to which the labours
* Edinburgh Journal of Science, conducted by Dr. Brewster
vol. X. p. 227.
+ Austria, by Peter Evan Turnbull, Esq. F. R.S., F. S. A. :
Luudou, 1840; \ol. i. p. 33.
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 37
of his life are thought to have been especially de-
voted. The flourishing condition of the university
and other scientific institutions ; the Egyptian Mu-
seum, unrivalled in Europe ; the galleries of sculp-
ture and paintings ; the beautiful copies of all the
finest pictures of Raffaelle ; the splendid architectu-
ral and glyphic ornaments; and other useful and
ornamental public works, which render Berlin one
of the most interesting cities in Europe ; — all attest
the salutary influence of Humboldt, and of men
such as Humboldt, over a wise and judicious Sove-
reign. He is as indefatigable in business as he is
profound in research. Often, at Berlin, have I been
at his door before eight in the morning, but he had
already gone forth to the active duties of the day ;
and, after these were passed, I have seen him in
the evening, with his gold key to his button-hole,
performing the offices of chamberlain in the ball-
room with the readiness and ease of one who had
never quitted the precincts of a court. To observe
this distinguished man, who has filled Europe with
his philosophic fame, standing bare-headed on the
walk of Teplitz, beside the seat of the Princess of
Liegnitz, performing the smaller offices of the courtly
attendant, watching her every motion, and running
with hat in hand to overtake her, if perchance she
might move forward some few steps unobserved, —
may excite the smile, and possibly the derision, of
him who looks merely on the surface of events.
The more thoughtful observer of human nature will
take a very different view. He will ascribe no
38 MEMOIR OF
ordinary elevation of character to the Sovereign, who
can thus appreciate the services, and thus conciliate
to himself and his family, the devoted attachment of
such a man. He will reverence the philosopher
whose elegant accomplishments add a tenfold value
to his lofty acquirements, by imparting to him that
influence of familiar friendship, which has thus bent
towards the more refining and ennobling pursuits of
civil life the tastes and the energies of an absolute
military monarch. He will bear in mind that, on
the hallowed banks of the Cephisus, the Loves were
the associates of "Wisdom ; the promoters of all that
is excellent in man ; * and, while he may lament
that the rays of royal favour do not always beam on
science and on art, he will wish that science and art
were ever so combined with an amiable and elegant
gentleness of character, as in their union at once to
command respect and conciliate affection.**
The favour which the late king of Prussia so
long evinced for Humboldt, has been continued
by his son and successor, the present monarch.
"When his majesty came to the court of Great
Britain, in January 1842, for the purpose of offi-
ciating as one of the sponsors at the baptism of
the Prince of Wales, the venerable philosopher was
not the least remarkable member of his suite. This
was a mark of distinction alike creditable to the
patriotic king, as to his celebrated subject ; and it
afforded the latter an opportunity of renewing his
acquaintance with men of science in this country.
• The Medea of Euripides.
BARON VON HUMBOLDT. 39
The duties which Humboldt has to perform as
chamberlain at the Prussian court are not of a very
onerous description, and interfere but little with the
prosecution of those investigations to which his life
has been devoted. The latest of these which has
fallen under our observation is " An Attempt to
determine the mean Height of Continents," con-
cerning which he read a memoir at the meeting of
the Berlin Academy of Sciences on 18th July,
J 842. This was a work of great labour, and had
engaged his attention for many years. According
to the final result of the whole of his investigations,
the maximum assigned by Laplace for the mean
height of continents is too considerable by two-
thirds.
Prefixed to this volume is a portrait of Baron
Humboldt, copied for our work from an engraving
which was published at Berlin in 1808. It repre-
sents the Baron in undress, occupied with his her-
barium, such as he was in the prime of life. Hig
features form a happy combination of capacity of
intellect and benignity of disposition. His frame
is strong and muscular, and well-fitted for accom-
plishing the laborious undertakings to which he
devoted himself.
THE
NATURAL HISTORY
OF
BKITISH FISHES.
SECOH) SUBDraSION OF OSSEOUS FISHES WITH
SOFT KAYS. MALACOPTERYOn.
Tms second and latter subdivision of the first great
series, namely, that of Osseous Fishes, designated
jointed or soft-finned fishes, Malacoptekygii, to
which we now proceed, consists of three Orders, the
distinguishing characters of which are obtained from
the positions, or the absence of the ventral fins. The
term soft-finned is, of course, a relative one ; the
rays in the so named fins being composed of osseous
spiculas which are articulated together by means of
cartilage, which renders the ray flexible when the
several pieces are long, or more solid, when the dif-
ferent articulations are close set, so that the fins
may become almost as stifi* as in those fishes which
belong to the Acanthopterygeous division. This
division is so inferior in point of extent, that proba-
42 MALACOPTERYGII.
bly, according to Mr. Swainson, it does not amount
to more than one-fourth of the number comprised
in the former, or spiny-rayed one. It is also perhaps
true that the different genera belonging to it are
inferior to the foregoing in respect of their shapes
and colouring ; but, on the other hand, they are
superior in the grand point of utility to man, com-
prising by far the largest proportion of those which
furnish him with the all-important article of food ;
for when we enumerate, the Cod, Herring, Turbot,
Salmon, and Carp families, as belonging to this
division, we name those which supply the largest
amount of this necessary article, and in whose cap-
ture thousands of men, and fleets of vessels, are ex-
clusively engaged. The leading and most numerous
Order, consists of those soft-finned fishes whose
ventral fins are attached to the abdomen.
ORDER II. SOFT-FINNED FISHES, WITH ABDOMI-
NAL VENTRALS. MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMI-
NALES.
This Order comprises those fishes which have the
ventral fins attached to the abdomen behind the
pectorals, and unconnected with the bones of the
shoulder. They are the most numerous Order of
the Section, including the majority of fresh-water
fishes, and are divided into five families, in our
arrangement from the thirteenth to the seventeenth,
inclusive. From the two volumes of the Histoire
Naturelle des Poissons which have recently been
MALACOPTERTGII ABDOMINALES. 43
published, we perceived, as might have been antici-
pated, that this Order is about to undergo modifica-
tions, and we may add, great improvements, upon
its exposition in the Eegne Animal; much greater
than those which have been effected upon the for-
mer subdivision. We need not express how great
has been our obhgation to the authors of that ad-
mirable Work in the former portion of our own ;
and deprived of this assistance, and retreating upon
the Regne Animal, and other resources, we expe-
rience a deficiency which nothing short of the
completion of that valuable Work can adequately
supply. The vast and splendid accumulation of
fishes now collected at the Jardin des Plantes, ar-
ranged by the genius and assiduity of Cuvier, and
now describing from his Notes by the indefatigable
labour of his pupil, Valenciennes, who seems to
have imbibed so much of the enthusiasm and taste
of his great master, at once warrants and vindicates
these remarks. M. Valenciennes commences the
exposition of the Order by the consideration of that
. most interesting family — the Siluridas ; but as only
one of its species is European, we deem it needless,
under the circumstances, to follow his example, and
therefore at once, with the Regne Animal, begjin
with the Carp family.
44
XIII. FAMILY OF CARPS. CYPRINIDJE.
Representatives in British Fauna. — Gen, 8, Sp. 13.
Qen.51. Ctprinus. Sp.95. C. carpio. . The Common Carp.
96. C. carassius. Crucian Do.
97.0.gibeHo. . Prussian Do.
98. C. awratus. . The Gold Do.
52. Barbus. . 99. B. vulgaris. . The Barbel.
53. GoBio. . . 100. Q.fimiatilis The Gudgeon.
54. TiNCA. . . 101. y. vulgaris . The Tench.
55. Abramis . 102, ul. hrama . The Bream.
103. A. blicca . . White Do.
66. Leusiscus. lO'i.A.JBuggenhagii. Pomeranian Do.
105. L.idm. . . The Ide.
106. L. ddbula . The Dobule Pvoach.
107. L. rutilus . The Rood.
108. X. vulgaris. . The Dace.
lOQ.L.La^icastriensis.The Graining.
110. L. cephalus. . The Chub.
111. L. erothroph- Red-eye, or Rudd.
thalmus.
112. L. coemleus. The Azurine.
113. X. albv/mus. . The Bleak.
114. L. phoxinus . The Minnow.
57. COBITIS. . 115. O. larlatula The Loach.
58. BoTiA. . IIQ. B.tcBnia. . . The Spined Loach.
This family, we rejoice to see, has lately under-
gone the revision of Mr. John M'Lelland, Assistant
Surgeon, Bengal Medical Service, whose talents
and acquirements, as well as his very favourable
MALACOPTERYGII. FAMILY OF CARPS. 45
position in India, the chief habitat of the Cypri-
nidse, afford every promise of most satisfactory results
from his labours. He has divided the family into
three sub-families, sixteen genera, and two hundred
and twenty-nine species (Ann. and Mag. of Nat.
Hist, viii.), so that it has comparatively but few
representatives in Britain. It is readily recognised
by having the mouth but slightly cleft, weak maxil-
laries, generally without teeth, and whose margin
is formed by the intermaxillaries ; it has the pha-
ryngeals strongly toothed; its gill-covers are but
few ; the body is scaly and destitute of an adipose
dorsal fin, as we shaU find is possessed by the
Siluridee and Salmonid*. A considerable number
of the family are supplied with barbules or cini,
which are capable of being contracted and elon-
gated, as weU as the muscular appendages of the
snout, to which they are attached ; difi'ering in this
respect from the filaments of the Siluridfe, as will
be afterwards stated. It is the least carnivorous
family of fishes. The typical genus Cyprinus is a
very natural one, and comprehends numerous spe-
cies, which are distinguished by the characters
already enumerated. Their tongue is smooth, and
the palate provided with a soft and singularly in-i-
table substance, vulgarly known by the name of
Carps tongue. The pharynx presents a powerful
instrument for mastication, consisting of large teeth
attached to the inferior pharyngeal bones, and capa-
ble of compressing the food against a strong disk
enclosed in a wide cavity under the basUary bone.
46 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
They have only one dorsal, and the body is covered
with scales, most frequently of a large size.
Gen. LI. Cyprinus. Carps, properly so called. —
This genus has a long dorsal fin which, together
with the anal, is furnished with a spine more or
less stout, as its second ray; the body is covered
with large scales : some have fleshy tubercles at the
angle of the mouth, and to these we shall first al-
lude ; others are without these appendages. Four
species are enumerated as British.
(Sp. 95.) C. carpio. The Common Carp. " The
Carp is accounted the water-fox for his cunning"
(Walton.) From the Carp being highly esteemed,
and having long been reared in a kind of domes-
tic state, an acquaintance has been made with it
which falls to the lot of but few of the finny race.
Isaac Walton, no small authority, ascribes its shy-
ness in taking the hook to its acute and cunning
perceptions, a characteristic which, we suspect,
may be more satisfactorily accounted for from its
herbaceous tastes and sluggish disposition.
The specific characters of Common Carp are, that
the mouth has two barbules on each side, and that
the caudal fin is forked. Its general colour is olive-
brown tinged with gold, darkest on the head ; belly
yellowish white ; dorsal and caudal fins dusky ; ven-
trals and anal tinged with red. Its food is chiefly
vegetables ; also the larvae of insects, and worms. It
is reported to live to a great age, and its dimensions
increase with its age. From one foot to one and a half,
or even two feet, are not very uncommon lengths ;
GEN. CYPEINU&. THE COMMON CAEP. 47
but much larger dimensioDS are sometimes given.
" The largest," says Mr. Yarrell, " I can refer to»
are thus noticed in Daniel's Rural Sports. — Mr.
Ladbroke, from his Park at Gatton, presented Lord
Egremont with a brace that weighed 35 lbs., as
specimens to ascertain whether the Surrey could
not vie with the Suffolk Carp." In the year 1793,
he adds, at the fishing of a large piece of water at
Stourhead, where a thousand brace of killing Carp
were taken, the largest >vas thirty inches long, up-
wards of twenty-two inches in girth, and weighed
eighteen pounds. In warmer countries they attain
much larger dimensions, and reach, as stated by
Cuvier, to the length of four feet, and by Pallas to
not less than five, in the Volga. The Mirror Carp,
proposed by Mr. Boccius to be introduced into
this country, has been found in Saxony to weigh as
much as 55 lbs. and others have been reported as
high as 70 lbs. Such fish as these are supposed to
be from a hundred and fifty to two hundred years
old.
Carp appears to be a native of most of the tem-
perate countries of Europe. It was introduced in
the fifteenth century into England, where it is highly
prized, and thrives prodigiously. In Ireland like-
wise, where it is said to have been introduced by
James I., it is preserved in several places, as in the
counties of Cork, Kilkenny, Dublin, and probably
others. In Scotland it is generally said to be want-
ing (Mag. of Zool. and Bot., i. 391), and though
this statement may not be literally true, yet^
48 MALACOl'. ABDOM. CARP. FAMILY.
whether from the character of the water, or from
the chmate, as is more probable, it has hitherto
been found no where to thrive; — a remark appli-
cable to all cold countries. In the pond of Red-
braes, near Edinburgh, observes Mr. Stoddart, seven
or eight Carp have been maintained for several years,
along with numbers of Perch, and though of both
sexes, no disposition to spawn has yet been appa-
i-ent; in fact, he adds, it may be safely asserted,
judging from what we have heard upon the subject,
that Carp will not thrive in Scotland until some
means be discovered for meliorating the climate, and
giving a soft quality to the water. In favouring
circumstances, on the contrary, their fecundity is
very great, so that no fewer than 700,000 ova have
been found in a single Carp ; and this property
would appear to increase with their years. The
ova are deposited upon weeds, among which the
female is followed by two or three males, in these
islands, in the months of May and June ; and they
are in best condition from October till April. They
are altogether fresh- water fish, in rivers preferring
those parts where the current is not too strong, and
thriving best in muddy bottoms. On this account,
lakes, and even ponds, appear to be their favourite
resorts, especially where they have the benefit of
shade from an overhanging grove of trees.
Angling for Carp, says Isaac Walton, " requires
a large measure of patience;" nor are they easily
captured by the net, since they manage to bury
themselves in the mud. During the winter season
GEN. CYPRTNUS. THE COMMON CARP. 4d
they eat little or nothing, and are supposed to lie
in great numbers, side by side, burled in the mud.
In keeping with these habits, Mr. White of Selbome
states, that in the wardens of the Black Bear Inn,
in the town of Reading, there is a stream or canal,
running under the stables, and out Into the fields on
the other side of the road : in this water are many
Carps, which lie rolling about in sight, being fed by
travellers, who amuse themselves by tossing them
bread. But as soon as the weather grows at all
severe, these fishes are no longer seen, because they
retire under the stable, where they remain till the
return of spring. The Carps are very tenacious of
life, and may be preserved out of the water for a
considerable time, especially when covered with some
moist substance, and in coldish weather, and thus
they can be transported to a distance. In Holland
they are sometimes suspended In nets full of moss,
in a damp cellar, which being moistened with water,
and sometimes with milk, they not only live, but
actually Improve under the process.
Mr. Boccius' little treatise upon the management
of fresh-water fish, has a special reference to this
fish ; and useful details on the construction of ponds,
their stocking, fishing, &c. will be found in Its pages.
His object Is to make these preserves an object of
profit to landed proprietors, as already stated in our
former volume (p. 114), and theieby to increase
also the amount of nutritious and excellent fi)od,
Carp feed avcII in s^ews, and Mr. Jesse has remarked
D
BO MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
that they are soon reconciled to their situation, and
eat boiled potatoes in considerable quantities. " They
soon lost," says he, " their original shyness, and fed
in my presence without any scruple." As with many
other fishes, so with these, much variety of opinion
has existed as to their merit as an article of food.
The ancients held them in no very high esteem ;
by the writers of the 16th century they are ranked
as an important aliment ; and at present they are
highly prized in France, Germany and Austria;
Mr. Yairell, we should think, is not far from the
truth, when he states that they are highly indebted
to cooks for the estimation in which they are held
for the table.
(Sp. 96.) C. carassius. The Crucian Carp. This
species of Carp, which by some of the Thames fisher-
men is called the German Carp, has been introduced
into the list of British fishes by the assiduous atten-
tion of Mr. Yarrell, who has now had an oppor-
tunity of examining two specimens ; and his decision
has been corroborated by the authority of other able
naturalists. Mr. Yarrell's specimens were captured
in the Thames, between Hammersmith and Windsor,
its only ascertained habitat in this country. Its
average weight may probably be about one pound
and a half; one specimen obtained weighing two
pounds eleven ounces ; the other one pound. Re-
specting its habits we have little intelligence ; Bloch
states it spawns in May. The colour of the upper
parts of the body is a rich golden brown, becoming
GEN. CYPRINUS. THE PRUSSIAN CARP. 51
lighter and more yellow on the sides beneath the
lateral line, and on the belly ; the fins are dark
brown ; the mouth small ; the irides golden yellow ;
the scales large, with concentric stri£e strongly
marked upon them.
(Sp. 97.) C. gibelio. The Prussian or Gibel
Carp. Mr. Pennant informs us that this species is
common in many of the fish-ponds about London,
and other parts of the south of England ; although
he does not consider it as indigenous, but a natu-
ralized fish, the date of whose introduction is un-
known. Mr. Yarrell conceives it is of somewhat
wider distribution ; that it spawns at the end of
April or beginning of May, and is very prolific. He
adds, though known to be very numerous in some
situations, little success attends the angler who en-
deavours to catch them, as they seldom bite freely ;
the fish is exceedingly tenacious of life ; and he has
known them recover and survive after having been
kept out of water for thirty hours. " The top of
the head, and back, are olive brown; the sides
lighter ; the abdomen almost white, the whole fish
shining with a brilliant golden metallic lustre ; the
pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are orange red ; and
the lower part of the tail tinged with the same
colour." Mr. Pennant states that the flesh is ex-
tremely coarse and but little esteemed ; Mr. Yarrell,
that it is white and agreeable ; with the help of
sor.rO of Mr. Boccius' German recipes, we doubt not
it could be made, in the words of the record, *' very
fine this way."
59 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILT.
(Sp. 98.) C. auratus. The Gold Carp.
" Type of the simriiy Tiumcm hreast
Is your transparent cell,
Where fear is hut a transient guest^
No sullen hwmours dwell;
Where, sensitive of every ray
That smites this tiny sea,
Yow scaly panoplies repay
The loan with usv/ry.'''' — Wordsworth.
These splendid and beautiful Carps, better known
in these countries by the name of Gold and Silver
fishes, are stated to have been originally natives
of a mountain lake in the province of Tche Kiang,
about the 30° of N. latitude. Hence they spread
through the other provinces of China, Japan, and
the neighbouring countries. By the Dutch they were
carried into Batavia ; by the French, to the Mauri-
tias; the Portuguese navigators early introduced them
into their native land, where perhaps they are more
abundant than in any other country of Europe. In
these congenial haunts, whether native streams or
artificial ponds, they are said to attain a considerable
size, and to be very long-lived. M. Yan Braam
informed Dr. Shaw, that during his stay at a town
near Pekin, he was shown several in a pool, of which
the smallest was fifteen inches long, and the others
a good deal larger, reaching, according to Du Halde,
the size of our largest herrings : here too they are
i'requently served up as food. In our colder climates,
the size they attain is much more limited ; Mr.
Yarrell stating that he had never seen a specimen
exceeding ten inches in length
GEN. CYPRINUS. THE GOLD CARP. 53
That, upon the whole, the Carp is hardy, cannot,
from its wide diffusion, be doubted ; and as an addi
tional illustration, it may be mentioned that M. Host,
a naturalist of Vienna, observed a Gold-fish revive
after it had been frozen up in ice during a winter
night, in the vicinity of Austerlitz. Still more clear,
however, is it, that it thrives best in a warm and
genial medium, even should this be artificially pro-
duced. It is well known, says a correspondent in
Loudon's Magazine (vol. iii.), that in manufacturing
districts, where there is an inadequate supply of cold
water for the condensation of the steam employed in
the engines, recourse is had to what are called engine-
dams or ponds, into which the water from the steam-
engine is thrown for the purpose of being cooled ; in
these dams, the average temperature of which is
about 80**, it is common to keep Gold-fish ; and it
is a notorious fact, that they multiply in these situa-
tions much more rapidly than in ponds of lower
temperature, exposed to the variations of the climate.
Three pair of this species were put into one of these
dams, where they increased so rapidly, that at the
end of three years their progeny, which were un-
doubtedly poisoned with verdigris mixed with the
refuse tallow of the engine, were taken out by wheel-
barrow-fulls. Under such circumstances it is, says
the author of " The Rod," that the}' are found in
a water-cut connected with the Clyde near Glas-
gow, and thus may become naturalized in that
jiver.
It is not, howevur. from the habits and economii
5 \ MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
uses of these gold and silver fislies in their natural
or acquired haunts, so much as from their domes-
tication in this and in almost every other country,
and from the interest they excite as beautiful pets
and play-things, that they have attracted so much
admiration and attention. In its native country no
pains are spared, especially by the ladies, in its cul-
tivation. These fair and feeble-footed damsels are
assiduous in their attentions to a creature so beau-
tiful in itself, so pleasing in the perpetual liveliness
of its movements, and so interesting for the ease with
'vvhich it may be rendered susceptible of a certain de-
gree of familiarity and attachment. Large glass, and
peculiar vessels of the richest kind, are prepared for
their reception in their apartments, and small orna-
mented ponds and basins in their gardens. It ap-
pears that they were first introduced into these
islands in the 17th century; they have steadily be-
come more and more diffused, and we should say
are now more common than ever. When they are
young, they are of a dark and sombre hue, and only
gradually acquire the splendid colours by which
they are afterwards characterized. Their dorsal and
anal fins are denticulated like those of the Common
Carp ; but the usual effects of domestication are
pre-eminently conspicuous upon them. Some indi-
viduals have no dorsal fin at all, and in others it is
very minute ; some have the caudal extremely large,
or, it may be, divided into three or four lobes. The
Telescope Carp, again, has the eye enormously en-
larged and protuberant, and all these and other
GEN. CYPUINUS. THH GOLD CARP. 55
variations may be diversely grouped. As already
stated upon a former page, M. de Sauvigny, in his
Hist. Nat. des Dorades de la Cliine^ published in
17^0, has given coloured representations of eighty-
nine varieties of this Carp, exhibiting almost every
possible combination of metallic tinting, gold and
silver, orange, black, and purple.
The following statement, with regard to the
treatment of these interesting prisoners in China,
as furnished by Le Comte, may interest many.
They are put into a deep large basin, at the bot-
tom of which is placed an earthen pan upside
down, with holes in it, so that, during the heat of
the day, shelter may be afforded from the sun. A
certain kind of herb is also thrown upon the water,
which keeps it always green and cool. The water
is changed three or four times a week ; but in such
a manner that the fresh enters, while the old is
going out. If they are obliged to transport the
fish from one vessel to another, they take great care
not to touch them with the hand, for those that are
•touched die soon after, or are reduced to a languish-
ing condition : therefore they employ a small net
with which they gently lift them, and which does
not let the water escape before they are put into
the fresh. A great noise like that of guns or thun-
der, or a strong smell, or violent motion, is very
prejudicial, and sometimes kills them, as I have
often observed on shipboard, when a great gun was
fired. In this country they are usually fed with
crumbs of bread, yolks of egg boiled hard and re
56 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
duced to powder, manna-croup, and such like articles:
occasionally they are supplied with a bed of moss or
turf.
" I ask what warrant fix'd them (like a spell
Of witchcraft, fix'd them) in the crystal cell ;
To wheel, with languid motion, round and round,
Beautiful, yet in mournful durance bound ?
Their peace, perhaps, our slightest footstep marr'd,
Or their quick sense our sweetest music jarr'd ;
And whither could they dart, if seized with fear ?
No sheltering stone, no tangled root was near.
When fire or taper ceased to cheer the room,
They wore away the night in starless gloom ;
And when the sun first dawned upon the streams,
How faint their portion of his vital beams !
Thus, and unable to complain, they fared,—
While not one joy of ours by them was shared."
Gen. LII. Barbus. — This genus is distinguished
by short dorsal and anal fins, the former of which
have spinous rays as their second and third ; it has
moreover four barbules, two at the angles of the
mouth, and two at its most projecting portion. The
species are numerous, and widely diffused in the
New and Old World. One species only is known in
Britain.
(Sp. 99.) B. vidgayis. The Barbel, or Bearded
Fish, from the cirri at its mouth, is unknown ia
Scotland, frequent in England, and pretty general
throughout Europe. It is easily known by its pro-
longed head, and is very common on the Continent,
as stated in the Rcgne Animal^ in clear and rapid
streams, where it sometimes exceeds ten feet iu
GEN. BARBUS. THE BARBEL. 57
length. The general colour of the superior parts is
greenish broAvn, becoming yellowish green on the
sides, the cheeks and gill-covers are tinged with
bronze ; belly white ; irides yellow ; lips pale flesh-
colour. It is in the most sluggish parts of the
Thames and its tributaries, that this fish most
abounds. So numerous, says Mr. Yarrell, are the
Barbel about Shepperton and Walton, that one
hundred and fifty pounds weight have been taken
in five hours ; and on one occasion it is said that
two hundred and fifty pounds of a large size were
taken in one day. Mr. Pennant states that it is
sometimes three feet in length, and weighs eighteen
pounds. It feeds upon slugs, worms, and small
fish. When turning up the loose soil at the bottom
m search of food, many smaller fish are seen to
attend, and pick up such nourishment as is set
afloat. They spawn in May and June, the ova
amounting to seven or eight thousand in a full sized
female. During summer they frequent weedy parts
of the river ; but as soon as vegetation begins to
decay in autumn, they seek the deeper waters,
and shelter near piles, locks, and bridges.
Mr. Jesse, when describing the habits of the
difi'erent sorts of fishes kept in his Vivarium, in-
forms us that the Barbel were the shyest, and
seemed most impatient of observation ; although in
the spring, when they could not perceive any one
watching them, they would roll about, and rub
themselves against the brick-work, and show con-
siderable playfulness. There were some large stones
l>8 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
round which they would wind their spawn in con-^
:5iderable quantities. " Barbel," he again remarks,
" appear to be almost in a perfectly torpid state in
very cold weather. They make their hybernacu-
lum amidst tufts of weeds, at the bottom of the
Thames, apparently either asleep or insensible. In-
deed, so torpid are they, that they may be taken
up by the hand. In very cold weather, the fisher-
men provide themselves with a net fastened to an
iron hoop, having a handle to it, which they place
near the fish, and v^ith a pole put it into the net,
so perfectly inanimate are they at this season.*'
Barbel are never seen to feed in winter. They
are generally agxeed to be the coarsest of fresh-
water fishes, and are seldom eaten but by the
poor, who sometimes boil them with bacon, to give
them a relish. The idea that even the roe is noxi-
ous, has been disproved by personal experiment by
Bloch.
Gen. LIII. Gubio. — The Gobio in generic cha-
racters resembles the Barbus, with the exception of
having no strong bony serrated rays at the com-
mencement of either the dorsal or anal fins.
(Sp. 100.) G. fluviatiUs. The Common Gud-
geon has a single cirrhus at each angle of the mouth.
It abounds on the continent of Europe, also in
England, more especially the southern parts ; but
like many of its congeners, it is unknown in Scot-
land. The colour of the upper parts of the body
is olive-brown spotted with black, gill-covers green-
ish white, with the under surface white : their
GEX. GOBIO. THE COMMON GTJDGEOX. 59
colours, however, vary considerably according to
their age, nutriment, and locality. This pretty little
fish is much used as bait for larger ones ; it afi'ords
great sport to young anglers, taking the hook
greedily, even to a proverb, and is esteemed as
pleasant and light food ; hence it is frequently used
by invalids. Its usual size is from five to six
mches; but Mr. Pennant states that those which
are caught in the Kennet and Cole are three times
the weight of those taken else>vhere; the largest
he ever heard of was taken near Uxbridge, and
weighed half a pound. The operation of spawning
takes place in spring, and occupies a considerable
period, being as it were postponed and renewed
from time to time. The fry measures about one
inch in the beginning of August. The Thames,
Mersey, and Avon are famed for their fine Gudgeons,
and they thrive well in ponds abundantly supplied
with fresh water. They are frequently assembled
by raking the bed of the river, as to this spot they
immediately crowd, expecting food from the dis-
turbance. They swim in shoals, feed on worms and
acquatic insects, and so abound in some countries
that they are given to the hogs. The Thames
fishermen, as stated by Mr. Yarrell, take them in
shallow water, with the casting net, keeping them
in their well-boats till wanted. The London fish-
mongers are also able to keep Gudgeons alive for
several weeks in tanks, which are constantly sup-
plied with fresh water. Col. Montague informs us
that of the quantities of the«e fish, caught by the
"00 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
casting-net in the Avon near Bath, many are ex-
posed for sale aUve, in shallow tubs of water, and
are thus obtained in the highest perfection for in-
valids.
Gen. LIV. TiNCA. — The generic distinctions of
the Tench are, that the barbules are very small, as
are also the scales, and the mucous secretion of the
body is abundant.
(Sp. 101.) T. vulgaris. The Common Tench
possesses a higher interest than many of its asso-
ciates in the family, in as much as, like carp, it is
vdth many a favourite for stocking fish-ponds, and
for introduction to the table. Its excellence as an
article of food should of course be the recommenda-
tion to this kind of preference ; and yet it is curious
that, as with many other fishes, great contrariety
of sentiment has prevailed upon this point. Along
with the Carp, the older writers held it in no
esteem. In Ausanias we find the interrogatory,
Qiiis non et vivides mdc/i solatia Tineas novit ?
Oesner says it is insipid and unwholesome ; and
Baron Cuvier, that it is not good, except in some
waters ; and many of our modern writers, as Mr.
Griffith, affirm that the flesh is soft, insipid, and
difficult of digestion. Not so, however, the whole
of them. " Sure I am," says I. Walton, " he eats
pleasantly, and doubtless you will think so if you
taste him." " At present," says Mr. Pennant, " it
is held in good repute." Boccius affirms " that it is
peculiarly delicate, nutritious, and in good repute
,for tlie table." And Mr. Yarrell, " its flesh is nu-
GEN. TINCA. THE COMMON TENCU. 61
tritloiis and of good flavour, and not generally held
in the estimation it deserves." This diversity of
sentiment is to be ascribed more to difference ot
feeding, and other external circumstances, than to
any inferiority in the species ; and if, by a little at-
tention to these circumstances, improvement can be
effected in the Tench, so probably might it also be
with many other fish.
On the specific characters of this well known
fish we need not much insist : it is short and thick ;
and its colouring seems to vary according to the
purity of the water in which it resides. Its general
colour is greenish olive, lightest beneath, with the
fins dark brown; but the hue verges towards
brilliant golden yellow in rapid streams with sandy
bottoms, whilst it becomes almost black in muddy
marshes. Its average size in Britain is from twelve
to eighteen inches, although sometimes it reaches
three feet; its weight from four to six pounds;
Salviani mentions it has reached twenty. It is
common in many of the temperate countries of
Europe, from whence it is supposed to have been
introduced into England, where it thrives ; and into
Scotland, w^hich does not appear to be at all con-
genial. Certainly it does not thrive near Edin-
burgh; although it has been reported to flourish,
under somewhat peculiar circumstances indeed, in
some ponds belonging to Mr. Ferguson of Pitfour,
near Aberdeen. In the northern counties of Eng-
land it is found, but not abundantly ; as in the
Eden, and Solway Firth, and near Berwick in Ilir-
i')2 MALACOP. AhLOM. CAR? LaMLLY.
:s(;l Locli ; a].so in Ireland, in the counties Cork, Kil-
kenny, and Dublin. According to I. Walton, it lovea
ponds better than rivers, and pits better than either;
and to Mr. Yarrell, it is mostly in those rivers that
are slow and deep, that this fish is found; and in
such situations it is not so prolific as in ponds. In
deep pits, in which" clay for bricks has been dug
out, it is often abundant ; and broad shallow waters,
on muddy bottoms, frequently produce great quan-
tities, as is the case with some extensive tracts of
water near Yarmouth, in Norfolk, from which, if
the fish be taken and removed to stews, where they
are fed with a mixture of greaves and meal, they
thrive greatly.
lliis fish is exceedingly tenacious of life, a trait
■which is demonstrated }jy experiments which show
that a Tench can live in water whoso oxygen is re-
duced to the one five-thousandth part of the bulk of
water, ordinary river water containing about one
per cent. ; a ffict, as observed by Dr. Roget, which
evinces the admirable perfection of the resjuratory
organs of tlie fish. Tliis trait is strikingly illustrated
by the folhjwing fact taken from Daniel's Rural
Sports. " A piece of water which had been ordered
to be filled up, and into which wood and rubbish
liad been thrown for years, was directed to be
cleared out. Almost choked up by weeds and mud,
so little water remained that no one expected to see
any fish, except a few eels; and yet nearly two
hundred brace of Tench of all sizes, and as many
Perch, were found. After the pond was thought to
GEN. TTNCA. THE COMMON TENCH. 63
be quite free, under some roots there seemed to be
an animal which was conjectured to be an otter;
the place was surrounded ; and on opening an en-
trance among the roots, a Tench was found of most
singular form, having literally assumed the shape of
the hole, in which he had, of course, for many years
been confined. His length, from eye to fork, was
thirty-three inches ; his circumferance, almost to the
tail, was twenty-seven; his weight eleven pounds
nine ounces and a quarter ; the colour was also sin-
gular, his belly being that of char or vermilion.
This extraordinary fish, after having been inspected
by many gentlemen, was carefully put into a pond,
and at the time the account was written, twelve
months afterwards, was alive and w^ell. Tench, con-
tinues Mr. Daniel, are said to love foul and weedy
more than clear water; but situation does not always
influence their taste. These fish, taken out of Mun-
den Hall Fleet, in Essex, which was so thick with
weeds that the flew-nets could hardly be sunk
through them, and where the mud w^as intolerably
fetid, and had dyed the fish of its own colour, which
was that of ink, could no where be better grown,
nor of finer flavour; many were taken which
weighed nine pounds, and some ten, a brace. In a
pond at Leigh's Priory, a quantity of Tench was
caught, about three pounds each, of a colour the most
clear and beautiful ; but when some of them were
dressed and brought to table, they smelt and tasted
60 rankly of a particular weed, that no one could
eat them. Some that were conveyed alive, and
64 MALA COP. ABDOM. CAKP FAMILY.
])ut into other water, soon recovered themselves
from this noxious taint; an experiment that will
al ways answer in this kind of fish."
Tench are found spawning from June to Sept.,
and the female, as stated by Mr. Yarrell, is usually
attended by two males, who follow her from one
bunch of weeds to another, upon which the ova are
deposited ; and so engrossed are they at this time
ia fulfilling the Divine command, that I have fre-
quently dipped out all the three fish by a sudden
plunge of the landing-net. The ova are very nu-
merous, being, says Bloch, nearly 300,000, in a fish
of four pounds weight. They are omnivorous.
In conclusion, we must not omit to state a sin-
gular property which is assigned to the Tench by
many of the older writers, and by some modern ones
too. It is alleged it has a sanative property pro«
ceeding from its cutaneous secretion, the virtue of
which is said to be appreciated by other fishes.
Old Walton says, I hope I may be so bold as to tell
you that the Tench is the physician of fishes, and
for the Pike especially, so that a Pike being either
sick or hurt, is cured by the touch of the Tench ;
and it is observed that this fresh-water tyrant will
not play the wolf to his physician, but forbears to
devour him though he be never so hungry. Boccius
again, says, it is a well authenticated fact that no
fish of prey will ever touch Tench ; so it is also un-
derstood that Tench act medicinally to other fish,
by rubbing against them when wounded or sick.
Hence, in Germany, the fishermen call it the Doc-
GEN. ABRAMIS. THE BREAM. 65
fcor-fish ; and hence this practical author makes this
virtue the ostensible reason of its introduction into
fresh-water preserves. The ingenious Moses Brown,
in his Piscatory Eclogues has embodied this senti-
ment, for against such authority we must not call
it prejudice, as it respects the Pike, in the following
lines : —
The Tench he spares —
For \rhen by wounds distress'd, or sore disease,
He courts the salutary fish for ease ;
Close to his scales the kind physician glides,
And sweats the healing balsam from his sides.
Gen. LY. Abramis. • — This genus has neither
spines nor barbules ; the dorsal is short, and placed
behind the ventral fin ; the base of the anal is long.
Til ere are several species on the continent of Eu-
rope, where they abound, extending to a high lati-
tude ; they have also been observed both in Asia
and America. Three species are catalogued aa
British.
(Sp. 102.) A. hrama. The Bream, or Carp-
bream, is by much the largest of the British spe-
cies, being, in the language of I. Walton, a larga
and stately fish. Its specific characters will be
elsewhere more minutely detailed. The prevailing
colour is yellowish white, becomhig darker with
age ; the irides are golden yellow ; the cheeks and
gill-covers silvery white; the fins light- coloured,
the pectorals and ventrals tinged with red, the
others with brown. This fish thrives most in deep
quiet rivers and large pieces of water, such as large
E
66 MALA COP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
lakes and canals. It occurs in tlie Regent's Canal,
and the Mole and Medway are celebrated for their
Bream. The Lakes of Cumberland sometimes pro-
duce it ; and in those of Ireland it has been known
to attain a weight of frona twelve to fourteen
pounds. In Scotland it is but little known, Loch-
maben being its only recorded habitat. Breams
swim in shoals, feed on vegetables and soft animal
food, are hardy, and grow rapidly. They spawn in
May, when the females are frequently followed by
three or four males. At this time the scales are
covered with what Mr. Pennant calls minute white
tubercles, which causes them to feel rough to the
hand, which, according to Mr. Yarrell, is nothing
more than " a periodical assumption which, as in
the other Cyprinidte, disappears when the season of
reproduction is past."
The value of this fish as an article of food has,
like the preceding, been differently stated, and pro-
bably from the same causes. In these countries it
is held in little estimation for the table, and when
cultivated at all, it is chiefly to supply food to other
fishes. On the Continent the very reverse is the
case. I. "Walton quotes with approbation the French
proverb, " He that has Breams in his pond, may
bid his friend welcome ;" and we read in the Regne
Animal, C'est un assez hon poisson, fort ahondant^ et
qiion midtiplie aisement. Walton's instructions for
angling for this fish are minute and copious, ad-
vising a careful study of the selected spot, an abun-
dant supj^y of ground bait, and a visit with fitted
GEN. ABRAMIS. THE WHITE BREAM. 67
tackling to the water-side, about three or four
o'clock in the morning; "but not too near, for
they have a cunning sentinel, and are watchful
til em selves too." The following is from Daniel's
account of a day's fishing in Essex. " The weather
was cloudy, and the wind brisk : there were seven
rods used by the party, and very frequently were
there biters at them all at the same time. When a
fish was hooked, and played at the top, or near the
surface of the water, numbers were seen to follow
him, and as soon as the hooks were fresh baited,
were alike greedily taken : they averaged at least
two pounds a fish ; and of these, from six in the
morning till dusk in the evening, some hundred-
Weights were taken.
(Sp. 103.) A. hlicca. White Bream, or Bream-
flat, is a much smaller fish than the preceding,
rarely exceeding ten or twelve inches. The upper
parts of the body are silvery bluish white, without
any of the golden lustre observable in the last spe-
cies; the iris is silvery white tinged with pink.
This species, which in its tastes and habits resembles
the Carp-bream, has been long»known on the Con-
tinent, where it is very common, as far north as the
lakes of Sweden ; and it has recently been detected
in several localities in England ; first, by Mr. Shep-
herd, in the Trent, as stated in the 14th vol. of the
Linnean Transactions ; next by Mr. Jenyns, as very
abundant, in the Cam ; and lastly by ]\Ir. Lubbock,
who has informed Mr. Yarrcll that it is occasionally
met with in some of the broads and rivers in Nor-
bo MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
folk. This species is not esteemed for food, and is
much prized only by other fish.
(Sp. 104.) A. Biiggenhagii. The Pomeranian
Bream derived its specific name from the individual
who first sent it to Bloch, its original describer;
and Mr. Yarrell has called it Pomeranian Bream,
very properly deeming it no objection to attach to
this fish the name of the country in which it was
discovered, though afterwards found elsewhere. Its
introduction into the British Fauna we owe to Mr.
Yarrell, who obtained from Mr. Brandon a fine spe-
cimen, captureji in a net at Dagenham Breach,
Essex, in 1836. Mr. Thompson of Belfast had also
obtained a specimen from the river Logan, near
Belfast ; and Mr. Jenyns has since ascertained that
it exists in Cambridgeshire. It is at once, says
Mr. Yarrell, distinguished from either of the other
species by the great thickness of the body, which is
equal to half its depth ; while in either of our other
Bream, the thickness of the body is equal to only
one-third of its depth ; the scales are also larger in
proportion, and different in shape. The anal fin is
shorter than that of the White Bream, which, in
its turn, is shorter, and has fewer rays than the
Common Bream. The upper parts of the body are
of a dark blackish bJue, becoming lighter on the
sides, and passing into silvery white on the belly ;
the pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins are bluish
brown, tinged with pale red ; the ventral and anal,
with less brown and more red.
Gen. LVI. Leuciscus. — In this genus the dorsal
GEN. LEUCISCTJS. THE DOUBLE ROACH. C9
and anal fins are short, and there are no spines or
barbules. It constitutes a group containing numer-
ous, species, which are distinguished by the position
of tlie dorsal fin. They are valued not so much for
food as for bait. In the first sub-genus this fin is
immediately above the ventrals.
(Sp. 105.) L. dohula. The Double Roach. This
is the first species named in the Regne Animal,
and is described as having a rounded muzzle, with
red pectoral and ventral fins. According to Bloch,
it rarely exceeds half a pound in weight, and feeds
upon worms and aquatic mollusca ; it prefers clear
rivers and large lakes, and spawns in March and
April. It is known to inhabit the Oder, Elbe,
Weser, Rhine, and their tributaries. Its flesh is
white, but full of bones, and it is little esteemed for
the table. It was first catalogued as a British fish
by Mr. Yarrell, who, while fishing in August 1831,
in the Thames, below "Woolwich, with the mouth
of a white-bait net open against a strong flood tide,
caught a single specimen; and no other has been
since observed. Mr. Yarrell's specimen was six
inches and a half long ; the upper parts of its body
were dusky blue, becoming brighter on the sides,
and passing into silvery white on the belly; the
dorsal and caudal fins were dusky brown, the pec-
toral, ventral, and anal, pale orange ; irides orange ;
cheeks and opercle, silvery white.
(Sp. 106.) L. idus. The Ide. The claims of
this species to be considered as British are very
limited ; but we insert it, after the example of Mr
70 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
Yarrell, and with the same object, that we may
assist in its future identification. The colours re-
semble those of the preceding ; the head is not so
broad, the back is higher, and the muzzle more con-
vex : according to Bloch the anal fin has thirteen
rays. This fish is found in the northern parts of
Germany, in Russia, Denmark, Norway, and Swe-
den, where it sometimes weighs between four and
five pounds. It inhabits clear fresh waters ; and its
flesh is said to be white, tender, and of good flavour.
All the information as yet collected respecting its
existence in this country, is supplied by Mr. C
Stewart, who, in his Elements, 1817, says, that it
was found in the mouth of the Nith by Dr. Walker,
late Professor of Natural History in the Edinburgh
University.
{Sp. 107.) L. rutilus. The Roach. Theicater-
sheep, for his simplicity/ or foolishness. (Walton). —
This species has a strong general resemblance to its
congeners, having the body deep and compressed.
The colour of the upper parts is dusky green, with
blue reflections, becoming lighter on the sides, and
passing into silvery white on tlie belly ; the iris is
yellow, the cheeks and gill-covers silvery white ; the
dorsal and caudal fins, pale brown ; the pectorals
orange-red; the ventrals and anal bright red. Its
usual weight is from a pound to a pound and a half.
I. Walton states that the largest Roach in tlie king-
dom are taken in the Thames, where many have
been caught which have weighed two and a half
pounds. Mr. Jesse mentions that the largest he
GEN. LT-UCISCU8. THE ROACH. 'Jl
had known weighed three pounds ; and Mr. Pen-
nant informs us that the London fishmongers some-
times see them as large as five pounds. It is a fish
common throughout the temperate parts of Europe ;
common too in many parts of England, and more
rare in Scotland ; a specimen from which country,
be it remarked, having been sent by Sir William
Jardine to Mr. Yarrell, was found " somewhat
shorter and deeper than those of the South." Mr.
Wilson remarks that it follows the lines of our
canals ; and may be caught in considerable quanti-
ties at the eastern terminus of the Union Canal, in
the western suburb of Edinburgh. Its habits are
those of the family, having a preference for still
rivers and lakes, seeking the deeper spots during
the day, and feeding in the shallows at night ; re-
tiring also during the winter, and ascending the
shallows to spawn in May and June : it is very
prolific. Mr. Jesse observes that the Roach, and
other small fish, are perfectly aware of, and careful
to avoid, those fish which prey upon them. Thus,
he remarks, I have seen large Carp swim among a
shoal of Roach without in the least disturbing them,
while, if a Pike comes near them, they make off in
every direction.
Dr. Parnell repeats, though apparently from his
own independent knowledge, the statement of the
Statistical Account (vol. xvi.) of the Parishes of
Rutherglen and Kilbride, drawn up by the late
incumbent, Mr. Ure, that every summer, in the
earlier part of May, immense shoals of Roach are
72 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
observed to leave Loch Lomond, to ascend the
different tributary streams for the purpose of depo-
siting their spawn. During this period, which
seldom lasts more than three days, the rivers are
literally swarming with their numbers, giving a fine
green appearance to the whole surface of the water.
On this occasion every basket and net in the neigh-
bouring villages are immediately put into requisi-
tion, and the thousands thus taken afford food for
the villagers for a short period. It is remarked by
anolers, that during the time these fish are in the
streams, and for a week after their departure, no
trout can be taken either with minnow, worm, or
fly, in consequence of the favourite food at that
time being the roe of the Roach.
This fish, which is stated to be in the best con-
dition in October, is not much sought for the table.
It is often, however, used, as appears above, in
Scotland ; and also in London : it is very bony, and
is most prized for making excellent soup.
The Roach seems eminently a fresh- water fish ;
and yet several facts have been collected which ap-
pear to show that, like many others of its class, its
habits, in this point, may undergo many decided
changes. Mr. Donovan, in his History of Bri-
tish Fishes, informs us that in the river Thames
one was caught about the middle of May, or early
in June, when these fish come up in shoals from the
sea to deposit their spawn in the higher parts of the
river. But, remarks Mr. Yarrell, the Roach, in
this instance, came only from the direction of the
GEN. LEUCISCUS. THE ROACH. 73
sea, not, I apprehend, from the sea itself. I have
never known a Roach to be taken in the sea, into
which the fish had entered voluntarily. Colonel
Montague also, when commenting, in his manu-
script, upon Mr. Donovan's statement as above re-
ported, expresses his belief that the Roach could
not exist in sea- water at all ; mentioning the follow-
ing fact which came under his own observation.
In a small river that runs into a large piece of
water of nearly two miles of extent, close to the
sea, on the south coast of Devon, there is no out-
let but by means of percolation through the shingle
which forms the barrier between it and the sea.
In this situation Roach thrive and multiply beyond
all example. About eight or nine years ago, the
sea broke its boundary, and flowed copiously into
the lake, at every tide, for a considerable time, by
which every species of fish was destroyed. So be
it, replies the facetious author of " The Rod ;" but
this fact is by no means of a conclusive nature, in
as far as there may be an essential difference in
relation to the effect upon a fish's constitution, be-
tween a forced and sudden, and a voluntary and
graduated contact with saline waters. In the latter
case, there is a physiological expectation or prepara-
tion for the change, and we doubt if even Sahnon,
so remarkable for their lono- and vivacious continu-
o
ance in both conditions of the liquid element, would
suddenly suffer a sea change with entire impunity,
or enjoy the vice versa if instantaneously transported
from Ocean's blue profound, and plunged over head
74 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
and ears into a cauldron linn. In confirmation of
this view we have the express testimony of Dr.
Parnell, that in the Solway Firth he has seen, in
the month of June, five examples of this fish taken
in salmon-nets ; and he was moreover informed by
the fishermen, that in the early parts of the season,
these fish were frequently captured after the flood.
Upon the whole, we fear that upon this point we
may still repeat what was written by the Father of
Experimental Philosophy about two hundred and
fifty years ago, " I doubt there hath not been suffi-
cient experiment made of patting sea-fish into fresh-
water ponds and pools. It is a thing of great use
and pleasure ; for so you may have them new at
some good distance from the sea : and besides, it
may be, the fish will eat the pleasanter, and may
fall to breed." {Sylva Syharum^ century 8, § 703.)
(Sp. 108.) L. vulgaris. Ihe Dace bears a
strong resemblance, both in appearance and habits
to the Roach : it is not, however, generally so large,
seldom exceeding eight or ten inches; it is also
more elongated. The colour of the upper parts is
dusky blue, pale on the sides, white on the belly ;
the iris is straw-coloured ; with the pectoral, ventral,
and anal fins almost white, but tinged with pale red.
This fish, we believe, has never been observed in
Scotland ; but it is common in England, and on
the Continent; though scarcely so much as the
Roach. It prefers the deep waters of quiet streams,
where it is lively and frolicksome : it is gregarious,
and spawns, according to Mr. Yarrell, in June. Its
GEN. LEUCISCUS. THE GRAINING. 75
flesh, tlioiTgli preferred to that of Roach, is still not
much esteemed. In some parts of England it is
known under the names of Dart and Dare.
(Sp. 109.) L. Lancastriensis. The Graining.
Mr. Pennant, we believe, was the first to direct
attention to this fish, which he found in the Mersey,
and remarked that it resembled the Dace, but was
more slender, and with a straighter back : its usual
length he found about seven inches and a half; its
colour on the back silvery, with a bluish cast ; the
iris red; also the ventral and anal fins, but paler
than those of the Dace ; the pectoral redder. The
Earl of Derby, President of the Zoological Society,
having presented some specimens of this fish to
Mr. Yarrell, from the streams in Knowsley Park,
we are supplied with some additional information
by our eminent Ichthyologist. Several of the tribu-
taries of the Mersey supply considerable numbers,
and he regards it as a distinct species. In its habits
and food it resembles the Trout, frequenting both
the rapid and the still parts of the stream ; but it is
• not known to exist in ponds. Like Dace and Trout,
it is fished with artificial flies, which it often takes
with sufficient avidity. They sometimes, but noi
commonly, exceed half a pound in weight, and are
much better eating than the Dace. Mr. Thompson
of Belfast mentions that he saw several small speci-
mens of this fish in the Learn, near Leamington ;
which M. Agassiz immediately recognized as identi-
cal with a species inhabiting some of the lakes in
76 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
Switzerland. It has never been noticed, we believe,
either in Ireland or in Scotland.
(Sp. 116.) L. cephalas. The Chub or Skelly.
This, according to Mr. Pennant, is a very coarse fish,
" I will make it, however," says Piscator, " a good
fish, by dressing;" to which Yenator responds,
" 'Tis as good meat as I ever tasted." {Apud
I. "Walton.) The Chub has a thick body, and a
broad and round snout; whence its name. The
upper jaw is the largest : the top of the head is of
a blackish brown colour ; the cheeks and gill- covers
are golden yellow; the upper part of the back
bluish black ; and the sides bluish white, passing
into silvery white on the belly. The dorsal and
caudal fins are dusky, the pectorals reddish brown,
the ventral and anal reddish white, the irides golden
yellow. Mr. Pennant states that he has known
some which have weighed upwards of five pounds,
and Salviani speaks of them as reaching eight and
nine pounds.
This fish is rather common in England and "Wales;
and Annan, in Scotland, is assigned as a habitat.
At Carlisle, and in many parts in the neighbour-
hood of the English lakes, it is called the Skelly, on
account of its large scales; while, in other parts,
the name is, not so appropriately, applied to the
Guyniad. It frequents the deep holes of rivers,
and, during the summer, commonly lies on the sur-
face, beneath the shade of some tree or bush. It is
a very timid fish, sinking to the bottom on the least
GEN. LEUCISCU8. THE RED-EYE. 77
alarm, even at the passing of a shadow, but. it will
soon resume its former position; it feeds upon
worms and insects, and will rise at a fly. Mr. Jesse
mentions that, of the fresh- water fish confined in
his Piscatorium in Bushy Park, the Chub, after the
Trout, was the most restless, being continually on
the move : at the same time, they could never resist
a cockchafi'er when thrown in their way. Dr.
Heysham, in the catalogue of Cumberland animals
affixed to Hutchison's History, states that it is
very plentiful in that county; and that the boys
make a paste of bread and some narcotic, which
they throw into the holes of the rivers they fre-
quent; this the Skelly greedily devours, becomes
intoxicated, and is thus captured in great numbers.
Broihnof it with the scales still on, is one of the best
methods of preparing it for the table.
(Sp. ]J1.) L. erythrojjhthalmus. The Red-Eye,
or Rudd. The second sub-genus of Leuciscus, ac-
cording to the Regne Animal, has the dorsal fin
placed in the interval between the ventral and anal
'fins. Four British species belong to the category,
and the first is the one just named. The name
Red-Eye has been assigned to it from the colour of
the iris ; that of Rudd is stated to be derived from
the golden coppery tint which ornaments the whole
surface. Roiid is its name in Norfolk ; Shallow in
Cambridgeshire; and it is the FinscaU of Wil-
lughby. It is a common fish on the Continent of
Europe, and also in England ; Willughby recorded
78 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
it as being found in tlie lakes of Yorkshire and
Lincolnshire, and in the river Chirwell in Oxford-
shire ; it is also common in the Thames and in other
waters near London, and in the Stour. Mr. Yarrell
mentions that he has seen some dozens together for
sale in Hungerford Market ; and Mr. Jaques, that
it is very abundant in some parts of the Cam and
in the Broads of Norfolk. Specimens are obtained
in Lough Neagh, in Ireland, where it is universally
called the Roach. Mr. Stewart has, in his Ele-
ments, catalogued it as having been met with in
Scotland ; but we have seen no satisfactory evidence
of the fact.
The body of the Red-Eye is deep, and the lower-
jaw is the longest. Its length is twelve or fourteen
inches ; and its weight almost two pounds. Its
colouring is thus minutely described by Mr, Yarrell.
The iris orange-red ; cheeks and gill-covers golden
yellow ; upper part of the back brown, tinged with
grey and blue ; the sides paler ; the belly light
golden yellow ; the whole surface of the body
tinged with a brilliant reddish golden hue, varying
when viewed in different positions in reference to
the light ; the fins more or less bright cinnabar-red,
particularly in the specimens from the Thames,
Cambridgeshire, and Lough Neagh ; dorsal and
caudal fins not so bright in the colour, as the fins of
the under surface. The Rudd is very tenacious of
life ; it is also hardy and prolific ; and is hence use-
ful as food for more favourite fish. Although using
GEN. LEUCISCUS. THE AZURINE AND BLEAK. vQ
the same food, it is much more esteemed than the
Roach. It spawns in April and May, at which
period the scales are rough to the hand.
(Sp. 112.) //. ccerideus The Azurine. For the
introduction of this species we are indebted to Mr.
Yarrell, who received it, along with the Graining,
from the Earl of Derby. It occurs in certain limited
localities in the neighbourhood of Knowsley, and in
the district receives the name of the Blue Roach.
M. Agassiz stated that this fish is an inhabitant
likewise of some of the Swiss lakes. It is hardy,
tenacious of life, and spawns in May. The flesh is
said to be firm and of good flavour. The largest
observed specimen did not exceed one pound in
weight. This fish is at once distinguished from the
Red-eye, by the slate -blue colour of the back, the
silvery white of the abdomen, its white fins ; and
by the iris being tinged a pale straw colour.
(Sp. ]13.).i/. alhurnus. The Bleak, or Blick.
The body of this species is of an elongated and nar-
row form, the forehead straight, and the lower jaw
somewhat extended; the tail much forked; in
leng-th it seldom exceeds six or eight inches. Its
colour is a light green, or ash-brown, tinged with
blue ; the sides, cheeks, gill-covers, and abdomen,
shining silvery white; the iris silvery, sometimes
tinged with yellow ; and all the fins nearly white.
It is very abundant throughout Europe, and is
common in England, being frequent in the Thames
and other rivers near London. Sibbald names it as
a native of Scotland ; but we are not aware of any
dO MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
more recent authority for its occurrence. These
iishes swim in great shoals, and spawn in May,
when their scales are rough to the touch. Their
habits are active and gay. " Of all my pets," says
Mr. Jesse, " in Bushy Park, the Bleak were the
most amusing and playful. Their activity could
not be exceeded ; and it gave me much pleasure to
see them, on a summers evening, dart at every
little fly that settled on the water near them ; ap'
pearing always restless, and yet always happy .''
This always^ however, must be taken with some
limitation. " These fish," as remarked by Mr. Pen-
nant, " seem at certain seasons to be in great ago-
nies; they tumble about near the surface of the
water, and are incapable of swimming far from the
place, but in about two hours they recover and dis-
appear." The fish, when thus affected, the Thames
fishemien call Mad-bleaks; and it is conjectured
tliat they are then peculiarly annoyed by some
parasitic animal. Aristotle alludes to a disease of
fishes of this description; but, according to him,
they rise to the surface and die.
Artificial Pearls, being made from a pigment,
either the rete mucosum or the tubercular exuda-
tion, procured from this and other allied fish, we
shall here allude to the circumstance. On the innef
cutaneous surface of the Bleak, Roach, Dace,
White-bait, and similar fishes, is found a silvery
pigment, producing the lustre which their scales
possess. The ornaments manufactured from it bore
the name of patent pearls, and their use was uni-
ARTIFICIAL PEARLS. 81
versal in the bead trade, being employed in the
manufacture of necklaces, ear-drops, &c. So great
formerly was the demand at particular times, that
the price of the quart measure of fish- scales varied
from one guinea to five. The Thames fishermen
caught the fish, took ofi* the side-scales, and threw
them immediately into the river again ; and it was
the custom of hawkers, regularly before selling any
of these fish, to set apart the scales for the bead-
makers. The method of obtaining and using the
pigment was, first, thoroughly to clean the scales by
ex])Osing them to a current of water, and then to
soak them for a time ; after which the colouring
matter was deposited. When thus procured, small
glass tubes were dipped in the pigment, and injected
into thin blown hollow glass beads, of various forms
and sizes. These were then spread upon sieves and
dried in a current of air. If greater weight and firm-
ness were required, a further injection of wax was
practised. Of this pigment the White-bait afix)rd
the most delicate and beautiful variety, and used to
obtain the highest price ; the Bleak was next in
esteem, and the Roach and Dace the least valuable.
The French were the inventors of the art; and
Dr. Listre informs us, that one artist in Paris,
during the course of the winter, used thirty ham-
per-fulls of these Bleak scales in this manufacture.
Additional details of this curious art will be found
in Mr. Yarrell's more ample pages.
(Sp. 114.) L. jyhoxinus. The IMinnow or Pink
We have alreadv had occasion to allude to this pretty
82 MALACOP. ABDU3I. CARP FAMILY.
little fish, in relation both to the varying colours it
assumes and the jDarasitic fungi to which it some-
times becomes the victim (Yol. I. pp. 80, 85, and
89). It is common on the continent of Europe, in
England, and the southern parts of Scotland; Dr.
Parnell remarking that it does not seem to exist in
the northern parts of the country, as not a single
specimen was observed by the party of Naturalists
who lately visited the different lakes and rivers in
Sutherlandshire. It is, however, found in some of
the tributaries of the Dee, becoming more plentiful
as we advance southwards. It inhabits all the
rivers entering the Forth, among others the Water
of Leith, and is very common around Edinburgh.
Besides rivers, it also frequents brooks, canals, and
ditches, preferring generally gravelly bottoms, and
swimming in shoals in trouting streams. It usually
makes its appearance in March and disappears in
October, seeming to delight in warmth and sunshine.
The winter months appear to be passed under the
sheltering banks, or buried beneath the gravel. Its
habits are active and amusing. A gentleman on
one occasion, crossing a brook, saw from a foot-
bridge, something like a flower, near the bottom.
Observing it attentively, he remarks, I found that
it consisted of a circular assemblage of minows, their
heads all meeting in the centre, and their tails di-
verging at equal distances. One was larger than
the rest, and when any straggler came in sight, he
quitted his place in pursuit, and having driven it
away, returned to his place, no other minnow offer-
GEN. COBITIS. THE LOACH. 83
ing to take it in his absence. This I saw, he adds,
several times. The cause of attraction was a dead
minnow, which they seemed to be devouring. Like
the Gold-fish, they are often imprisoned in a glass
vase, where they are easily tamed, and taught to
pick flies and filaments of beef from the hand. Even
here they are active and sportful, but never outlive
three years. In the county of Devon, it is not an
uncommon occurrence, by making small bays, and
by the aid of a net, to procure from a peck to a peck
and a half of these fish in an hour. They are consi-
dered very palatable, being sweet and well flavoured,
equalling any fresh- water fish as food, being cooked
whole. Isaac Walton's receipt, however, reads dif-
ferently. Being washed well in salt, and their heads
and tails cut ofl', and being gutted, they are fried,
with yoke of eggs, the flowers of cowslips, and of
primroses, and a little tansy. Thus used, he adds,
they make a dainty dish of meat.
Gen. LYII. Cobitis. — This genus has the head
small, the body elongated, clad with small scales,
and bedewed with a thick mucous secretion; the
ventrals are placed far back, and over them there is
a single small dorsal. The mouth is small, without
teeth, but with lips capable of sucking, and fur-
nished with barbules. The air-bladder is enclosed
in a bony sheath. Three species are enumerated in
the Regne Animal as European; no less than
twenty-three are catalogued by Mr. M'Lelland, as
discovered in India. {Loc. cit. viii.) Two species
only are known as British.
84 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
(Sp. 115.) C. harlatula. The Loach, Loche, or
Beardie. This species will be always readily distin-
guished by the snout being furnished with six cirri,
and the nose being destitute of spines. The head,
body, and sides, are clouded and spotted with browTi
upon a yellowish white ground ; the under surface
is white ; all the fins are spotted with dark brown ;
the iris is blue. It is common in Europe, including
England and Scotland ; and it has been noticed in
the county of Dublin. It prefers streams where the
bottom is gravelly and covered with large stones,
under which it lurks, and so being often overlooked,
it is sometimes considered scarce ; it seldom exceeds
four inches in length : it feeds upon worms and
aquatic insects, spawns early in spring, and is very
prolific. When the rivers become muddy, says Dr.
Parnell, and much increased in size by rain, these
iish leave the middle of the streams, and seek re-
fuge under the banks and small tufts of grass, where
they are taken in nets by anglers, and are prized ag
bait for Trout. They seldom move three inches cut
of their way to take a bait, however tempting, but
seize it with great eagerness when placed before
t'leir nose. They are often eaten as a dainty morsel,
a ad by some are said to rival the minnow as food.
They are occasionally preserved in the same manner
as anchovies, and considered superior both in flavour
and richness. On account of the high estimation in
which they are held, they are frequently transported
to some parts of Europe, with considerable trouble,
for the waters they naturally inhabit, to waters
GEN. COBITIS. THE SPINED LOACH. 85
sontiguous to the estates of the wealthy. Thus
Linnaeus, in his Fauna Suesicca, mentions that
Frederick I., king of Sweden, had them brought
from Germany and naturalized in his own coun-
try.
(Sp. 116.) C tcLnia^ Linn., Bloch, Cuv. ; Botia
taenia^ Gray, Yarrell. The spined Loach or Ground-
ling. It will be perceived that Mr. Yarrell, whose
able arrangement we wish generally to follow, has
adopted Mr. Gray's suggestion of separating the
Loaches with suborbital spines from those which
are destitute of these singular appendages. To this
we in the mean time demur, fearing w^e should
otherwise have to retrace our steps ; and this on
the ground that Mr. JM'Lelland, who, in the native
haunts of the family, has assiduously been studying
and most successfully arranging it, rejects the pro-
posal, and has resorted to another classification,
which, in all probability, will ere long be universally
adopted. He divides the old genus into two sub-
genera, Colitis propria^ with the caudal fin entire ;
and Sc/iistura, when it is divided into two lobes, or
is bifid, as in the ordinary Cyprines ; other impor-
tant items, such as the internal structure, as well as
the colouring, marking the distinction. The pro-
portion of the ascertained species in India is twelve
of the former to fourteen of the latter.
This fish is much less common in Britain than
the preceding. It was introduced into our Fauna
by Berkenhout, as residing in the Trent, and in
lakes and ponds. Turton mentions that it is found
86 MALACOP. ABDOM. CARP FAMILY.
in the clear streams of Wiltshire, and Mr. Jenyns
has met with it in considerable numbers in the Cam,
and in fish-ponds at Ely ; Mr. Thompson, also, has
found it in Warwickshire- Its existence in Scotland
has by no means been satisfactorily ascertained, Dr.
Parnell only saying, I rather think that a specimen
came under my observation in the Teith, but I
failed in obtaining it. The form of the body is more
elongated, slender, and compressed, than that of the
Barbatula; the nose more pointed; the pectorals
longer and narrower. The colours are similar ; but a
row of dark spots, ranged along the sides, is more
conspicuous. It seldom exceeds three inches in
length ; it spawns in April or May, depositing its
ova amoD^ stones at tne Dottom of the stream.
XIV. THE PIKE FAMILY. ESOCID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. — Gen. 5, Sp. 6
Gen. 59. Esox. . St^. 1 17. Rluciits. . The Pike.
60. Belone. . lis. B.violgans. . The Garfish.
61. ScOMBERESOX. 1\9. S. saunis. . The Saury-pike,
62. Hemiramphus. 120. II. EuropcBiis The Half Beak.
63. ExociLus . . 121. RvoUtans. . The Flying-fish.
122. E. exiliens. The Great Do.
The second family of Order II. of the Osseous
Fishes, Malacojytergii Aldominales.^ is distinguished
by being destitute of an adipose fin, by having its
upper jaw formed by the intermaxillary bone, and,
when this is not the case, by the maxillary itself
being without teeth, and hid in the substance of the
lip. The fishes belonging to it are voracious ; their
intestine is short and without caeca ; and all of them
have an air-bladder. Many of them ascend rivers.
All that are knoAvn, with one exception, the Micros-
toma., have the dorsal fin opposite the anal one. It
is composed of many genera, not half of which have
representatives in the British seas. The first we
mention belongs to the
Gen. LIX. Esox. — The Proper Pikes are charac-
terized by small intennaxillary bones in the upper
jaw ; of which they form two-thirds, and which are
armed with small pointed teeth, while the maxil-
laries on the sides have none ; the vomer, palatals,
88 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
tongue, pharynx, and gill-arches, are also studded
with small teeth ; and upon the side of the lower
jaw there is a row of long pointed teeth. Their
muzzle is oblong, obtuse, broad, and depressed.
They have but one dorsal fin, which is opposite the
anal ; their air-bladder is very large. Europe pos-
sesses only one species of this genus ; Africa and
Asia are more productive, and several species are
catalogued by Dr. Richardson as belonging to North
America. Our Common Pike is one of these, but it
is confined to the eastern side of the rocky moun-
tains.
^Sp. 117-) E. lucius. The Common Pike ; Jack ;
Pick well ; Luce ; Gidd. " The Shark of the fresh
waters." (Lacepede.) Numerous are the appel-
lations which have been applied to the Pike, upon
which, however, it is unnecessary to dwell. The
term Jack is applied to the young fish under a
foot or two feet in length. Liice^ or Lucie, from
the Latin Lucius, has long been used in English
literature, and is the Lucia of heraldry. The epithets
which have been applied to it, such as the Fresh-
water Shark, by Lacepede; the Tyrant of Fresh-
waters, by Walton, express its well-marked and
most striking trait.
On the specific characters of a fish so familiarly
known, it is unnecessary to enlarge. Its body ig
elongated, and nearly uniform in depth from the
head to the commencement of the dorsal fin. The
surface is covered with minute scales, and the
lateral line is indistinct : the dorsal fin is placed
GEN. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. 89
very far back, and begins in a vertical line above
the vent ; the pectoral and ventral fins are small ;
the caudal rays long and forked. The head is
elongated and depressed, the gape wide ; the teeth
in the vomer are small, those in the palatines larger,
those of the lower jaw the largest. The colour of
the head and upper part of the back is a dusky
olive-browTi, becoming lighter and mottled with
green and yellow on the sides, passing into silvery
white on the abdomen: the pectoral and ventral
fins are pale brown, the dorsal, anal, and caudal
somewhat darker, and mottled with w^hite, yellow,
and dark green; the iris yellow. When in high
condition Mr. Pennant states that their colouring
is very fine, being spotted with bright yellow which
often assumes a golden brilliancy; when out of
season the green changes to grey, and the yellow
spots turn pale. In certain waters, the fish becomes
yellow, with black spots, when it is called the
King of the Pikes, and is much esteemed ; and ac-
cording to Schwenckfeld, some are perfectly white.
They spawn in spring, the exact period differing
according to their age and the temperature. At
that season those w^hich are in lakes and ponds try
to ascend the rivers and approach the shore ; and
at this time the parent fish are so much occupied,
and so inattentive to every thing else, that they
may be almost caught with the hand.
The Pike has a very extensive distribution, being
well known over the greater part of Europe and
Asia: concerning America, Dr. Richardson states
90 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
that it is the only fresh- water fish which is im--
doubtedly common to the two continents; and it
is curious that it is unknown to the westward of
the Rocky Mountains, wpon the coast that ap-
|>roaches nearest to the Old World. It is very
familiarly known throughout the British Isles, pre-
ferring rivers of a sluggish character, but also thriv-
ing in lakes and ponds. It is a great feeder, and
is said thus to grow fast, and speedily to attain a
considerable size. Bloch says that the young reach
the length of eight or ten inches in the course of
their first year, to twelve or fourteen in their second,
and to eighteen or twenty in their third, and there
are proofs on record that from this last size. Pike, if
well suj3plied with food, will grow at the rate of
four pounds a year for six or seven successive years.
Pliny considered the Pike as the longest lived, and
likely to attain the largest size of any fresh-water
fish. From two to three feet is a common size ;
and it often reaches a much greater. Mr. Pennant
mentions that the largest fish of this species he had
ever heard of in England weighed thirty-five pounds,
although the one mentioned by Dr. Plat, as taken
in the Thames, which measured an ell and two
inches, that is, forty-five inches, or almost fom' feet,
must have weighed much more. (Plat's Hist, of
Stafi'ordshire, 246, a. Walton, 136.) Mr. Yarrell
states that Pike have been killed in Horsea Mere
from twenty-eight to thirty-four pounds each. la
Scotland these dimensions have sometimes been
doubled. Dr. Grierson mentions one killed in Locli
GEX. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. 91
Ken wliicli weiohed sixty-one pounds (The Rod,
61 ) , and Dr. Buslinan has already related, in the
second volume of this Series, that Colonel Thornton,
of sporting celebrity, caught one by trolling in Loch-
Awe, after a struggle of one hour and a quarter,
which weighed fifty pounds : it measured exactly
four feet four inches from eye to fork, and, jaws
und tail included, could scarcely be less than five
feet. " So dreadful a forest of teeth or tusks," ex-
claims the Colonel, " T think I never beheld :" also
that another was taken in a loch in Galloway of the
enormous size of seventy-two pounds, which the
Doctor understands rose at an artificial fly (Nat.
Lib. Ichthy. ii. 202) ; while Mr. Selby states " we
have seen a record of a Pike taken in Loch-Lomond
of seventy-nine pounds weight (Mag. of Zool. and
Bot. 391.) Some of the Irish lakes are said to
have afibrded Pikes of equal dimensions ; and in
colder countries they appear to attain a still greater
size. Those of four or five feet, says Mr. Griffith,
are not rare in the numerous lakes of the north of
Europe, and in the great rivers of the north of Asia ;
and Dr. Brand, on his estate near Berlin, caught
one which measured seven feet in length (Loc. cit.
p. 467) ; the largest of those taken in Lapland, ac-
cording to Dr. Schoeffer, as quoted by Pennant,
extend sometimes to eight feet ; they are dried and
exported in great quantities ; while Bloch examined
the skeleton of one which could not, in his estima-
tion, have been at all less ; and finally, in the Lon-
don newspapers for the year 17^5, it was stated
-^2 MALACOP. ABnOM. PIKE FAMILY.
that at the Lillishall Limeworks, near Newport, a
pool about nine yards deep, which had not been
fished for ages, was drained, when an enormous
Pike was drawn up, amidst hundreds of spectators ;
it weighed 170 lbs., and was thought to be th«
largest ever seen.
The Longevity of this fish also is very remark-
able. Rzacz nski, as quoted by Pennant, tells us
of one which was ninety years old; and the extra-
ordinary story relatf^d by Gesner, thanks to his
respectability, has ever since been faithfully copied,
not to say credited, by nearly all subsequent Ich-
thyologists. It runs thus : — That, in the year 1499,
a Pike was taken near Hailbrun, in Suabia, with a
brazen ring affixed to it (of which a representation
is given in Gesner), in which were these words in
Greek characters, " I am a fish which was first of
all put into this lake, by the hands of the Governor
of the universe, Frederick II., the 5th of October,
1233;" whence it was inferred that it was 264
years old ; and it was said to weigh 350 lbs. (Sir J.
Hawkins, a. Walton, p. 134.) One would naturally
feel incredulous on the point ; but Gesner adds that
its skeleton was long preserved at Manheim as a
great curiosity.
That it is a great feeder, has been allowed, and
the stories of its boldness and voracity are quite ex-
traordinary. The appetite, says Mr. Jesse, of one of
my pike?, five pounds weight, in the preserve of
Bushy Park was almost insatiable. One morning
I threw to him, one after another, five roach, each
GEN. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. 93
of about four inches In length. He swallowed four
of them, and kept the fifth in his mouth for about
a quarter of an hour, when it also disai:)peared.
Eight pike, of about five pounds each, tenanted this
preserve, and out of eight hundred gudgeons which
were counted into the reservoir, there were scarcely
any to be seen at the end of three weeks, though
some Barbel and Perch probably had their share.
Old Bowlker gives a still more striking illustration
of this trait, as follows. *' My father caught a pike
in Barn-meer Cheshire, an ell long, (three feet nine
inches), and of thirty-five pounds weight, which he
brought to Lord Cholmonly, who ordered it to be
turned into a canal in the garden, wherein weie
abundance of several sorts of fish. About twelve-
months afterwards, the canal was drawn, and thi&
pike was found to have devoured all the fish except
a large carp, of between nine and ten pounds weighty
and it was bitten in several places. The pike was
then put into the canal again, together with abun-
dance of fish, all of which he devoured in less than
a year's time; and he was then observed to take
ducks and other water-fowl under water; whereupon
they shot magpies and crows, which the pike took
before their eyes ; being soon after neglected, he
died, as supposed, from want of food." Frogs, water-
rats, water-hens, and other fowl, often become its
prey. In default, says Mr. Yarrell, of a sufficient
quantity of other fishes to satisfy them, moor-hens,
ducks, and indeed any animal of small size, whether
alive or dead, are constantly consumed.
94 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
And their boldness in all this is astonishing. " I
have seen," says Mr. Jesse, " one follow a bait within
a foot of the spot where I have been standing."
" Upon one occasion," says Mr. Colqnhoun, " when
playing a good sized trout in Loch Dronkie, an
enormous pike made several dashes, and at last suc-
ceeded in seizing it. I used every effort to frighten
him away ; but so determined was he, that, though
I could see him quite plainly in shallow water, with
my trout held across his tremendous jaws, he would
rot be beat off; and at last when kicking the water,
I strained my line, he gave a plunge, broke my rod,
and escaped with his prey." (The Moor and the
Loch, 114). But they are even more bold than
this. Major Payne, now residing at Weybridge in
Surrey, says Mr. Jesse, informed me that, walking
one day by the side of the river Wey, he saw a large
pike in a shallow creek. He immediately pulled off
his coat, tucked up his sleeves, and went into the
water to interoepi tke return of the fish to the river,
and to endeavour to throw it upon the bank, by get-
ting his hand beneath it. During the attempt, the
pike finding he could not make his escape, seized
one of the major's arms, and lacerated it pretty con-
siderably. With a well known facetious writer on
Natural History, we add, " we think the fish was
right." Mr. Jesse, moreover, states that the head-
keeper of Richmond Park, assured him he was one
day washing his hand at the side of a boat, in the
great pond in that park, when a pike made a dart
at it, and he had but just time to withdraw it.
GEN. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. 95
Hence we are not to wonder if washer- women^ in
following their avocation in the water, are sometimes
assailed by this greedy fish. And if thus they do
not respect the lord liimself of this lower world, we
cannot be surprised tliat the lower animals fare
worse. " I have been assured," says I. AValton, " by
my friend Mr. Seagrave, who keeps the otters, that
he has known a Pike, in extreme hunger, fight with
one of his otters for a carp which the otter had
caught, and was then bringing out of the water.
My authority, he adds, is a person of credit, and I
conclude with the wise saw, that it is a hard thing
to persuade the belly, because it has no ears." " At
Lord Gower's canal at Trentham, as Mr. Pennant
was assured on good authority, a Pike seized the
head of a swan as she was feeding under water, and
gorged so much of it, as killed both. The servant
perceiving the swan with its head under water for
a longer time than usual, took the boat, and found
both swan and Pike dead."
With such a foe as this fresh-water wolf, even
the fox may be entrapped. " A cub fox drinking
out of the river Arnus, in Italy, had his head seized
by a mighty Pike, so that neither could free himself
but were engrappled together. During the contest,
a young man runs into the water, takes them out
both alive, and carries them to the palace of the
Duke of Florence, hard by. (Apud Walton). And
once more, we have the tale of the poor mule,
" which it has been known to pull into the water by
its nose ! !" So says our facetious author j and it is
\fii MALACOJ'. AiihOyi. I'iKE FAM/LV.
a pity certainly t^> »poJl W) ;(ood a Htory. Whrro }j(?
got tJ)i« vnrHum of tlj*.* iiici'lcrit wo krjow not; but
mfn'iJiHi it wc inubt ]mi fhat of old 0<.'Krjor, as pro-
bably cojnirj;^ nearer the mark. " JfiH dovourin;^
JtHpOhition i« ho keen, that a rnan j^oinj^ to a pond
U) water hi« niule, bad the l'ik<: bite Ijih mule by
tbe Jiph; to whielj the Pike bu/ig so fant, that the
mule drew lii/n out of the water, and by tijat .'Uici-
dent the- owner of i\i<: njiile angled out tbe Pike."
'J bJH cxin.tii'; voraeity of tbe Pike maken it a
^JueHtion Ijow i'-.ir it in exp<;di<:nf, to introduce it
into pn/'«erve,s alon;^ with other fi;sb ; and many
liave adviv,'d it hhould be earefiilly excluded and
renjovcd. 'i'bih, however, we l>eli(;ve i« carrying
tbe matt<;r too far. Willi reH[jeet to natural wa-
t<;r«, bear Mr. Colquboun'H Hennible remnrkH: —
*'M;iny people think a loeh injiired by Pike : on
the (;ontrary ; unleHM vc.ry nuni<;rouH, I have* h<:\-
donj heen one worth iinhing without them. If
a man pre'f<;rH killin;^ ei^^bt or nin(; doy.<-n, with
scarcely a half-pounder anion;^ them, to a dozen fine
trout, from Ijalf a pound to three pounds w<;ipjbt,
then be may <;ount the i'ik'; bin <;neniy ; but tbe
latter feat will both better prove bin hkill, a/id afford,
him much Letter Hport. 'J'he* n^anon why your trout
are alwayn large when; then? are I*ik<! in obvioiiH ;
the Hmall i'ly are al way« <]<;vour<;d by th<; latter, and
tbe others having mon; l'oo<l, inereaH<3 in nmi. A
b;w yearn a^'o lioclj Katrine wm cbokc-full of very
Hjnall tjout, which liavc gradually become larger
•ixice Pike buvc hcuii introduced ; and now, two or
GEN. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. I J
Itiree dozen fine red trout may be taken in a day."
(L. c. 113). These enlightened views, thus reached
by the sagacious sportsman, coincide with those of
the scientific breeder ; and accordingly, Mr. Boccius
directs that to every acre of water, you put in twu
l)undred brood carp, twenty brood tench, twenty
jack, all of one season's spawn ; the jack with all
its voracity being absolutely necessary to cheek un-
due increase, whereby deficiency of food would create
a famine and impoverish all.
The relative power of the Pike, Walton's tyrant
of fresh water fishes, and the salmon, his king of
fishes, is different from what, considering the formi-
dable armour and furious character of the former,
we should be led to infer. Thus, we are informed
by Mr. Mudie, editor of the English edition of the
Regne Animal, that it is generally said, that not-
withstanding the havoc which the Pike commits
among smaller fishes, it will not stand the attack
of a trout of equal weight, the immense velocity of
the latter fish in swimming giving it a decided ad-
vantage. (L. c. 315).
In Mr. Yarrell's admirable work will be found a
detailed account of the method of fishing Pike with
trimmers, or liggers, as they are provincially called,
" affording great diversion," in Ilorsea Mere and
Ileigham Sounds, covering a surface of about six hun-
dred acres, in Norfolk, and which in four days' sport
produced two hundred and fifty- six Pikes, weign-
ing together eleven hundred and thirty- five poundsii
Substantially the same method is sometimes prac-
a
98 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
tised in the Scotch lochs. " Set lines," says Mr. Co]«-
quhoun, " is the most deadly way to capture Pike,
and this eitlier with a long line with many hook?,
or with single hooks fixed to a hottle, or other
equal buoyant float. After very tightly corking the
bottles, and fastening the cord to them, long, accord-
ing to the depth of the water, fix your baited hook.
The best time for this amusement is on one of those
delicious evenings with scarcely a breath of air,
when the shadow of the mountain becomes more
imposing on the unrippled loch, and twilight be-
gins to steal over the scene. Let the hour of the
beetle be your warning bell. Having arranged your
tackle, place them orderly in a light two-oared boat,
and row to the weedy bay. You will now drop
khem, one by one, about twenty yards apart, out-
side the weeds, between the shallow and the deep.
The Pike has been basking all the sultry day in the
shalloAYs, and are just emerging from their grey
covering in search of food. The first object that ar-
rests their hungry eyes and craving stomachs is
your tantalizing bait, suspended at such a distance
from the surface as to excite no apprehension, and
perfectly still. With avidity it is seized and pouched ;
down goes the bottle : scarcely perhaps has it dis-
appeared, when another follows its example; and
it is nothing uncommon to have four or five all bub-
bling up and down at the same time. ' The sport*
now begins, the angler stretching to his oars, first
after one, then another, as they alternately rise and
smk. If large Pike are hooked, they will often
GEN. ESOX. THE COMMON PIKE. 99
keep their tormentor under water for an hour at a
time ; and to rim the ichole down is no contemptible
evening's exercise. I have also heard, says the same
intelligent writer, of tying baited hooks to the legs
of geese, and turning them adrift: w^hen the Pike
seizes the bait, the goose begins to flap its wings,
and there is often * considerable sport' in the strug-
gle." Here then, we have severally " sport, con-
siderable sport, and great diverson," with tlie goose,
bottle, and ligger, at the expense of the poor Pike,
which, however, it has often been demonstrated !
feels no pain ! ! On such sport we have already
A^entured to express our sentiments.
As an article of food, the merits of the Pike have
been much disputed. Edward I. fixed its value
in England higher than that of fresh salmon, and
more, ten times told, than that of the best turbot
or cod. In the reign of Henry VIII. again, a large
Pike sold for double the price of a house-lamb in
February, and a Pickerel for more than a fat capon.
" "We do not think highly of its flesh," says the
author of The Rod : by some, says the author of
the second volume of our series, it is esteemed supe-
rior even to salmon : " to do the Pike justice," says
the Doctor, " we seldom tasted a more delicious
fish." Season, condition, and the culinary art have,
we believe, more influence than is generally con-
ceded them. Upon the last article, old Isaac Wal-
ton is kind enough to communicate one of his rare
secrets ; " If the direction to catch a fish do you no
good, yet I am certain the direction how to roast
100 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
him v/hen he is cauglit is choicely good, for I ha^'e
tried it. First open your Pike at the gills, and gut
him ; keep his liver, with which shred thyme, sweet
marjoram, and a little winter savoury ; to these put
some pickled oysters and some anchovies, two or
three ; to these you add sweet-butter and salt ;
these must be used as stuffing : then he is spitted
and roasted very leisurely, often basted with claret,
anchovies, and butter." But we cannot get through
this long rigmarole, and conclude with the summa-
tion. " This dish of meat is much too good for any
but anglers or very honest men ; I trust you will
prove both, and therefore I have trusted you with
the secret."
Gen. LX. Belone. — The head and body of this
genus are greatly elongated, and the latter is covered
within minute scales ; both jaws are much pro-
duced, and armed with numerous teeth ; the dorsal
fin is placed over the anal, and both are entire.
The genus is somewhat numerous throughout the
ocean, though its existence in the American seas
does not appear to be quite ascertained : some reach
the length of eight feet, and are said to bite very
severely. One species is familiarly known in Euro-
pean and British seas ; it is
(Sp. 118.) B. vulgaris. The Gar-fish, Sea-pike^
Mackerel-guide^ is by no means uncommon round
the shores of the British islands, apparently some-
what more abundant towards the north : it is also
well known in the Baltic. Dr. Parnell informs us
that it visits the Firth of Forth in large shoals.
GEN. BELONE. THE GAR-FISH. 101
about the beginning of July, in company with the
Mackerel, and remains till the end of August. It
attains the length of two, sometimes three feet. In
the young the jaws are of equal length ; when full
grown, the lower becomes the more projecting ; the
tail is forked. The upper parts of the body are of
a dark greenish blue mackerel-tint, becoming lighter
towards the sides, which, with the abdomen, are sil-
very white ; the iris is pale yellow. The greater
length of the upper jaw is produced by an elonga-
tion of the intermaxillary bones, and the gape is ex-
tensive, both jaws separating simultaneously. Ac-
cordino- to Mr. Couch, this fish swims near the
surface at all distances from land, and is seen not
imfrequently to spring out of its native element ; its
vivacity being such that it will for a long time play
about a floating straw, and leap over it many times
in succession. In the Forth it is caught both by
the net and hook, and it is sometimes found in the
haddock-lines, which are baited with mussels. Mr.
Couch adds, that when it is taken by the hook, it
mounts to the surface, often before the fishermen
have felt the bite ; and there, with its slender body
half out of the water, struggles with the most vio-
lent contortions to wrench the hook from its hold.
It emits a strong smell when newly caught. The
f dlowing method of fishing the Belone, in the Ionian
Islands, was communicated to Mr. Yarrell by ]\Ir.
L. H. Tonna. A small triangular raft is formed of
three pieces of bamboo, each a foot and a half long ;
a little thwart is inserted, in which a small mast is
i02 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
fixed ; it is then rigged with a latine sail, shrowds,
&c., in imitation of the boats of the country. The
risherniaii taking his station on a projecting rock,
with deep water along side, and an off-shore breeze,
commits his little raft to the wind, carrying with it
a line of thirty or forty fathoms in length. A float
is fixed at about every fathom, and from each float
depends a fine hair line, with a baited hook. When
the Belone bites, he draws the float down violently
once, and then seems quietly to resign himself to his
fate. The fishermen waits till ten or twelve are
hooked ; he then hauls in his raft, relieves it of its
freight, and again launches it for another cruise. I
once, says Mr. Tonna, saw a boy catch fifty or
sixty in this way in half an hour.
A curious circumstance connected with this fish
is, that its bones are green. Many authors seem to
think that this is the result of boiling ; but Cuvier
states that in the whole genus the bones are re-
markable for their beautiful green colour, which is
inherent, and independent either of cooking or of
transudation from any neighbouring part. This
colour sometimes excites a prejudice against the fish
as aliment; and tastes, moreover, seem to vary.
Considerable quantities, remarks ]\Ir. Yarrell, are
eaten in London, some from curiosity ; but the
larger portion from the moderate price at which
they are sold. The flesh partakes of the flavour of
the Mackerel, but is drier. In the Edinburgh mar-
ket, again, " they are considered by many persons
to be superior to the Mackerel for food, being firmer
GEN. SCOMBERESOX THE SAURY-PIKE. 103
and whiter in tlic flesh, and possessing much of the
same flavour." Cuvier says, " Quil donne un bo7i
inanger!'
Gen. LXI. Scomberesox. — This genus resembles
the former in the length of its snout, its general
shape, and its scales ; but the last rays of the dorsal
and anal fins are detached and form spurious fins
on the upper and under sides, as on the Mackerel,
Some species are catalogued by Dr. Richardson as
occurring on the North American coast ; one only
is known in the British. It is
(Sp. 119.) S.saurus. The Saury-pike, or Skipper,
is known in the JMediterrauean as well as on the
Western Atlantic shores. In Britain it seems pre-
eminently a migratory fish, appearing usually in the
autumn, in vast abundance at one time, and very
sparingly, or not at all, at others. Its shape, gene-
rally, is like that of the Gar-fish. In size it averages
from a foot to eighteen inches. The dorsal fin has
five and the anal eight spurious fins ; the snout is
fine, slightly curved upwards, and toothless; the
' lower jaw being the longest ; the body is smooth,
and the scales thin. All the fins are small, the
dorsal being far down the back. " The colour of
the back is a lovely azure blue, changing to grey,
and glossed with purple and yellow ; the lower part
silvery." Mr. Pennant mentions that great numbers
of these fish were thrown ashore on the sands of
Leith, after a great storm in November 1768; and
Mr. Low states, that in 1774, such a glut of them
set into Kerston Bay, Orkney, that they could be
104 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
caught in pailfuls, and many were thrown ashore^
No one remembered such a thing happening before*
Dr. Neill states that they are not uncommon in the
north of Scotland ; and almost every autumn, they
enter the Forth in considerable shoals. According
to the Doctor, it is a stupid, inactive fish. " When
they run up our Firth in numbers, they do not,
like other fishes, retire from the shallows at the
ebbing of the tide, but are then found by hundreds,
having their long nose stuck in the sledge." Dr.
Parnell mentions that of late years not a single spe-
cimen has been observed in the Firth. They are
sometimes seen off Berwick and Yarmouth, on the
east coast, and occasionally on the southern. The
following account of the habits of this fish is from
the pen of Mr. Couch, who has so frequently laid
the lovers of Natural History under obligation by
his interesting details. " It does not swim deep in
the water ; and in its harmless manners resembles
the Flying-fish, as well as in the persecution it ex-
periences from the ravenous inhabitants of the ocean,
and the method it adopts to escape from their pur-
suit. It is gregarious, and is sometimes seen to rise
to the surface in large shoals, and flit over a con-
siderable space. But the most interesting spectacle,
and that which displays their greatest agility, is
when they are followed by a company of Porpoises,
or their still more active and persevering enemies the
Tunny and Bonito. Multitudes then mount to the
surface and crowd on each other, as they press for-
ward. When still more closely pursued, they singly
GEN. HEMIRAMPHUS, THE HALF-BEAK. 105
spring to the height of several feet, leap over each
other in singular confusion, and again sink beneath.
Still further urged, they mount again and rush along
the surface, by repeated starts, for more than a
hiradred feet, without once dipping beneath, or
scarcely seeming to touch the water. At last the
pursuer springs after them, usually across their
course; and again they all disappear together. — .
Some mnst fall a prey to the enemy ; but as many
hunt in company, it must be long before the pur-
suit is abandoned." (Apud Yarrell.)
Gen. LXII. Hemiramphus. — This genus is cha-
racterised by small teeth in both jaws, the upper one
being very short, the lower long, prolonged into &
semi-beak which is without teeth : in other respects
it resembles the genus Belone. It abounds in tro-
pical seas; but, with the exception of the young
fry, no specimen has been seen, according to Mr.
Yarrell, in the Mediterranean, the Channel, nor the
Northern Seas ; and Dr. Richardson affirms that
none have been detected on the shores of North
America. Is tne statement of Mr. Mudie, that a
stray individual is occasionally met with on the
shores of Endand, nothino- more than an inference ?
(Late English edit, of Regno Animal.)
(Sp. 120.) H. EuropcBus. The European Hemi-
ramphus or Half- beak has very properly been intro-
duced conditionally into our scientific catalogue by
Mr. Yarrell, up m the authority of Mr. Couch,
who met with this small fish (Linn. Transactions,
vol, xiv.); and upon a communication sent to
106 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
hira by Dr. Claik of Ipswich, in 1837- The facta
are soon stated : Mr. Couch captured, in the har-
bour of Palperro, in July 1818, a little fish which
was swimming with agility near the surface of the
water, and which he conceived might be the Hemi-
ramjjhus Brasiliensis of Cuvier. It was an inch in
length, with the head somewhat flattened at top;
the upper jaw short and pointed ; the lower much
protruded, the mouth opening obliquely downwards,
although the part of the lower jaw which protruded
beyond the upper, passed straight forward in a right
line with the top of the head; the body was com-
pressed, lengthened, and resembled that of the Gar-
fish : it had one dorsal, and anal fin, placed far back,
• and opposite each other ; the tail was straight ; the
colour of the back bluish green, spotted ; the abdo -
men silvery. It was in August 1837 that Mr. Clark,
when examining the sea-shore between Harwich
and Orford, observed a shoal consisting of myriads
of small fish between one and two inches long,
which he took to be the young of the Garfish. This
conclusion, however, on further examination, was
discovered to be incorrect, the fry of the Garfish,
when measuring only one inch, being found with
jaws of equal length : they therefore belonged to a
species of Hemiramphus, whose precise species how-
ever, from their minute size, it is perhaps impossible
to determine ; whilst their great abundance in a pool
left by the receding tide, makes it evident they must
have been deposited and vivified in the neighbour-
ing shores. These are the only instances in which
GEN. EXOCILUS. THE FLYING-FISH. lO*)
the fish has been observed in Britain, and Mr. Yar-
rell, for distinction-sake, has proposed it shall be
called Hemiramphiis Europoeus.
Mr. Swainson mentions that he has examined
one of this species in a fresh state, captured we pre-
sume in tropical seas ; and detected a singular pecu-
liarity, hitherto unnoticed. On the sides of the
lower jaw, there is a thin membranaceous fringe or
skin, very delicate, and which is half the breadth of
the jaw itself. The jaw itself, he contends, is thus
used neither to secure its food, for its point is obtuse,
nor to burrow in the sand, for then this membrane
would be immediately destroyed. Like the other
members of the same family, it probably obtains its
food upon or near the surface of the water ; and it
is certainly curious that there is a genus of birds —
Rhyncops — whose mouth or bill is similarly con-
structed, and which skims along the surface of the
sea, to feed upon the minute creatures which have
here their appropriate habitat. Hence the inference
that these are fishes which habitually feed in the
^ame manner, and upon the same description of ani-
mals. (In Lardner, Cycl., Fishes, i. 301).
Gen. LXIII. Exocilus. The fishes belonging
to this genus are at once distinguished from the
others of the order by their immense pectoral fins,
enabling them to support themselves in the air for a
short time. They are possessed of scales, and are
somewhat keel-shaped on the flanks ; their head is
flat above, and compressed laterally ; the dorsal fin
is above the anal; the eye large; both jaws are
108 MALACOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
furnished with teeth, their pharynx with pavement
ones ; their air-bladder is very large, and the lower
lobe of the tail much longer than the upper. They
abound in all the seas of warm climates.
The flights of these beautiful little fish, principally
occasioned by their efforts to escape from their
many foes, — larger fishes, and Dolphins, and Por-
poises below the wave, and marine birds of prey
above them — ^having often excited the attention of
voyagers and occasionally of naturalists, we shall
adduce a few notices concerning them by the latter
class of gentlemen. Mr. George Bennett, in his
Wanderings in New South Wales, observes " I have
never been able to see any percussion of the pectoral
fins during flight ; and the greatest length of time I
have seen these volatile fisli on the Jin has been
thirty seconds by the watch, and their longest flight,
mentioned by Capt. Hall, has been two hundred
yards, though he thinks that subsequent observation
has extended the space. The most usual height of
the flight, as seen above the surface of the water, is
from two to three feet ; but I have known them
come on board at the height of fourteen feet and
upwards ; and they have been well ascertained to
come into the channels of a line-of-battle ship, which
is as high as twenty feet and upwards. It must not
however, be supposed that they have the power of
elevating themselves in the air after they have left
their native element ; for, on watcliing them, I have
often seen them fall much below the elevation at
which they first rose from the water, but never, in
GEN. EXOCILUS. THE FLYING-FISH. 109
■one instance, could I observe tliem raise themselves
from the height to which they first sprang ; for I
regard the elevation they take to depend on the
power of the first spring or leap they make." Dr.
Bennett here agrees with other naturalists that the
movement is mainly to be considered as a vigorous
spring or vault, which is subsequently sustained by
the fins or wings as by a parachute. Mr. Swainson
has had numerous opportunities of witnessing the
feats of these fishes in their native seas, and is hence
the better qualified to offer judicious criticisms upon
the prevaling opinions on the subject. The idea that
the vaulting power ceases when the connecting
membrane of the rays dries, he remarks, is very pos-
sible ; but he does not think it has been determined
as a fact. *' It is said also that the fins are merely
used as parachutes, and do not as in birds, propel
the fish forward by repeated movements ; this again
admits of doubt. The flight of these fishes, though
short, is very rapid, almost as much as that of a
swallow; and every one knows, that these birds
"will advance far wuth little or no beating motion of
the wings. In crossing the line, in the year 1816,
we were very anxious to ascertain tliis point in the
economy of the Flying-fish ; but although we had
them before our eves almost every quarter of an
hour for a week, their flight was so rapid tliat, at
the nearest distance they ever were to the ship, we
found it as utterly impossible for the eye to deter-
mine this question, as it is to see the vibrations of
the wings of a fly. Our impression is that this act
110 3JALAC0P. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY,
of flying is effected in two ways : first, there is a
spring or leap, by which the fish is raised out of the
water ; and then the pectoral fins are spread, and
emi3loyed to propel the fish in a forward direction,
either by a few flapj^ings, or by the motion that is
analogous to the skimming of swallows. It is quite
true that they have not the power of elevating
themselves in the air in an undulating direction, as
we see in swallows ; the course of their flight being
always that of a very slight arch, the height of
which, we believe, varies with the species; those
near the equinoxial line towards America, have a
low flight, so that though innumerable flocks rose
round the vessel in all directions, not one ascended
sufficiently high to fall into it ; whilst in other cir-
cumstances they have fallen into ships from fourteen
to twenty feet above the water. Sometimes they
fly off in an obliquely angular direction from that
which they at first took ; an important fact, because
it proves that this flying is effected, not merely by
a leap, but by the action of the fins and tail, just
as these members are used to influence the course of
birds; although the mode in which the pectorals
are used for this jDurpose we do not pretend to un-
derstand." (Loc. cit. i. 297 — 9). Mr. Swainson
states his persuasion that a number double that of
the described species really exists ; Dr. Richardson
catalogues four species as visiting the North Ame-
rican shores ; while one is, and more, probably
are, occasional though rare visitors of the British
GEN. EXOCILUS. THE FLYING-PISH. Ill
(Sp. 121.) E.voUtan.:. The Common Flying-fish.
A Flying-fish having been caught in the river Towy
below Caermarthen in June 1765, and an account
of it having been transmitted to Mr. Pennant, by
John Strange Esq., the eminent Naturalist seems to
have, concluded that it must have been the E. voli-
tans, and has accordingly given a representation of
it with short ventrals, so distinguishing it from the
next sjDCcies preceding. This, however, we believe,
was merely supposititious. Several additional no-
tices have since been published, showing clearly that
Flying-fish are sometimes encountered in the British
seas. Thus, Dr. Heysham informs us " that another
Flying-fish was seen at Allonby last September
(1/93), by Mr. C. Carlyle when he was bathing;
it was near the shore, and upon the surface of the
w^ater, and came within a yard of him." (Hutchin-
son's Cumberland, i. 32.) A third was seen in July
1823, ten miles from Bridge water, in the Bristol
Channel, a notice of which was communicated to
the Linneean Society by S. L. Jacob, (Ann. of Phil.
xxii. 152) ; and lastly, in the fortieth number of
the Journal of the Royal Institution, the following
letter appeared. " In going down Channel on the
23d of August 1825, with light winds, when oH
Portland, we were surprised by the appearance of a
rather large shoal of what is commonly called the
Flying-fish. They being evidently pursued by some
one of their numerous enemies, from the frequent
and long flights which they took ; but it was im-
possible to discover what that enemy was, though
212 MAL'vCOP. ABDOM. PIKE FAMILY.
passing close to the vessel. (I. C. W. December 2,
1825.)" These notices satisfactorily prove that Fly-
ing-fish have been repeatedly seen on our shores ;
but, like Mr. Pennant's instance, they are all equi-
vocal, and hence are introduced under this species,
chiefly to provoke additional investigation into their
character and history.
(Sp. 122.) E. exiUens. The Great Flying-fish.
Upon the authority of Mr. Couch we leani that a
Flying-fish of this species threw itself on the quay
at Plymouth, and another on the sandy margin
of Helford river, near Falmouth, two miles from
the open sea, where it was found while yet living.
These fish have both been preserved, and Mr. Couch,
from examination and inquiry, considers them as
both belonging to the present species. It is readily
Icnown by the elongated ventral fins, which are
placed far backwards, while, in the species we have
just noticed, these fins are short, and placed not
far behind the origin of the pectorals. This greater
Flying-fish attains the length of eighteen inches, and
is very common in the Mediterranean. The upper
part of the body is a fine blue colour ; the lower
]^art silvery white ; the lateral line is placed very
low down, nearly parallel to the ventral profile ;
the pectoral fins are very large, and of a fine trans-
parent blue colour; the ventral fins are long and
rounded at the end ; the lower lobe of the tail is
the longer. The flesh is ricli, and said to be more
delicate than that of the herring.
113
XV. THE FAMILY OF THE SILURID^.
This family is entitled on many accounts to take
tlie lead in the order, as assigned to it by M. Valen-
ciennes. Its fins are more osseous than those of any
other family of the soft-finned division. Besides,
the number of its species is very great, about three
hundred having been already catalogued ; and it is
one of the most curious in the class Vertebratae, on
account of the variety of organization it presents,
vvhether compared v^ith other fishes, or the dif-
ferent members of the family among themselves.
The Siluridge generally inhabit rivers, and other
fresh-vi^ater resorts, over the greater part of the
world; and they sometimes wander to the ocean. By
much the greater number live in equatorial latitudes;
but they are able to support the rigour of a north-
ern climate, or great heights on mountain ranges ;
and hence some of the family are found on the con-
tinent of South America, at elevations between
10,000 and 16,000 feet above the level of the sea;
and they also, according to the observation of ]M. de
Humboldt, penetrate into the interior of the earth,
and exhibit to the physiologist new phases of the
vital principle in the interior lakes of those gigantic
American volcanoes Avhich throw forth fish in the
course of their eruptions. It is somewhat reraark-
H
114 MALACOP. ABDOM. MLURID^ FAMILY.
able that this great family has only one represen*
tative in Europe belonging to
Gen. LXIY. Siluris, and whi^.h i?
(Sp. 123.) S. glanis : The Sly Siluris or Sheat-
fish, whose claims to be considered British, rest
solely in the statement of Sibbald in his Scotia
Illustrata. He puts it at the close of his History
of fresh- water fishes, leading to the inference that it
may have occured in his day, in some of the Scottish
rivers. This supposition, however, may rest only
upon mistake ; and it is not likely that so extra-
ordinary a fish could have so long escaped the
lynx eye of some of our numerous Naturalists.
This notice, therefore, is introduced only to aid
in identifying the species, should it again pre-
sent itself. It is the largest fresh-water fish of
Europe ; is found in the rivers of Germany, Swe-
den, Norway, and has been taken in the Baltic,
in the salt lake of Haerlem, in Holland, and in
Hungary. It is smooth on the surface, and dark
coloured ; greenish, spotted with black, above, and
yellowish white beneath. The head is large ; and
tlie parts round the mouth are furnished with six
barbules ; it has a single soft fin on the back. In
length it extends to six feet and more, and weighs,
sometimes it is said three hundred weight. It hides
itself in the mud awaiting its prey. Its flesh is,
to the taste of most, very rich and pleasant, as
food.
115
XVI. SALMON AND TROUT FAMILY.
SALMONIDiE.
Representatives in British Fauna. — Gen. 5, Sp. 15.
Gen. Qb, Salmo. Sp. 124. S. solar. . . The Salmon.
125. S. eriox. . . Grey Trout.
126. S. trutta. . . Salmon Trout.
\27. S.fano. . . Common Trout.
128. S. Levenensis. . Loch Leven Trout.
129. S. ferox. . . Great Lake Trout.
1 30. 6". savelinus. . The Charr.
66. OSMERUS. 131 0. exto'lanus. . Smelt, or Sperling.
132. 0. Hehridicus. Hebridal Smelt.
67. Thymallus. 133. T. vulgaris. . The Grayling.
68. COREGONUS. 1 34. C. fera. . . The Gwyniad.
135. a WillughUi. The Vendaoe.
136. C. Lacepedei. . The Powan.
137. C. Pollan. . The PoUan.
69. SCOPELUS. 138. S. Humloldtii. The Argentine.
Of all the fresh-water fishes belonging to north-
ern latitudes, those composing the family now to be
noticed, are the most important in an economical
point of view. To the Naturalist, also, they are
full of interest, as the history of many of them is
highly curious, and from the difficulties attending
the investigation of their habits, many points are
yet undetermined or obscure. "With the angler
many of the species arc preferred to every other
kind of fish as objects on which to exercise his skill ;
116 MALACOP. ABr»o:M. SALMON FAMILY.
they thus present themselves in a greater number
of interesting relations than most other tribes of
fishes. The most characteristic feature of the family
is the peculiar form of the posterior dorsal fin,
which is fleshy or adipose, and destitute of rays.
In the typical species, the series of teeth is very
complete ; the vomer, palatine, and maxillary bones
are beset with angular teeth directed backwards;
there is a row of similar teeth on each side of the
tongue, and another series on the lower jaw. When
the mouth is closed these rows alternate with each
other, every interstice is thus filled up, and the re-
sult is the formation of as perfect an instrument for
seizing and retaining small objects as can well be
imagined. The number given above as British,
constitute nearly one-half of the family, viewed in
relation to Europe. Africa and America produce
other forms, but these deviate somewhat from the
typical structure. The most characteristic members
are the most northerly fresh-water fish with which
we are acquainted.
Gen. LXY. Salinio. — Vomer, palatine, and maxil-
lary bones with sharp stout teeth ; gape wide ;
branchiostegons rays varying in number, but always
exceeding eight ; dorsal fins two, the ventrals oppo-
site the middle of the first dorsal, the adipose dorsal
opposite the anal.
(Sp. 124.) S. salar. The appearance of this well
knoMm fish is familiar to all. It is the largest spe-
cies of the genus, sometimes exceeding eighty pounds
in weight, although the average weight is not above
GEN. SALMO. THE SALMON. 117
one-fourth of that amount. The shape is highly
elegant, being oval and moderately elongated, the
head small, the greatest depth of the body a little
before the dorsal ; the whole form alike indicating-
great strength and power of rapid motion. The
colour of the upper parts is dark bluish-grey or
bluish-black, the sides lighter : the abdomen silvery,
with a few scattered dusky spots, principally above
the lateral line ; the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral
fins are dusky black, the ventrals stained with the
jsame on their inner side, the anal white or nearly
so. These colours vary considerably, according to
age, sex, and season. During and after the time of
spawaiing, the adult male acquires a reddish tinge.
and the preoperculum and gill-covers are marked
with large reddish blotches. At the same time,
particularly in old males, the lower jaw is elongated,
and curved upwards in a hook. Besides the distinc-
tions derivable from colour, it is desirable to have
others of a less variable kind, to prevent the Salmon
being confounded with the other migratory species,
. to which, in some of their states, they bear a great
resemblance. JMr, Yarrell directs attention to the
gill-cover, which, in the Salmon, he describes as
having the posterior free edge in the form of part
< f a circle ; the lower margin of the suboperculum
is a line directed obliquely upwards and backwards ;
the line of union of the suboperculum with the
operculum also oblique, and parallel with the lower
margin of the suboperculum ; the interoperculum
narrow vertically, and its union with the operculum
118 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON F A:\riLY.
considerably above the line of the junction between
the suboperculum and operculum.* In very young
specimens the tail is much forked, and this continues
to be the case, although gradually in a smaller de-
gree, till the fifth year, when the terminal line
becomes straight. The vertebrae are sixty in num-
ber, and the cascal appendages from sixty-three to
sixty-eight.
The Salmon may be considered either as a salt or
fresh- water fish, according as we regard the one or
the other as most essential to its economy. They
invariably breed, as is well known, in fresh water,
while they find their most nutritious food, and
other conditions most favourable to their growth
and general health, in salt water. They begin to
enter rivers in spring, but the instinct which prompts
them to ascend towards the sources for the purpose
of reproduction, does not exert its full influence till
the end of autumn. They make their ascent chiefly
when the rivers are swollen by rains, generally ad-
vancing with some raj^idity ; often it is supposed
at the rate of tw^enty-five miles a day,+ and so
strong is the impulse that urges them on, that they
overcome obstacles which, to an animal so formed,
we would be inclined to j^ronounce insurmountable.
* British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 5.
+ Tt has been estimated that, in a tranquil lake, Salmon can
swim at the rate of eight or ten leagues an hour, and twenty-
four feet in a second. This would give 86,400 feet in an hour,
a velocity which, if it could be continued, would enable them
to make the tour of the globe in a few weeks.
GEN. SALMO. TUE SALMON. 119
They frequently make perpendicular leaps to the
height of twelve or fourteen feet, thus surmounting
water-falls and such like obstacles which the rocky
bed of a river often presents to their progress.
"When they reach the upper and shallow portions
of the river, a spot with a gravelly bottom is selected,
and the operation of depositing the spawn takes
place. At this time the male has assumed the red-
dish hue formerly alluded to, and his partner has
all her usual colours much deepened. A shallow
furrow is dug in the gravel; both sexes throw
themselves on their sides, draw close together, and
rubbing themselves against each other, shed their
sj3awn simultaneously into the slight excavation.
This operation is repeated many times until the
whole be deposited. The spawn is then covered up
with a thin layer of sand or gravel. With this the
parental duties of the fish cease, and they seem
greatly exhausted by their exertions, losing the
bright colours of their nuptial dress, and becoming
lean and emaciated. In this reduced condition the
fish are considered unfit for food, being said to be
unclean ; and are termed Kelts or Kippers, the lat-
ter appellation being usually applied to the male.
After reposing a while in the depths of some neigh-
bouring pool, as if to recover themselves, they com-
mence their progress down the river on purj)ose to
regain the ocean, where they are speedily invigo-
rated and restored to their former condition.
The principal spawning season is from October to
the end of February, but the time varies greatly in
120 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
different rivers. The running commences in some
streams much earlier than in others, a circumstance
thought to depend on the temperature. The north-
ern rivers are observed to be earliest. The females
make their appearance first ; and the Grilse, or
young fish on their first return from the sea, gene-
rally precede the more mature individuals.
The ova continue under the gravel before they
are hatched a longer or shorter period according to
circumstances, in general from a hundred to a hun-
dred and forty days. Shortly after being excluded,
the fry work their way upwards through the gravel.
At this early age they are translucent and shapeless^
the head small and rounded, and all the fins conti-
nous, forming a loose membrane round the body.
In a short time they assume the general aspect of a
fish; the fins becoming separated; the colours gradu-
ally deepen, and when they reach about two inches
in length, they are marked on the sides with conspi-
cuous transverse dusky bars, and the tail fin becomes
deeply notched. The first migration to the sea takes
place from the beginning of March to the end of May^
in the second season after birth. The fry are then
called Smelts or Samlets, and in some places, Lasp-
rings. On reaching the mouth of the river, they re-
main for a time where the water becomes brackish by
the mixture of salt water, and thus prepared for the
change they launch out into the sea. The salt water
is either favourable to their growth from its very
constitution, or because it affords them most nutri-
tious food, for they rapidly increase in size and
GEX. SALMO. THE SALMON. 121
vigour. On tlieir return to tlie fresh water they
Lave acquired a weight of between two and three
pounds and upw^ards, and the larger individuals are
then called Gilse or Grilse, the smaller Salmon-
peal. During its subsequent visits to the sea, the
growth of the Salmon is equally considerable, and
in the course of a few seasons it attains to large di-
mensions. It is obvious that its food, when in the
sea, must be very different from that on which it
subsists in fresh water. In the former it seems to
consist of sand-eels and other small fishes ; also the
ova of various kinds of echinodermata and certain
Crustacea: in the latter, worms, aquatic insects,
and small fishes, form its chief nutriment. Its
powers of digestion seem to be unusually rapid, and
hence perhaps we may in some measure account for
the suddenness of its growth. When the stomach
is opened, seldom any thing is found in it except
a thick mucus, the food being speedily reduced to a
pulp, the nutritious portions assimilated, and the
rest passing into the intestines. They rise freely,
as every angler knows, to a fly, even within a short
distance of the sea; and are taken with various
kinds of bait, such as earth-worms, sand-eels,
&c.
As our space confines us chiefly to the natural
history, properly so called, of our native fishes, we
cannot in this place offer any account of the fisheries
of this important species. Neither can we, for the
same reason, enter upon the different methods em-
ployed to capture it by the angler, who regai'ds it
122 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY
as his noblest game ; but must refer to the numer-
ous well-known and excellent works specially de-
voted to these respective subjects. All the principal
rivers in Scotland produce Salmon, many of them,
especially in the north, in very great abundance.
Such may likewise be said to be the case with all
the great rivers of other parts of the United Khig
dom ; but in some of these they are comparatively
rare, particularly in England, where the muddy,
languid, canal-like waters are but seldom adapted
to their habits. An individual is at rare intervals
captured in the Thames, and it is prized in propor-
tion to its rarity. The Tweed has been long cele-
brated as the resort of Salmon ; it still yields many ;
but rod-fishing, which was at one time so excellent
in that river, has become comparatively profitless,
and may almost be said to be reduced to a few days
in spring and autumn.
The Salmon does not occur in the Mediterranean,
nor consequently in any of the rivers flowing into
that sea from the north ; but it ascends the Rhine,
Elbe, Loire, and other great rivers which discharge
their waters into more northern seas.
It is said also to inhabit North America, but
specimens from that quarter show some marks of
difference, and it remains yet to be determined
whether these may not prove of specific value.
Parr. After the elaborate investigations of Mr.
Shaw, on the growth and development of Salmon
fry, there can be no longer any doubt that the fish
so called is one of the states of the Saluaou
GEN. SALMO. THE PARR. 123
The Parr is well known to every Scottish angler,
even though he be the merest tyro in the Gentle
Art. It is extremely plentiful in the greater num-
ber of our rivers, especially in the lowlands of Scot-
land, delighting in clear running streams with a
gravelly bottom. In England and Wales it is also
found plentifully in similar situations. They congre-
gate in small shoals, and remain in a state of great
activity at all times of the day, and apparently in
all states of the weather. Unlike the trout, their
frequent companion, they seem to feed at all times,
and are ever ready to take a bait. Indeed in many
of the inferior fishing streams, in the end of summer
and beginning of autumn, when they are in a greatly
reduced state by a dry season, the Parr is almost
the only fish that can be taken with the rod.
Their markings are so distinct that they can at aU
times be easily recognised. Its ordinary length may
be stated to be from five and a half to seven inches,
although it has been found to reach nine and a
quarter. The body is deep in proportion to its
length : the head rather blunt ; the tall deeply
forked. The number of fin-rays as follows :
1st D. 12— P. 13— V. 8— A. 10— C. 19.
The teeth are small and sharp; the whole bones
of the skeleton rather delicate ; flesh white. The
colour of the back and sides is olive-brown, marked
with numerous small rounded dark spots ; the sides
with a row of eight or nine broad abbreviated dusky
bands, or transverse spots, a kind of marking com-
124 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
mon to the young of many of tlie Salmonida^, bu
the marks are narrower in this case and more len^th-
ened. Between each, or most of these dusky marks,
there is a round orange -coloured spot, and a few
others are scattered about irregularly. It is from
the transverse marks that these pretty little fish are
often called Brandlings or Fingerlings.
Thus strongly characterised, and apparently bear-
ing all the marks of maturity and specific individu-
ality, it is not surprising that most of our best
naturalists should have considered the Parr as a
well determined species. Nearly all our older na-
turalists regarded it in this light, and also most of
the modern ones, among the latter Sir Wm. Jardine,
who has laboured with so much zeal and success to
elucidate the history of the Salmonidte. Some con-
jectured that it was a mule, the offspring of a trout
and salmon. Sir H. Davy, who seems to have
entertained very loose notions respecting the limits
of species, in as much as considering the sea-trout
the type, regarding all other true trouts as varie-
ties, supposes the Parr to be a hybrid between the
sea-trout and common trout. The notion that the
fish in question is a certain state of Salmon fry, is
of old date. We find Pennant endeavouring to re-
fute this opinion, and many others attempting to
establish it. While matters were in this unsatis-
factory state, Mr. Shaw comes forward with his
experiments, the most important, beyond any com-
parison, that have yet been made on the projDaga-
tion of fresh-water fishes. Of these experiments we
GEN. SALMO. THE PARR. 125
-can do little more than state the results, refening to
his published account for the details.*
In order to determine what became of Parr,
Mr. Shaw repeatedly placed them in a pond, pro-
perly constructed, and found that they invariably
assumed the appearance of Salmon Smelts, after a
certain time. Thus, several enclosed on 11th July
1833, had become Smelts in 17th May 1834.
Twelve caught in March J 835, which were of
large sizes, that is about six inches long, were
transmuted into Smelts by the end of April, of the
same year. " I had thus no doubt," says he " that
the larger Parrs observable in rivers in autumn,
winter, and early spring, were in reality the actual
Salmon fry advancing to the conclusion of their
second year^ and that the smaller summer Parrs
(called in Dumfries-shire May Parrs) were the same
species, but younger as individuals, and only entering
upon their second year." With the view of detect-
ing the Parr in its earlier state, which had not pre-
viously been determined, a few dozen of small
active fish, about an inch long, were taken by a
gauze-net from a river where Salmon had spawned
the preceding year. After being kept in a pond till
they w^ere more than a year old, they were found to
be three inches and a half long, and to correspond in
every respect with Parr of the same age in the river.
In another year these also were transmuted into
* Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. xiv.
p. 547. Mr. Shaw's earliest notice on the subject appeared in
the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, vol. xxiv. p. 165.
126 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
Smelts, or Salmon fry, commonly so called. Having
thus traced the progress of the Parr, from an inch in
length, through its several stages, up to the period
of migration, various experiments were made on the
ova of the Salmon, with the view of proving the
identity of these two fish. Ova were obtained from
two Salmon engaged in spawning, and having been
properly placed in gravel under a stream of water,
produced young, ninety days after they were thus
imbedded. In fifty days more the form of the fish
was perfected, when it measured somewhat more
than an inch in length, and perfectly corresponded
to those which had been previously traced till they
assumed the form of Parr. That no objection might
arise to this experiment from the circumstance of
there not being sufficient evidence of the spawn in
question being actually that of the Salmon, as the
stream from which it was taken was accessible to
other species of the genus; the same experiment
was repeated with spawn, which the male and fe-
male Salmon were forced to exclude under the eyes
of the experimentalist, and the result was that the
young, after going through the usual developments,
became Parr, being, when twelve months old, three
inches and three quarters long, or corresponding to
those called May Parr. They remain over the
second winter in the rivers, and when about two
years old assume the migratory dress, or in other
words, become identical with what are usually
called Salmon fry or Smelt.
The most remarkable part of Mr. Shaw's ex-
GEN, SALMO. THE PARR. 127
periments remains to be stated. Having observed
that male Parrs, with the milt matured and flowing
in profusion from their bodies, were at all times in
company with the adult female Salmon, while de-
positing her spawn, he conceived that they might
seek each others company for a sexual purpose;
and upon impregnating the spawn of a female Sal-
mon weighing fourteen pounds, with the milt of a
male Parr weighing one ounce and a half, the pro-
cess succeeded in every respect, the young appear-
ing in the usual time, and continuing in the utmost
health and vigour, with all the ordinary characters,
up to the time of assuming the migratory dress.
Many experiments of a similar kind w^ere made,
invariably with the same result, so as to leave not
the smallest doubt of the fact, that a male Parr can
effectually impregnate the ova of a full-grown Sal-
mon. It was also proved that the offspring of a
Parr and Salmon can, in like manner, propagate their
kind ; and it is thus thought to be demonstrated, ac-
cording to a recognised law in the economy of na-
ture, that such offspring could not be hyhrid, but
the natural produce of two sexes of the same
species.
All Mr. Shaw's experiments have been repeated
and confirmed by Mr. John Young, Sutherlandshire ;
who has moreover carried his observations so far as
to trace the Parr into the full-grown Salmon.
(Sp. 125.) S. eriox. Bull Trout or Grey Trout
This is the largest of the British Salmonidae next to
the true Salmon, often measuring between two and
128 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
three feet, and weighing from five or six to twenty-
pounds. It is not so elegant in shape as the Sal-
mon, the head, nape, and shoulders being somewhat
thicker, the length of the former compared to that
of the body, being as one to four ; the fleshy por-
tion of the tail and the base of the fins are thicker
and more muscular than in the Salmon. The form
of the gill-cover, on which Mr. Yarrell places much
dependence as a distinctive character, but which
Dr. Pai nell did not find to be a uniform mark of
distinction, is described as follows : Operculum larger
than in the Salmon and Salmon Trout; the free
vertical margin much more straight ; the inferior
posterior angle more elongated backwards ; the lines
of union with the suboperculum not so oblique, but
nearly parallel with the axis of the body of the fish ;
the inferior edge of the suboperculum parallel to
the line of union with the operculum ; the inter-
operculum much deeper, vertically; the vertical
edge of the preoperculum more sinuous.* The teeth
are rather long and sharp, there being not more than
four (sometimes only two or three) on the vomer,
and these placed on its anterior part. Not two
authors agree as to the number of fin-rays ; the fol-
lowing is Mr. Yarrell's statement : —
D. 11— P. 14— V. 9— A. 11— C. 19.
The normal number of the vertebraa is fifty-nine.
The caudal fin is even at the end, the middle ray
considerably more than half as long as the longest
* Yarrell 's British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 71.
GEN. SALMO. THE BULL TROUT. 12S
ray in the same fin ; in old fish the terminal line cf
the caudal fin is convex, whence this fish is some-
times called the Boundtail. Scales rather smaller
than in the Salmon. Colour of the back dark grey
becoming lighter on the sides, the belly white, spots
generally numerous above the lateral line, and very
variable in shape ; dorsal and caudal fins light grey,
lower end of the pectorals dusky. In the spawning
season the male acquires a reddish brown hue, but
the female undergoes no material change, except
that her colours become darker.
Like all the other trouts, this species exhibits an
immense number of varieties. Dr. Parnell describes
and figures eight of these occurring in the Firth of
Forth, but it may always be recognised by the
above characters. It is one of the migratory species,
ascending rivers to spawn, like the Salmon ; but it
is said always to precede the latter both in its
ascent and descent to the sea. It is rather plentiful
in the Tweed, having increased greatly in that river
of late years ; and is found not unfrequently in most
of the principal rivers in the United Kingdom.
The provincial names of this trout are variously
applied, and the young are no doubt often con-
founded with those of the following species. One
of the varieties is known in the Firth of Forth, Sol-
way Firth, and elsewhere, as the Salmon-trout^
sometimes the young are named Whitlings by those
who are unacquainted with the true AVhitling,
whicli is the young of S. truita. It is the BericicJc
Trout of the London markets. It is pretty frequent
130 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
m some parts of the south and south-west of Wales,
where It is named the Sewin, ('S. camhricus of Do-
novan). Its flesh, which is of a pale yellowish co-
lour, is much inferior in flavour to that both of the
Salmon and Salmon-trout.
(Sp. 126.) S.trutta. Salmon-trout, or Sea-trout.
This species rivals the Salmon in the elegance of its
form, and is almost as highly valued as an article
for the table. It is rather more robust in the gene-
ral form than a Salmon of the same size ; length of
the head, when compared with the length of the
body, as one to four; jaws nearly equal; teeth
strong, sharp, and curved backwards, those on the
vomer not confined to the anterior extremity but
extending a good way backwards, frequently eight
in number. Tlie posterior free margin of the gill-
covers is less rounded than that of the Salmon, but
more so than that of the Grey Trout. The line of
union of the operculum with the suboperculurn,
and the inferior margin of the suboperculum, are
oblique, forming a considerable angle with the axis
of the body of the fish. Tlie posterior edge of the
preoperculum rounded. ( Yarrell.) The first dorsal
is placed nearly half-way between the nose and
root of the caudal fin, the first ray short, the second
long, equal to the length of the base of the fin ;
adipose fin rather large, situate mid-way between
the hinder ray of the first dorsal and the tip of the
tail ; the latter slightly forked, but in old individuals
becoming nearly square. Number of fin-rays :
D. 12— P. 13— V. 9— A. 10— C. 19.
GEN. SALMO. THE SALMOX-TROTTT. 131
The vertebra? are fifty-eight in number. Colour of
tlie upper parts of the body dark bluish-black ;
sides lighter ; belly^ anal, and ventral fins white,
the former silvery. The sides are marked with
numerous X-shaped dusky spots, the greater num-
ber above the lateral line; and there are several
round dusky spots on the gill-cover.
This valuable Trout, the last we have to mention
of the three migratory species of the genus Salmo,
is extremely abundant in many parts of the country.
This is particularly the case in the Don, Tay, Spey,
and many other of our Scottish rivers; but they
have almost entirely disaj^peared from the Tweed,
where they were once not scarce ; and this, it has
been conjectured, is owing to the increase of the
Bull Trout in that river. Large shoals congregate
near the mouths of rivers, previous to entering
them for the purpose of spawning, and on these
occasions they frequently afford most excellent sport
to the angler. Sir William Jardine mentions, in
his interesting account of this Trout, that in one
instance they rose so eagerly to the ordinary flies
used in the rivers of the south for Grilse, that thirty-
four were the produce of one rod, engaged for about
an hour and a half. He adds, that they enter every
river and rivulet in immense numbers, and when
fishing for the Salmon, are annoying from their
quantity. " The best time to begin fishing for Sea-
trout," says Mr. Colquhoun, speaking in reference
to salt-water lochs, " is at the turn of the tide,
when it begins to ebb : the same rod and tackle as
132 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
when trolling from a boat in fresh water. The
herring-fry, salted, are the most killing bait (also
excellent for large fish in fresh-water lochs), al-
though minnows are very good : a sand-eel may
also do, the black skin pulled oVer the head, so as
to show nothing but the white body ; this shines
very bright, but, as it does not spin, is far less
deadly than the others. A boatman who thoroughly
knows the fishing-ground is indispensable, as it is
much more difficult to find out than in fresh water.
Strong eddies, formed by the tide, are often good
places ; also any bays, esj)ecially if mountain burns
run into them. The largest size of Sea-trout are
caught in this way; and when hooked, from the
depth and strength of the water, make capital play.
If there is a good pool at the mouth of any moun-
tain burn, by going with your fly-rod during a
" spait," or coming dow^n of the water after heavy
rain, and ichen the tide is at the full^ you may have
excellent sport. The Trout are all floundering about,
ready to take your fly the moment it touches the
water. This only lasts for a short time, as they all
leave the pool at the receding of the tide." *
The food of this species, when in the sea, consists
of small fishes and Crustacea, in particular Talitrus
locusta^ or common sandhopper, with which their
stomachs have been found completely crammed : in
fresh water they seek the same food as their con-
geners. Dr. Parnell considers it almost impossible
to distinguish the young of the several kinds of
* The Moor and the Loch, p. 130.
GEN. SALMO. THE SALM0N-T1?0UT. 133
migratory Trout ; Mr. Shav/ states that the young
of the Sahii on- trout, at the age of six months, bear
no very marked resemblance to the young of the
real Salmon either in the Parr or fry state, and that
as they advance in age and size the resemblance be-
comes still slighter. Their resemblance to the young
of the Common Trout, is, however, very striking.
Pennant first described as British what he called
the White Trout, and it was afterwards noticed at
greater length by Dr. Fleming, Sir "William Jardine,
and other wiiters, under the name of S. alius.
Ichthyologists are now agreed that this is nothing
more than the Salmon-trout, after being for a time
in the sea, and returning to fresh water. In this
state they are called Herlings or Whitlings, some-
times Phinocks. " After they enter the rivers, and
have remained there a short time, they lose their
silvery appearance, the spots become more apparent,
the ventral and anal fins become dusky ; the flesh,
which previously had a reddish tinge and delicate
flavour, now becomes white and insipid, and the
whole fish soon assumes a lank and unwholesome
appearance. In this condition, on their return again
to the sea, in the months of January and February,
numbers are taken in the Forth above Stirling, as
well as in the Tay, and sent to the Edinburgh mar-
ket, where they are named Lammasmens, and are
sold at the rate of about sevenpence per pound. *
It is unnecessary to mention localities for a fish
so generally distributed as the Salmon- trout. The
* Parncirs Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 296.
134 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
London market is supplied from various quarters.
Mr. Yarrell informs us that those from Perth, Dun-
dee, Montrose, and Aberdeen, appear from their
comparative depth of body, to be better fed, are
higher in colour, and considered to be finer in flavour
than those from some other localities.
(Sp. 1270 '^' /<^Ho. Common Trout. This
beautiful species is among the most familiarly know^n
of our fresh- water fishes, being generally distributed
not only throughout our own island but over the
whole of Northern Europe, and so plentiful that
there is scarcely a collection of water of any extent,
whether running or stationary, in which it does not
occur in more or less abundance. Although its
flesh has not the rich flavour of the Salmon and
Sea-trout, it is still in request as a highly palatable
and wholesome food; and although it does not
afford to the angler the same exciting interest as the
pursuit of the nobler species just named, it is suffi-
ciently cautious, vigilant, and active, as to require,
for its capture, the exercise of great skill and patience,
and from its general diffusion, it is always at hand
to invite the trial. It is indeed pre-eminently the
angler's fish. He may occasionally exert his skill on
others, but generally speaking, he has an opportunity
of doing so, at least in Scotland, only under tempo-
rary circumstances, and he again falls back on the
Trout as the staple and permanent object of his pur-
suit. Never leaving our own rivers, it is always ready
to be tempted by a bait ; and never undertaking long
iourneys, like its migratory allies, it is at no time so
G!:n. salmo. the commo>' trout. 13&
emaciated or completely out of season as they are.
It may be taken by the rod almost at any time of
the year, without even excepting winter, in certain
states of the weather, and the sport it affords during
the proper fishing season, and when the river or loch
is in prime order, is well known to be excellent.
The most striking characteristic of the Common
Trout is the profusion of bright red spots with
which its sides are speckled :
" Purpureisque salar stellatus tergore guttis."
These in combination with its other brilliant hues,
render it when newly taken from the water an ex-
ceedingly beautiful fish. The head is rather large
and blunt, the gill-cover produced behind into a
jounded angle ; tlie teeth numerous, strong, and re-
curved, those on the vomer extending the whole
length ; the eye large, having the irides silvery, with
a tinge of pink. Number of fin rays,
D. 14— P. 14— V. 9— A. 11— C. 19— Vert. 56.
Tail slightly forked, in old fish nearly square, and
even occasionally somew^hat convex in the outline.
The colour of the back and upper parts of the sides
is dusky brown, inclining to olive, with numerous
obscure reddish spots ; sides usually golden yellow,
with from eight to a dozen bright red spots along
the lateral line, and a few others scattered above
and below it ; belly commonly silvery white ; dor-
sal fins and tail light brown, the adipose fin edged
with red, and often marked with two dark spots;
13f? MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
all the other fins pale yellowish brown. Scales
small and adherent, about twenty-five in a row near
the lateral line.
So extremely variable is the Trout both in colour
and markings, that scarcely two individuals from
separate localities will answer to the same descrip-
tion. Many naturalists conjecture that more than
one species are confounded together ; but it would
seem that if there be reasons for regarding one or
two kinds as species, there are at least half a dozen
others wnth equal claims to that distinction. It is
difficult, if not impossible, to say how certain local
and adventitious influences act in changing the co-
lour and spotting ; but a certain character in these
two properties has been so generally recognised in
particular places, as to leave no doubt of there being
a connexion between the one and the other, as cause
and effect. Thus, in lakes and rivers fed by dark
waters from boggy moors, the tints become very
deep, the back appearing almost black, and the sides
and belly intense yellow, with the spots very large ;
and various intermediate shades can be observed ac-
cording to the clearness of the water, till we come
to a perfectly chrystalline stream flowing over a
pebbly bottom, when the colours become extremely
pure, and the lustre of great brilliancy. Sir H. Davy
was of opinion that when they feed much on hard
substances, such as larvae and their cases, and the
ova of other fish, they have more red spots and red-
der fins ; and that when they feed most on small
fish, and on flies, they have more tendency to be
GEN. SALMO. THE COMMON TROUT. 137
spotted with small black spots, and are generally
more silvery. The colours certainly accommodate
themselves, as Mr. Wilson remarks, to the tint of
the water, and to the prevailing tone of the bottom,
whether of rock or gravel, or softer substance ;* and
whatever may be the proximate cause of this, there
can be no doubt that it contributes to their conceal-
ment and consequent safety, just as we observe an
assimilation of colour to the places they frequent
so often do in the case of land animals.
Trouts may almost be said to perform a kind of
local migration, for under the influence of the same
instinct which brings Salmon from the sea, they
leave the deep pools in the lower portions of the
river, and push upwards towards the sources in
search of shallow currents, which are best adapted
for the development of the ova. These they deposit
usually in the end of November. According to
Mr. Shaw the young of the Salmon-trout and of the
Common Trout are so strikingly alike, that it is ex-
tremely difficult to distinguish them. Trout are in
best condition from the end of May till near the
close of September ; that is to say, during the season
when they are best supplied with food, and when
alone they can obtain insect food, on which they so
much depend. The average weight of Trout, espe-
cially in the rivers of the Lowlands of Scotland, may
be stated to be from half a pound to three-quarters ;
of course they occasionally occur of more consider-
able dimensions. The largest found in the Tweed
* Ichthyology, Ency. Brit., 7th edit., p. 207.
138 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
^scarcely ever reach five pounds; and they are es-
teemed very inferior in quality to those inhabiting
■the greater number of its tributaries. Numerous
instances might be quoted of very large Trout, from
fifteen to twenty-five pounds, having been caught
in different parts of the kingdom. The Thames is
celebrated for its gigantic Trout, although they occur,
as might be expected, in but small numbers. The
Gillaroo Trout, as it is called, has been chiefly
noticed as inhabiting Lough Neagh, Lough Con,
and other of the Irish lakes. Externally it differs
but little from the common varieties, except in hav-
ing a greater number of red spots ; but internally its
organization is somewhat different, the stomach
being thick and extremely muscular in the coats.
In this it resembles the Charr, and it is alleged
that the peculiarity has been produced by feeding
on small shell-fish, such as the different species of
JPaludina. The circumstances to which it owes this
modification of structure being by no means peculiar
to Ireland, we might expect to find this variety
elsewhere than in that country, to which it was long
thought to be confined ; and accordingly, we are in-
formed by Mr. Colquhoun, that the Gillaroo is found
in Scotland in Lochs Earn, Lubnaig, Voil, and
others, and sometimes grows to a great size.*
Almost every angler of experience must remember
of having occasionally taken Trout more or less de-
formed. The most common case of this kind consists
of an upward curvature of the spine, a little behind
* The Moor and the Loch, p. 112.
GEN. SALMO. THE LOCHLEVEN TROUT. -39
the head, making the fish appear in some degree
hump-backed. We happen to know that an indi-
vidual caught in the Teviot last autumn, besides
this hump, had a similar elevation near the tail,
which gave it a singularly distorted appearance ; but
it seemed quite healthy and was in good condition.
Pennant mentions a variety, occurring in a river and
lake in Wales, which he says is naturally deformed,
having a strange crookedness near the tail. Mr.
Yarrell describes and figures one which has the up-
per jaw short and truncated, so that the under jaw
becomes remarkably prominent. This monstrosity
was observed by Lord Home in an individual cauo-ht
in the IVeed : and Mr. Wilson received a numoer
similarly formed from Lochdow, near Pitmam, in
Inverness-shire.
(Sp. ]28.) S. Levenensis. Lochleven Trout, inis
fine Trout is here given as a distinct species, out of
deference to the opinion of those who have caretuny
examined and described it, rather than from a con-
viction that it is more entitled to be so regarded
than several other kinds now looked upon as mere
varieties. Dr. Parnell has described it mmuteiy m
his essay on the Fishes of the Firth of Forth, and we
avail ourselves of his account for its principal pecu-
liarities. The head is rather more than one-fitth of
the whole length ; gill- cover produced behind, pre-
operculum rounded. Colour of the back deep olive-
green ; sides lighter ; belly inclining to yellow ;
pectoral orange, tipped with grey ; dorsal and cau-
dal fins dusky; ventral and anal fins lio-hter; gill-
1 10 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY,
cover with nine round dark spots ; body above the
lateral line with numerous spots, and a few below
it, but there are no red spots on any part of the
body ; dorsal fin thickly spotted ; anterior extremi-
ties of the anal and dorsal fins without the oblique
dark bands observable on many common trouts;
teeth strong and sharp, the vomer with about a
dozen ; scales small , flesh deep red ; cjBca 80. The
7 umber of fin rays is,
D. 12— P. 12— V. 9— A. 10_C. 19.
" The differences that exist," continues Dr. Parnell,
" between S. cwclfer (that is, S. Levenensis) and S.
fariOy are very striking. The pectorals in S. ccecifer,
when exj?anded, are pointed ; in S. fario they are
rounded. The caudal fin in S. ccecifer is lunated at
ihp: end ; in S. fario it is sinuated or even. S. ccecifer
has never any red spots; S. fario is scarcely ever
without them. The caudal rays are much longer in
cvcifer than in fario^ in fish of equal length. In
tS. ccecifer the tail fin is pointed at the upper and
lower extremities ; in S. fario they are rounded.
The flesh of S. ccecifer is of a deep red^ that of S. fario
is pinkish and often white. The caecal appendages
in S. ccecifer are from sixty to eighty in number ; in
S./ar%o I have never found them to exceed forty-
six." In addition to these distinctions. Dr. Richard-
son has remarked that the scales exhibit a small
ridge in the centre of each, which he has not no-
ticed in other trout. It spawns in January, February,
and March. Mr. Wilson states (Ency. Brit.) that
GEN. SALMO. THE GREAT LAKE TROUT. 141
the Lochleven Trout have lately fallen off in flavour
and condition, owing, it is supposed, to the partial
drainage of the loch having destroyed some of the
best feeding grounds. Dr. Parnell says that he has
seen specimens of this Trout from Sutherlandshire,
a circumstance which prevents us supposing that it
may have been introduced to Lochleven from tt.e
Continent. The specific name, first imposed by
Walker, has been retained as having the right of
priority, and although a local one, being more ap-
propriate than one taken from an internal and very
variable part of structure.
(Sp. 129.) S.ferox. Great Lake Trout. Al-
though this fish has been long known to anglers in
the great lakes of Scotland and Ireland, it is but
recently that it has been fully described, and had
its proper place assigned to it in our native Fauna.
For this we are chiefly indebted to Sir W. Jardine,
by whom its characters were first carefully investi-
gated and defined. There can be no doabt, we
should think, of it being distinct, as a species, from
the other Trouts of this country ; and we have the
authority of M. Agassiz for affirming that it is not
identical with any of the continental Salmonidas. *
Sir W. Jardine's description first appeared in tue
article Angling, by Mr. Wilson, in the last edition
of the Ency. Brit. The head is large and len^th-
* Mr. Yarrell, however, is of opinion that it is identical with
the great Trout of the Scandinavian lakes, some of whicn,
weighing from twenty-seven to thirty-four pounds ho had
lately an opportunity of examining.
42 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALOMON FAMILY.
ened : the teeth large and strong, those on the
vomer extending the whole length : anterior ray of
tne dorsal fin half way between the point of the
nose and the root of the upper candal ray, the third
ray longest ; tail lunate in young specimens, very
broad and square in old individuals. The colour is
deep purplish brown on the upper parts, changing
\.nto reddish grey, the breast and belly orange yel-
Vow. " The whole body, when the fish is newly
caught, appears as if glazed over with a thin tint of
hch lake colour, which fades away as the fish dies,
and so rapidly, that the progressive changes of co-
lour are easily perceived by an attentive eye." Up-
per parts of the body and sides covered with spots
or blotches of different size, sometimes large, at other
Times smaller and rounded, as in young specimens,
wnere they are very numerous, each spot sur-
rounded by a paler ring. Dorsal fin spotted ; the
iins on the under side of the body rich yellowish
green, darker towards the extremities. The fin rays
nave been found to be as follows in some speci-
mens, but they vary in different individuals :
D. 13— P. 14_V. 9— A. 11— C. 19.
The scales are more circular than in the migrating
Salmonidae, and they are thin and flexible.
The flesh of this species is not highly esteemed,
as it is coarse and of indifferent flavour ; the colour
is orange-yellow.
In Lotigh Neagh this Trout is called Budda^k ; the
young and small specimens, Dolochans. It has
GEN. SALMO. THE CHAKR. 143
been ascertained like\^^se to exist in Lough Corrib-
and Lough Erne — thus inhabiting three of tlie
largest lakes in Ireland, and it no doubt may be
found in others. To mention the localities in Scot-
land would be to enumerate the principal lochs of
the kingdom. It has been so often found iu Loch-
Awe that it frequently gets the name of the Great
Lake Trout of Loch- Awe. It seems to occur in
Orkney also, and in Ulswater in Cumberland. The
process of spawning has been observed in Loch-
Awe : it takes place in the autumn, on the shelving
banks of the lake where the waters find an outlet
forming the River Awe,
This great lucustrine trout attains a weight of
from ten to twenty-five pounds. The best modes
of fishing for it will be found described in Col-
quhoun s Moor and Loch, and in the article Angling
formerly referred to.
(Sp. J 30.) S. savelinus. The Charr. Like all
the other Salmones permanently resident in our
fresh waters, this pretty and finely flavoured fish
is liable to great variation, and this has rendered its
synonomy and history somewhat confused. It was
for a time supposed that the Welsh Charr (the Tor-
goch, or red helhf) was distinct from the Charr of
the Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Scottish lakes,
and they have actually been described as separate
species by Mr. Jenyns. * Mr. YarreU, too, at one
time favoured this view, but a more careful exa-
mination has led him to the opinion that all are
* Manual of British Vertebrate Animal?* p. 427.
144 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
referrlble to one variable species. This may be
briefly distinguished from the other members of the
genus in the manner stated by Dr. Parnell ; namely
from 'S'. fario, S. Levenensis^ and S. trutta, by having
only the anterior part of the vomer armed with
teeth ; and from S. eriocc and S. salar^ by the body
being marked with red or white spots. The head
is nearly one-sixth of the whole length, including
the caudal fin, the depth of the body greater than
the length of the head : the anterior part of the
dorsal fin is half way between the point of the nose
and the adipose fin, the latter placed rather far back.
All the fins are of comparatively small size, the
axillary scale very long, the tail deeply forked.
The formula of the fin rays is,
D. 13— P. 12— V. 9— A. 11— C. 19.
The colour of the back is dark olive, the sides
lighter, and spotted with either red or white : the
belly and all the fins on the under side, deep red-
dish orange ; the ventral and anal fins usually mar-
gined with white anteriorly.
The weight of this fish is commonly under a
pound, although it is occasionally found weighing
upwards of two pounds. Some of the varieties
spawn about Michaelmas, ascending for a short way
the rivers that feed their native lakes : others spawn
in the end of December and deposit their ova in
the shallow parts of the lake. The Charr occurs in
all the three kingdoms, although it is by no means
generally distributed. The northern lochs of Scot-
GEN. OSMERUS. THE SMELT. 145
land yield it in tolerable plenty, it is also found in
Orkney, and has been long known in some of the
Welsh lakes. As it haunts deep cool water, and is
seldom found at the surface till late in the autumn,
it is not frequently made an object of sport with
anglers. In the Cumberland and Westmoreland
lakes, however, it may be taken, sometimes in to-
lerable plenty, by trolling ; and occasionally it rises
to a fly. M. Agassiz considers it identical with the
celebrated Ombre chevalier fS, umbla, Linn.) of the
Lake of Geneva. The different states and varieties
are known in this country by the names Case Charr,
Gilt Charr, Red Charr, Silver Charr, &c.
Gen. LXYI. Osmerus. In general form and
appearance it is at once seen that this group differs
from the true Salmones; and upon close examination
it is found that the chief distinctions consist in the
body being long and rather slender, the ventral fins
placed on a line with the insertion of the first dor-
sal ; two distinct rows of teeth on each palatine
bone, the vomer with only a few in front, the
branchiostegous membrane with only eight rays,
scales larger than in Salmo ; intestinal canal with-
out caeca.
(Sp. 131.) O.eperlanus. Smelt or Sperling. This
well known fish is procured in great quantities along
most of our sea coasts, and is in demand in our
markets for its delicate and peculiar flavour. The
scent it emits has been compared to the smell of
green rushes, cucumbers, or violets. It frequents
sandy bays, generally near the mouths of rivers.
14^ MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
ascending into the fresh water from August to Mar
for the purpose of spawning. According to Dr.
Parnell they ascend the Forth with that view in the
month of March, and shed their spawn in immense
quantities about two miles below Stirling Bridge,
when every stone, plank, and post appear to be
covered with their yellowish-coloured ova. Mr.
Yarrell is of opinion that it is confined to the east-
ern and western coasts of Britain, the fish some-
times called Smelt on the southern coast being in
reality the Atherine formerly described. The Thames
formerly afforded this fish in great abundance, and
its capture then gave employment to many fisher-
men ; but it has now become scarce. Those found
in the Medway are much esteemed. The food of
the Smelt consists of small Crustacea and testacea ;
in paiiicular the shrimp. It has been kept for
several years in fresh water, and retained all its
good qualities as an article of food unimpared.
(Sp. 132.) C. Hehridicus. Hebridal Smelt. This
is one of the numerous additions recently made by
Mr. Yarrell to the known species of British fishes.
It was communicated to him by Mr. William Euing
of Glasgow, who obtained it in ] 837, from the bay
of Rothsay in the isle of Bute. Of the two examples
^ound, one measured six inches and a half, the other
eight inches. Although to all appearance a true
Smelt, emitting the cucumber-like smell when newly
caught, it deviates in so-me important characters, and
which ought perhaps to be regarded as of generic
value, from that last described, particularly in the
GEN. THYMALLUS. THE GRAYLING. 147
relative position of the fins. The pectoral fin reaches
to the plane of the commencement of the dorsal ;
the ventral fin is in a vertical line with the last ray
of the dorsal, and the adipose fin is placed so far
back, that its posterior edge nearly reaches the origin
of the tail; the latter deeply forked; scales large
and deciduous, the lateral line prominent and nearly
straight ; general colour dull umber, the gill-cover,
silvery, and two rows of silvery scales below the
lateral line, forming bands like those observed in
the Atherine.
Gen. LXVII. Thymallus. In this genus we
perceive a considerable departure from the charac-
ters of the types of this family, namely the Salmones,
especially in the small mouth, the opening to which,
when viewed in front, is square ; and in the size of
the dorsal fin. which is more than half the height of
the body (Cuvier says it is equal to the body in
height), and twice as long as high. The teeth are
very fine and velvet-like ; the branchio&tegous rays
seven or eight ; the scales rather large. Several fine
species are found in North America, but the only
one observed in Europe is
(Sp. 133.) T. mdgaris. The Grayling. This fish
vanes in length from seven or eight to fifteen or
eighteen inches, and in weight from half a pound to
four or five pounds. The back rises rather suddenly
a little behind the head, and the deepest part of the
body is at the commencement of the dorsal fin, from
which point it tapers off to the tail, which is by no
means possessed of the strength of the same part in
£48 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
trouts. The head is small, the snout flattened at
the top, rounded at the extremity; irides golden
■yellow, pupil blue ; tongue without teeth, the vo-
mer having only a few on its anterior part; the
lateral line at first descends a little, and is afterwards
straight ; the scales are large and arranged in lon-
gitudinal rows, there being seven above the lateral
line and an equal number below it. The fin rays
are,
D. 20— P. 15— V. 10— A. 13— C. 20.
The colour of the body is light yellowish brown,
with varied reflections according to the light in
which it is viewed, and about fifteen dusky longi-
tudinal bands along the sides. The fins are darker
than the body, and the dorsal is spotted between
the rays in the form of transverse bands.
The natural history of the Grayling has been
carefully investigated by Sir H. Davy, and is de-
tailed in his Salmonia in a very interesting manner.
" The habits of the Grayling," he says," " like those
of most other fish, are very simple. He is, I be-
lieve, to a certain extent gregarious, more so than
the Trout, and less so than the Perch. He is in his
highest or most perfect season in the end of Novem-
ber or beginning of December, when his back is
very dark, almost black, and his belly and lower
fins almost gold-coloured; but his brightness, like
that of most other fishes, depends a good deal upon
the nature of the water : and on the Continent, I
have seen fishes far more brilliantly coloured than
GEN. THYMALLUS. THE GRAYLING. 149
in England — the lower part almost a bright orange,
and the back fin approaching the colour of the da-
mask rose, or rather of our anemone. The Grayling
spawns in April, and sometimes as late as the be-
ginning of May ; the female is generally then
followed by two or three males. She deposits her
ova in the tails of sharp streams, and the males
rubbing against her, shed upon the ova the milt or
seminal fluid. I do not know how long a time is
required for the exclusion of the young ones ; but
in the end of July, or beginning of August, they
are of the size of Sprats, four or five inches long,
and already sport merrily at a fly. The Grayling-
hatched, I conclude, in May or June, become the
same year, in September or November, nine or ten
inches long, and weigh from half a pound to ten
ounces ; and the year after they are from twelve to
fifteen inches long, and Aveigh from three-quarters
to a pound ; and these two sizes are the fish that
most usually rise at the fly." (Page 182.)
According to the same authority. Grayling require
water of a moderate temperature. They are never
found in streams that run from glaciers, and they
are easily killed by cold or heat. In the hot sum-
mer of 1825, great numbers died in the Avon,
killed by the heat in July. They do not dwell, like
Trout, in rapid shallow torrents ; nor, like the Charr
or Chub, in deep pools or lakes ; but require a
combination of stream and pool, the latter for rest-
ing in. Their food consists of the various kinds of
river flies; and Mr. Yarrell has found small shells,
150 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
such as Physa and Neritma fliiviatilis in tlieir
stomach. The latter, it may be remarked, is very-
thick and muscular, not unlike that of the Charr or
Gillaroo Trout. Whatever may be the case in some
parts of the Continent, Grayling certainly never
seek the sea in this country; nay it has been
proved that they speedily die even in brackish
M^ater.
The distribution of the Grayling in this country
is rather remarkable, and view^ed in relation to
England, would almost give countenance to the
opinion alluded to in Salmonia, that it has been
introduced to our rivers. In the work just men-
tioned, its localities are stated to be the Avon, in
Hampshire ; the Severn, and the tributary streams
which form it, in North Wales ; the Wye and its
tributary streams ; the Lug, in Herefordshire ; the
Dee, the Dove, Trent, Blithe ; in Yorkshire, the
Ribble, Erne, Wharf, Humber, Derwent, and Rye.
It is also occasionally taken in the Eden and Esk,
in Cumberland. These may be considered its most
northern localities on the mainland ; but Lowe
affirms that it is very frequent in the Orkney
Islands. We believe that the Grayling has not
been found in Scotland, and certainly this hiatus in
its distribution is not a little singular, the more
especially as, being an alpine fish, naturally fond of
cool water, and abounding in much more northern
countries on the Continent, the Highland rivers
seem peculiarly adapted for it. Neither has it been
observed in Ireland.
GEN. COREGONUS. THE GWYNIAD. 151
Gen. LXYIII. Coregonus. — Mouth still smaller
than in the preceding species ; teeth on the jaws or
tongue, very minute, sometimes wanting ; first dor-
sal higher in front than long; scales very large. The
species of this genus, which bear so strong a resem-
blance to Herring as frequently to be called Fresh-
icater Herring, are numerous on the Continent, and
the few that occur in this country have, till lately,
been confounded with each other. The first we
have to notice is supposed to be
(Sp. 134) C. fera of Cuvier, and is the Gwyniad
of Pennant and some other British authors. In its
adult state it is a fish from ten to twelve inches in
iength, with the upper part of the head and back
dusky blue, the sides lighter and tinged with yel-
low, belly silvery white ; the fins tinged with the
same colour as the back. The cheeks and gill-
covers are silvery white, from which circumstance
it has received the Welsh nameyzcy/i-Z^c/, or white-
pate. In the north of England it is called the
Schelly. The Cumberland lakes yield it in large
quantities. I*ennant states that in Ills water, be-
tween seven and eight thousand have been taken at
a draught, and that they prove a valuable boon to
the poorer classes, serving to the inland population
the same purpose as the Herring to the inhabitants
of the coast. He adds, however, that the flesh has
an insipid taste, and will not keep long. It was
formerly numerous in Wales, and is a well known
species in the Lake of Geneva and many of the
more northern parts of Europe.
152 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
(Sp. 135.) C. WilluglLbil. The Yendace. This
species is possessed of great interest, both from its
beauty and delicacy, and its singularly local occur-
rence in this country. It is probable that it is the
C. Maramula and C. alhula of continental authors ;
but this is not certain ; and if it should turn out not
to be so, the lochs in the neighbourhood of Loch-
maben will be the only known locality, affording an
instance of restricted distribution, of which there
are few similar examples. The local tradition is,
that it was introduced into these lochs by Mary
Queen of Scots. It is impossible to say what truth
there is in this ; but if introduced at all, and from a
distance, it is likely to have been in the state of spawTi,
for the fish is of too great delicacy to bear trans-
portation. An idea also prevails, that if the fish is
once taken from the water it will die, even although
it be immediately restored to its own element, and
that it can exist nowhere but in the water of the
Castle Loch ; a notion sufficiently disproved by its
occurrence in several others in the neighbourhood
with which the loch referred to has no communica-
tion.
Sir W. Jardine, from his residence in the neigh-
bourhood, and intimate acquaintance with the Sal-
monidas in general, was well fitted to investigat©
the habits and history of this species, and he has
published an account of it which has supplied
nearly all that is known on the subject. Dr. Knox
also turned his attention to the Yendace, and the
result of his inquiries appeared in the Transactions
GEN. COREGONUS. THE VEND ACE. 153
of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. * " The Yen-
dace is well known," says the former of these
authors, " to almost every person in the neighbour-
hood ; and if, among the lower classes, fish should
at any time form the subject of conversation, the
Vendace is immediately mentioned, and the loch
regarded with pride, as possessing something of
great curiosity to visitors, and which is thought
not elsewhere to exist. * * * In general habits
the Vendace nearly resemble the Gwyniad, and
indeed most of the allied species of the genus. They
swim in large shoals ; and during warm and clear
weather retire to the depth of the lakes, apparently
sensible of the increased temperature. They are
only taken with nets, a proper bait not being yet
discovered ; and the fact that little excrement is
found in their intestines has given rise to another
tradition, that they are able to subsist without food.
They are most successfully taken during a dull day
and sharp breeze, approaching near to the edges of
the loch, and swimming in a direction contrary
to the wind. They spawn about the commence-
ment of November, and at this time congregate in
large shoals, frequently rising to the surface of the
water, in the manner of the common herring, and
making a similar noise by their rise and fall to and
from the surface. The sound may be distinctly
heard, and the direction of the shoal perceived,
during a calm and clear evening. They are very
productive. The lochs abound v/ith Pike, of which
* Vol. xii. p. 503.
J 54 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
they are a favourite food ; but their quantity seems
in no degree to be diminished, notwithstanding that
immense numbers must be destroyed. They are
considered a great delicacy, resembhng the Smelt a
good deal in flavour ; and, though certainly very
palatable, the relish may be somewhat heightened
hy the difficulty of always procuring a supply.
During the summer, fishing parties are frequent,
introducing some stranger friend to this Lochmaben
Whitebait ; and a club, consisting of between twenty
and thirty of the neighbouring gentry, possessing a
private net, &c. meet annually in July, to enjoy the
sport of fishing, and feasting upon this luxury."
The reason of no bait being found attractive to
them, probably arises from the fact that their food
seems to consist almost entirely of the branchiopod
entomostraca of the genus Cyclops ; also of the
genus Lynceus. They seem likewise to take insects
occasionally, as the remains of these animals have
been found in their intestines.
Sibbald, in his Scotia Illustrata^ names this fish
Vandesius or Gerandesius, and Pennant Yangis or
Jurangis. The latter adds that it seems likely the
name was derived from the French, Vendoise, a dace,
to which a superficial observer might be tempted
to compare it from the whiteness of its scales.
There can be no doubt that it was introduced from
the Continent.
(Sp. 136.) C. Lacepedei. The Powan. The
distinguished French Naturalist, after whom this
fish is named, gives a short description in his Hist
GEM. COUKGONUS. THE POWAN. 155
des Poissonti, v. 606, of a supposed species of Sal-
mon found by "■ le citoyen Noel" in Loch Lomond,
which from its resemblance to a herrino- he deno-
minated Corcgone chipeoide. In the prosecution of
liife ichthyological researches, Dr. Parnell again found
the same fish, in abundance, in the same locality,
and has given a full account of it in the Annals of
Nat, Hist. * from which we derive the following
particulars. It occasionally grows to the length of
sixteen inches. Its food, from an examination of
the contents of the stomach, appears to consist of
entomostraca, the larvce of insects, beetles, and
small worms. It is very plentiful in Loch Lomond,
where it is known by the name of Poican or Fresh-
tcaler Herring^ and caught from March till Sep-
tember with large drag nets. It has occasionally
been taken v>ith a small artificial fly, but has never
been knoAvn to touch a minnow or bait of any
kind. Large shoals may be observed early in the
morning approaching the shores in search of food,
rippling the water with their fins in their progress.
They are never seen in the middle of the day. They
are in best condition for the table in the months of
August and September, and are so much esteemed
as a well-flavoured and wholesome food, that most
of them are consumed by the inhabitants in the
neighbourhood of the Loch, and they are scarcely
ever carried to a distance. They shed theu' spawn
in October, November, and December, and are out
of condition till March. Dr. Paniell has observed
* Vol. i. p. 161.
156 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
several varieties, particularly one having a compara-
tively small head. The distinctive characters of
the Powan will be found in our Synopsis.
(Sp. 137.) C. Pollan. The Pollan. This species,
for a knowledofe of which we are indebted to Mr.
Thompson of Belfast, * who has so successfully in-
vestigated the natural history of Ireland, is confined
to two or three of the Loughs of that country, and
occurs at times in prodigious abundance in LougJr'
Neagh. The Gwyniad and Powan are the only
other Coregoni of this country with which there m
any chance of confounding it, and this may be easily
avoided by attending to the following distinctive
marks. It differs from the former of these in the
snout not being produced ; the dorsal, anal, and cau-
dal fins considerably less; the anal more distant
from the tail and having few^er rays ; and in the
third ray of the pectoral being longest, the first
being of greatest length in the Gwyniad. From
the Powan the most obvious difference is to be
found in the form of the mouth, which has a singu-
lar appearance owing to the great depth of the
upper lip and the length and breadth of the free
portions of tlie superior maxillary bones. This
character is well delineated in a comparative view
given in one of Mr. Yarrell's beautiful Vignettes,
Vol. 11. p. 155.
The habits of the Pollan do not seem to be dif-
ferent in any important respect from those of the
* See Proceedings of Zool. Soc. for ] 835, p. 77. Magazine
of Zool. and Botany, vol. i. p. 247.
GEN. COKEGONUS. THE POLLAN. 157
other Coregoni already noticed. According to Mr.
Thompson, it approaches the shores of Lough Neagh
in large shoals, not only during spring and sunimer,
but even when autumn is far advanced. The
usual time of fishing for it is in the afternoon. It
is caught in sweep nets, cast at a very short distance
from the shore, in what quantities will appear from
the following facts. On one occasion, at three or
four draughts of the net, one hundred and forty
hundreds — one hundred and twenty-three fish to
the hundred, — or 17,220 fish were taken. In an-
other instance fifty hundreds — six thousand one
hundred and fifty individuals — were taken at one
draught of a net, besides an immense quantity of
Trout. They are usually sold at the Lough side at
the rate of from 3^. 4d. to 4^. a hundred, and con-
veyed to towns in the neigbourhood for sale, but,
like the other members of this genus, they do not
Keep long after being taken from the water. The
cry of " Fresh Pollan" is as frequently heard in the
streets of Belfast, as that of " Fresh Herring" is
elsewhere.
The spawning season is in the months of No-
vember and December ; the places selected for the
purpose being such as have a hard or rocky bottom.
Small Crustacea (particularly of the genus Gamma-
rus), entomostraca, shell-fish (gen. Pisidium and
Limneus), and the fry of small fishes (sticklebacks),
form their food. Lough Neagh, Lough Derg, and
Lough Erne, are the only recorded places frequented
Pollan.
158 MALACOP. ABDOM. SALMON FAMILY.
Gen. LXIX. Scopelus. — This genus is defined
by Cuvier as having the gape and gill aperture very
wide ; the two jaws furnished with very small teeth,
the margin of the upper formed entirely by the
intermaxillaries ; tongue and palate smooth : muzzle
very short and blunt; the gill rays nine or ten;
and besides the ordinary dorsal placed opposite the
centre of the space between the ventrals and anal,
there is a very small one behind, in which the ves-
tiges of rays can be traced. Of the latter, the adi-
pose fin, it may be remarked, that it is nearly
obsolete, scarcely any trace of it being perceptible.
(Sp. 138.) JS. Humholdtii. The Argentine. This
resplendent little fish was first noticed as British
by Pennant, who describes it as the Sheppy Argen-
tine, and gives a good representation of it. It was
next found in Orkney by Mr. Lowe, and included
in his Fauna Orcadensis. It was afterwards picked
up on the shore near Exmouth ; and again in 1838,
by Dr. W. B. Clarke, on the shore at Portobello,
near Edinburgh. In all these cases only solitary
examples occurred; but last year Mr. Yarrell re-
ceived a specimen from Redcar, on the Yorkshire
coast, and was informed that a number of others
nad been obtained from time to time in that quarter.
On comparing the figure of the specimen taken at
Portobello with that of the Yorkshire specimen,
and both with Pennant's figure, \ve cannot but feel
surprised that there should have been any doubt
about all the three belonging to the same species.
In general form and markings they are as like each
GEN. SCOPELUS. THE ARGENTINE. 15^
otlier as possible, and any differences stated in the
descnptions are of such a kind as to be sufficiently
accounted for by difference of sex and age. The
most remarkable feature in the external appearance
of th*: Argentine, is the rows of small rounded spot*
on each side of the abdomen.
160
XVII. HERRING AND PILCHARD
FAMILY. CLUPEID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. — Gen, S, Sp. 8.
Gen. 70. Clupea.
71. Alosa.
72. EXGRAULIS.
Sp. 139. C. harmgus. .
140. C. Leachii. .
141. C. pilckardus.
142. C. sjyrattus. .
143. a alba. . .
lU.A.finta. . .
145. ^. communis.
146. E. encrasicolus.
Herring.
Leach's do.
The PUchard.
Sprat, Garvie
Herring.
Whitebait.
Twaite Shad.
Allice Shad.
The Anchovy.
Although not numerous in species, this family
includes a series of fishes of the highest importance
in an economical point of view. Regarded in rela-
tion to structure, it is readily distinguished from the
allied tribes by the want of an adipose dorsal fin,
and by the belly being compressed, carinated, and
frequently serrated ; as well as by other important
characters afterwards to be detailed. The gape of the
mouth is not large, and the teeth either very small
or entirely wanting. The species therefore are not
well adapted to prey on other fishes, but generally
find their subsistence in the myriads of minute ani-
mals diffused throughout the waters of the ocean,
or lurking among the weeds and mud at the bot-
tom.
fi'l ~'"
GEN. CLUPEA. THE HERRING. 161
Gen. LXX. Clupea. — Including the Herring,
Pilchard, Sprat, and "\^^iitebait, this genus contains
several of the best known and most useful fishes
which our seas produce, This is pre-eminently the
case with the first of these, namely
(Sp. 139.) C. harengus. The Herring. But
although so familiarly known as an article of food,
we are very far from being well acquainted Avith
the natural history of this fish ; neither its migrations,
kind of food, nor the causes which produce different
degrees of excellence in different localities, have
been investigated otherwise than in a comparatively
superficial and unsatisfactory manner. On the first
of these points, namely, the migrations of the Her-
iug, the account given by Pennant and others of our
earlier naturalists, continued long to be received as
correct. He conceived that the great body rendez-
vous in the winter within the Arctic Circle, where
they continue for many months, in order to recruit
themselves with the abundance of food they find
there after the exhaustion of spawning; that this
mighty host (to which the application of the Ger-
man word Heer^ an army, has furnished the com-
mon name, expressive of their numbers) puts itself
in motion southwards in the sj^ring ; they begin to
appear off the Shetland Islands in April and May,
but the grand shoal does not appear till June. The
main body he describes as altering, on its approach,
the appearance of the very ocean. It is divided
into distinct columns of five or six miles in length,
and three or four in breadth, and thev drive the
]62 3IALAC0P. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
water before them with a kind of rippUng. Some-
times they sink for ten or fifteen minutes, then rise?
again to the surface. The Shetland Isles form the
first check this horde receives, and divide it into
two parts ; one wing takes the west, the other the
east, and they fill every bay and creek, with their
numbers. The western division is again interrupted
by the north of Ireland, and again separates in a
similar manner. Some proceed southwards, passing
through the British Channel and visiting the coasts
of France. Pennant, at the same time, admits that
some old Herrings continue on our coasts the whole
year.
Dr. M'Culloch, Mr. Yarrell, and others, disbelieve
*n this northern migration, from the circumstance of
the Herring never having been noticed as abound-
ing in the Arctic Ocean. Our Arctic voyagers and
whale fishers have taken no particular notice of
them, and there are no fisheries of any consequence
either in Greenland or Iceland. In the former it is
very rare.* They conceive that it inhabits the deep
water off our coasts all the year, and approaches
the shores at certain seasons for the deposition of its
spawn, in a manner analagous to what we see in so
many other fishes. This view they consider cor-
roborated, if not unquestionably proved, by the fre-
quent occurrence of Herring in abundance in many
southern localities before they have appeared in
more northern ones, a fact quite inconsistent with
* " Hie piscis inter Groenlandise rarissimos numerandus
est," Fahricius, Favm,a Groenlandica, p. 1 82.
GEN. CLUPEA. THE HERRIiNG. 163
the idea of their approaching our shores from a
northern quarter. It may be added, that the opinion
in question receives further support from the con-
sideration that the Pilchard, which is so closely re-
lated to the Herring, and which, like it, was at one
time thought to migrate to the north, is now known
to reside permanently in our British seas, and, in fact,
is extremely restricted in its movements. Further
observations, however, seem requisite to enable us
to speak conclusively on this subject.
The ordinary season of spawning is about the end
of October and beginning of November, but there
is reason to believe that many of them spawn at
other times. '^ The spawning of these fish in
October only," says Dr. Parnell, " does not appear
to me to account for the number of small fry, two
inches in length, that are found in the Firth of Forth
during the month of July ; and the young Herrings
that are taken from six to seven inches long in the
month of February, mixed also with fry from two
to three inches in length. When Herring are brought
to the market in the two first months of the year,
I have always found them full of spawn, and in the
middle of March I have observed many very lank,
with not a single ovum to be seen in them. Hence
it is not improbable that the same species of Her
ring may spawn twice in the year, early in the
month of March, and also towards the end of Octo
ber." *
As it is solely for the purposes of propagation
* Essay on the Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 319,
164 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
that they seek the shores and shallower portions of
the ocean, no doubt on account of the higher tem-
perature, and probably increased supply of oxygen
found in such places, both of which seem to be
Necessary, in the first place for maturing the ova,
and secondly, hatching them after they are exchided ;
they retire to deep water shortly after the operation
is concluded. It is extremely probable that their
food differs considerably while they are on our
coasts and employed as has just been stated, from
that on which they subsist while frequenting the
depths of the ocean. The food of many kinds of
fishes must be very different during the spawning
season from what it is at other times; the migra-
tory Salmonidse may serve as an example. In their
pelagic state, if we may so express it, the food of
the herring, as with so many others of the small-
Tnonthed fine-toothed fishes, consists (according to
Dr. Knox) of minute entomostraca : when near the
shore they add to these the young of their own
species, the spawn and fry of various other kinds
of fishes, small medusse, and Crustacea. Dr. Fle-
ming says that the fry, or sill^ enter the mouths of
rivers, and have even been caught with a trout-fly ;
and Sir William Jardine states that, " on the coasts
of the West Highlands, Herrings for many years
past, have been taken with the rod, the hook dressed
with a white feather (generally from some of the
guUs). Near Oban, and upon the shores of Mull
and Jura, twelve dozen are sometimes taken by a
single boat during the evening."
GEN. CLUPEA. THE HERRING. 165
The Herring very often ceases to frequent places
where it formerly abounded, and vice versa, influ-
enced in the change by circumstances which it is
impossible to account for. They appear in the
Firth of Forth in the end of December and begin-
ing of January. In the months of June, July, and
August, the Edinburgh market is supplied from the
Dunbar and Berwick coasts.
" The mode of fishing for Herrings," says Mr.
Yarrell, " is by diift-nets, very similar to those
employed for taking IMackerel and Pilchard, with a
slight difference in the size of the mesh. The net
is suspended by its upper edge from the drift-rope
by various shorter and smaller ropes called buoy-
ropes; and considerable practical skill is required
in the arrangement, that the net may hang with
the meshes square, smooth, and even in the water,
and at the proper depth ; for, according to the wind,
tide, situation of their food, and other causes, the
Herrings swim at various distances below the sur-
face.
" The size of the boat used depends on the dis-
tance from shore at which the fishery is carried on ;
but, whether in deep or shallow water, the nets
are only in actual use during the night. It is found
that the fish strike the nets in much greater num-
bers when it is dark than while it is light : the
darkest nights, therefore, and those in which thft
surface of the water is ruffled by a breeze, are con«
sidered the most favourable. It is supposed that
nets stretched in the day time alarm the fish, and
166 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
ca<Tse them to quit the places where the practice
is followed ; it is therefore strictly forbidden." *
(Sp. 140.) C. Leachii. Leach's Herring. The
diversities observed among the Herrings which fre-
quent different parts of our coasts, in size, flavour,
time of spawning &c., has long since led to the sup-
position that there exist more than one species, or
at all events well marked varieties. This opinion was
entertained, among others, by Dr. Leach, but he
never published any account of the species he re-
garded as distinct. In 1831, Mr. Yarrell obtained
specimens of a Herring from the fishermen engaged
in taking Sprats at the mouths of the Thames and
Med way, which he described as a new species in the
Zoological Journal, t naming it after the distin
guished Naturalist above referred to, by whom it
was probably first observed. The average length of
C. Leachii is seven inches; that of the common
Herring from ten to twelve inches. The body is
much deeper and less elongated than that of the
common Herring, the dorsal fin not placed so far be-
hind the centre of gravity as in that species. The
number of fin rays is also dissimilar, but that is so
variable a character that little dependence, at least
in this family, can be placed upon it. The number
of vertebrte in C. Leachii is fifty-four, in C. haren-
gus fifty-six. The former is found heavy with roe
at the end of January, not depositing it till the
middle of February. Mr. Yarrell infers, from re-
peated observations during the winter months, that
* British Fishes, ii, 187. + Vol. v. pp. 279 and 382.
GEN. CLUPEA. LEACH S HERRING. 167
they do not mature any roe during the first year, as
they remain in large shoals at the mouth of the
Thames, after the recently spawned Herring have
departed to deep water.
The flesh of this Herring is much milder than
that of the common Herring. It yet remains to be
shown in what manner it is distributed around our
coasts. It is well known that the Herring found
in many parts of the w^estern coast, particularly
in Loch Fine and other lochs of Argyleshire, are
greatly superior to those taken on the eastern
shores. They are smaller, more fleshy, and better
flavoured, properties which seem to indicate the
possibility of their being identical with C. Leachii.
This difi'erence has been usually attempted to be
accounted for by the superior excellence of the food
obtained among the sea lochs and deep indentations
of the western shores : this might account for greater
plumpness and better flavour, but is scarcely com-
patible with inferiority in size.
Pennant mentions Herring twenty-one inches
and a half in length, a size so far exceeding the or-
dinary dimensions of C. harengus, as to give coun-
tenance to the opinion, once entertained, we believe,
by Mr. Yarrell, that there may be still another
species of Herring inhabiting our seas.
(Sp. 141.) C. pilchardas. The Pilchard. This
is a smaller fish than the common Herring, and
may be at once distinguished from it, as well as C.
Leachii, by a character mentioned by Pennant.
When Herring are held up by the anterior ray of
108 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
the first dorsal, the head dips considerably, as the
fin is placed behind the centre of gravity ; if the
Pilchard be suspended in the same manner, the
body preserves its equilibrium, as the dorsal fin
occupies exactly the centre of gravity. The Pil-
chard is by no means of such general occurrence
along our coasts as the Herring, and it seems to be
gradually restricting its range of late years. About
thirty years ago it was plentiful in the Firth of
Forth, but since 1816 it has almost entirely disap-
peared from that estuary, and is very seldom found
on any of the Scottish coasts. A few are sometimes
taken off Dunbar and Berwick. The eastern coast
of England is not more highly favoured than more
northern localities, although a few stragglers are
occasionally captured in different places. The truth
is, that the northern range of this fish on the east
side of the island seldom extends beyond Dover
Straits, and on the west side rarely beyond the pa-
rallel of the southern extremity of Ireland. A Pil-
chard fishery has been long established in Bantry
Bay, County of Cork. Tlie grand resort of this fish
is the coast of Cornwall, where they are found at all
seasons of the year, and w^here a most extensive
fishery is carried on. The following notices are
chiefly derived from Mr. Yarrell's work on fishes,
who received a long and interesting account of the
Pilchard fishery from IMr. Couch, a gentleman long
resident on the coast of Cornwall, and so often
already alluded to in these volumes for his intimate
acquaintance with Ichthyology.
GEN. CLUPEA. THE PILCHARD. 169
Few, we believe, are aware of the extent to
which the Pilchard fishery is carried on in that lo-
cality, and the amount of property engaged in it.
In ]827, the total number of persons employed
amounted to 10,521 ; and the total capital directly
invested was not less than £441,215. The habits
of the fish vary according to the season. In January,
they keep near the bottom ; in 3Iarch, they some-
times assemble in schuUs, as they are called ; but it
is not until July that they permanently congre-
gate.
The sean-fishery commences in August, and con-
tinues as long as the weather permits. The great
body of the fish, which assume the arrangement of
a mighty army, take up three positions, which have
their separate influence on the success of the fishery.
One is to the eastward of the Lizard ; the second
between the latter and Land's End ; the third on
the north coast of the county, the chief station being
about St. Ives. Three boats are required for sean-
fishing; the first, termed the sean boat, is furnished
with a top-sean two hundred and twenty fathoms
iu length and twelve deep ; the second, called the
volyer (supposed to be a corruption of follower), has
a sean from one hundred to one hundred and twenty
fathoms in length and eighteen fathoms deep, named
the tuck-sean; the third boat, named the lurker,
has no sean. These three boats require a crew of
eighteen men and one or two boys. When a shoal
of fish is discovered, the lurker proceeds to recon-
noitre, to ascertain its size and the direction in which-
170 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
it Is moving. If these are reported to be favourable
for the designs of the fishermen, a warp from the
end of the sean is handed to the volyer, and the
net thrown into the sea, at first forming a curved
line across the course of the fish. The two larger
boats warp the ends together, and the lurker takes
its station in the opening, using every endeavour,
by lashing the water, to keep the fish within the
enclosed space. ^Vhen the sean is closed and the
ends laced together, if the numbers of the fish be
great or the tide strong, the net is secured by heavy
grapnels, and the contents are taken out in the
evening when the tide is low. This is done at in-
tervals, in such quantities as happen to be most
convenient for carriage, salting, &c., an entire week
sometimes elapsing before the whole of one capture
is landed.
The mode of fishing by drift or driving nets does
not differ materially from the method practised with
herring or mackerel. The nets are commonly about
twenty for one boat, each from eighteen to twenty
fathoms long, and seven fathoms deej) ; so that a
string of driving nets will sometimes reach three-
quarters of a mile. The crew of a boat consists of
four men and a boy. They commence their oi3era-
tions a little before sunset, and the nets are drawn
in about two hours, and again thrown, or shot, as it
is called.
The quantity of Pilchard taken by these means
is sometimes prodigious ; as JMr. Couch says, incre-
dibly great. From five to ten thousand fish is con-
GEN. CLUPEA. THE PILCHARD. 1 71
sidered a moderate take for a single drift-boat in
one night's fishing; often it amounts to twenty-
thousand. An instance has occurred of two thou-
sand two hundred hogsheads of Pilchard being
"taken in one sean : another of three thousand hogs-
heads— three thousand five hundred fish being
allowed for a hogshead. Tiiey are cured in differ-
.ent ways, and exported in great numbers to various
parts of Europe, as well as the colonies.
Like its congener the Herring, the Pilchard seems
to spaw^n at different seasons ; many in May, but
the main body not till October. Small marine
Crustacea form its principal if not only food, and
the stomach is often found crammed with them.
The abundance of these creatures in many parts of
the ocean is so great, that they almost seem to form
one of the ingredients in the composition of the
water ; and when we remember that similar minute
animals form the sole support of the gigantic
whales, we need be the less surprised that the
countless shoals of the Pilchard and Herring find
ample sustenance from them, without having re-
course to other food. This, however, they have
been known at times to do, and to feed on w'orms
and the roe of fishes.
The name of this fish is said to be derived from
Feltzei\ a northern word, of which we are unac-
quainted with the signification.
CSp. 142.) C. surattus. The Sprat, or Garvie
Herring. It is important that this species should
not be confounded, as it has often been, even by
1 72 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
professed naturalists, with the young of the Herring
and Pilchard, which it very closely resembles. The
keel of the abdomen is always sharjDly serrated in
the Sprat, and that character at once distinguishes
it from mature individuals of these two species, in-
dependently of the difference in size ; but as young
Herrings and Pilchards have the ridge of the belly
likewise serrated, we must seek for less equivocal
marks. These are to be found in the position of
the dorsal fin, which, in the Sprat, is situated nearer
the tip of the tail than to the point of the snout :
and in the position of the ventrals, which is a little
anterior to the first ray of the dorsal.
From five to six inches is the ordinary length of
this species, the colours similar to those of the Her-
ring. Like the latter, it is variable and capricious
as to the places it frequents as well as to its times of
appearance. In the Firth of Forth, for example,
Sprats were seldom found in any quantity till about
six years ago, but since that time they have been most
abundant, and are sold about the streets of Edinburgh
by measure. Numerous other places might be men-
tioned where they annually appear in large shoals ;
the coasts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent,
have been long favourite places of resort to them.
They are frequently taken in such multitudes
that they are used for manure, being sold at the
rate of sixpence and eightpence the bushel. Many
thousand tons are annually disposed of in this man-
ner. Sprats spawn in March, and their food is similar
to that of the Herring.
GEN. CLUPEA. WHITEBAIT. 173
Being usually brought to the market soon after
the Herring season is over, they form a cheap,
wholesome, and very agreeable article of food ; the
flesh is rich in quality, and well flavoured. Some-
times they are salted, at other times dried (as at
Gravesend and Yarmouth), and form, in that state,
a very acceptable accompaniment to many kinds of
stimulating beverage.
(Sp. 143.) C. alba. Whitebait. This little fish,
the smallest of the British Clupeidas, has attained
some degree of celebrity on account of the excellence
of its flavour, which has made it an object of great
request among the London epicures. Still further
interest is attached to it, from it being long supposed
that it was so local in this country as to be con-
fined to the Thames. That river still seems to be
its principal habitat, although there can be little
doubt that, if it were sought for with equal care, it
might be found in many other places in equal if not
greater abundance. It has been found by Dr. Par-
nell, in some plenty, in the Firth of Forth ; it also
occurs in the vicinity of the Isle of Wight, and in
the river Hamble, which flows into Southamj)ton
Water. The Kentish and Essex coasts likewise
produce it.
It is a striking proof of the difliculties that stand
in the way of investigating the history of fishes,
owing to the element they inhabit and other causes,
that up to the year 1828, this fish was generally re-
garded as the young of the Shad. Pennant conjec-
tured, however, that it was an independent species ;
i74 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
and the editor of his works, published in 1812,
states that he had little doubt about it being the
Blanquet of Duhamel, which is synonymous with
the C. latulus of Cuvier, the name that author as-
signs to the Whitebait. AH doubt upon the sub-
ject was removed by Mr. Yarrell, in 1828, by the
publication of his researches,* and the Whitebait is
now looked upon as a well marked species.
The length is from three to four inches and a
half; the colour of the back pale greenish ash, nearly
all the other parts silvery white. The food consists
of minute Crustacea. They appear in the Thames
about the end of March or beginning of April, being
then small and immature. They are in best condi-
tion for the table from June to August, and it is
during that season the Londoners resort to Green-<
wich and Blackwall to partake of them. It is the
practice of some of the corporations of London, the
members of the Royal Society, and cabinet minis-
ters, to repair to one or other of these places annu-
ally to enjoy a Whitebait dinner. The fish are
prepared for cooking by being laid on a napkin
and sprinkled with fine flour and a little salt ; they
are then rolled about the cloth till well covered by
the flour. Portions of them are then taken up in a
skellet and thrown into a pot of boiling hot lard,
where they continue till they have acquired a pale
straw colour, when they are ready for table.
Gen. LXXI. Alosa. — This genus was separated
from Clupea by Cuvier, from the circumstance of
* Zool. Journ., vol. iv. p. 137 & 465, pi. 10.
GEN. CLUPEA. TWAITE SHAD. 175
there being a notch or emargination in the upper
jaw, not observed in the former ; in other respects
the generic characters are the same. "We have two
British species.
(Sp. 144.) A.Jinta. Twaite Shad. This fish
may be readily distinguished from the other native
species, with which it has been often confounded, by
its distinct teeth on the upper jaw, and a row of
dark spots along each side of the body. It is a fish
of some size, measuring from ten inches to upwards
of seventeen inches ; and is named in some places
Mother of the Herrings, and in b'cotland, according
to Dr. Parnell, Rock Herring. It is a migratory
species, ascending large rivers in numerous troops
in the month of May, or earlier, and there deposit-
ing its spawn, retiring to the sea about the end of
July. In the Thames, however, which this fish
has long frequented in great numbers, the spawning
season is not till the second week in July. The fry,
which, as already mentioned, were long confounded
with the Whitebait, always bear a series of lateral
spots above the median line, and present various
other marks of distinction. A comparative view of
the two will be found in the fourth volume of the
Zoological Journal, PI. V. The food of the Twaite
Shad consists chiefly of the small Crustacea which
form the staple subsistence of the Clupeidae, but it
does not abstain altogether from small individuals of
its own class. Although of small repute for the
table, the flesh being coarse, dry, and insipid, these
fishes are caught in great numbers in many places
MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
for sale. Many are taken every season in the
Tliames, the most productive fishing stations on
that river being opposite the Penitentiary at Mill-
bank, and a little above Putney Bridge. The
Severn, the coasts of Devon, Cornwall, Norfolk,
&c. produce them in greater or less abundance ;
and they occur in many parts of Scotland, entering
the Firth of Forth towards the end of July.
(Sp. 145.) A. communis. Allice Shad. This is
a much larger fish than the preceding, measuring
from two to upwards of three feet in length, and
weighing from four to eight pounds : it is, therefore,
by far the largest of the British Clupeidfe. It is,
however, rather locally distributed, at least it ap-
pears to be so if we judge of that distribution by
tlie notices that have fallen under our observation.
It occurs in greatest plenty in the Severn, is fre-
quently taken at the mouth of the Tweed, occurs not
uncommonly on the nortli-east coast of Ireland, and
is found in the Firth of Forth, although it is rare in
that estuary. Such likewise may be said to be the
case with the Thames, where only a few indivi-
duals have been procured. Its flesh is said to be
superior to that of the other British Shad.
Gen. LXXII. Engraulis. — This generic group
is in several respects very unlike the other members
of the Herring family, particularly in having the
upper jaw conspicuously longer than the under one ;
the gape of the mouth extending a good way be-
hind the eyes and cleft horizontally, and the general
form being more rounded, the belly scarcely com-
G£N. ENGIiAULIS. THE ANCUOVY. i77
pressed. America lias several remarkable kinds,
but only two seem to inliabit Europe, and one of
tlicse can be claimed as British. It is
(Sp. 146.) E. cncraslcolus. The Anchovy, — a
name familiar to must people as applied to a \evy
palatable and racy preserved kind of food in yary
general request, of which Cuvier says that it is " un
des mets les plus repandus." Tl^e fish is of small
size, seldom measuring above six inches and a half
in length; the form rather slender, especially to-
wards the tail, the head long and sharp-pointed
anteriorly, the colour of the head and back greenish-
blue, nearly all the other parts silvery white. It
must be ranked among the rarer, at least more
local, of our British fishes .; although it has been ob-
served in many difi*erent places, and even so abun-
dant on the Cornwall coast, that Mr. Couch is of
opinion that if due attention were paid to the fishery,
enough might be caught to supply the consumption
of the British Islands. A most extensive fishery is
carried on in the Mediterranean, particularly at
Gorgona, a small island west of Leghorn, and the
fish are preserved by pickling. The Anchovy,
however, is not a permanent resident in the Medi-
terranean (at least if Bloch's information be correct),
but merely enters it for the purpose of spawning,
and after that function is fulfilled, again returns to
the depths of the Atlantic. It is frequently found
on the coasts of Spain and Portugal. Ray first as-
certained it to be British, having obtained examples
from the estuary of the Dec, It was aitei\'.ai.dj3
M
i 78 MALACOP. ABDOM. HERRING FAMILY.
found by Pennant, near his own residence in Flint'
shire. The Bristol Channel, coast of Glamorgan-
shire, Norfolk, and Durham, may be mentioned as
localities where it has occurred. Mi. Yarrell states
that a specimen was caught in the Thames, in 1838,
but the fish was so little known there, that it was
brought to him with a request to know what fish it
was.
Besides the British species of the Herring family
above enumerated, Mr. Swainson describes another
under the name of Clupea macrocepliala^ or Great-
headed Sprat, which was taken by him in some
abundance, in the river Mersey, in the spring of
181 7. He says that the perfectly central position
of the ventral fin, and the number of vertebras,
which are fifty-five instead of forty-eight, together
with the large size of the head, &c. separate it from
C. sprattus ; the more backward position of the
dorsal distinguishes it both from the Whitebait and
Twaite-shad of Yarrell, although both have nearly
the same number of vertebrce : from the other Bri-
tish Clupeidge its differences he considers as too ob-
vious to be mentioned.*
We are not aware that this suj^posed species has
been noticed since, or is in any way alluded to by
Ichthyologists. Some further acquaintance with it
is therefore desirable, before a place can be with
safety assigned to it among the well authenticated
species.
* See Nat. Hist, of Fishes in Lardner's Cab. Cyc. vol. ii. p.
179
ORDER III. MALACOPTERYGII SUB-BRACHlA'/i.
This is tlie third great Order of Osseous Fishes,
according to Baron Cuvier's arrangement, by whicn
we have been guided throughout. It forms the
second division of the soft-rayed fishes, and is cha-
racterised by having the attachment of the ventral
fins beneath the pectorals, an arrangement which
has suggested the appellation of sub-brachial. The
pelvis is directly suspended to the bones of the
shoulder. Considered in relation to Britain, it con-
tains four families, two of which, the Gadidse, or
Cod family, and the Pleuronectidse, or family of the
Flat-fish, are very rich in species, and most of these
species are of great value to man as articles of food,
more so perhaps than any other tribe of fishes. The
flesh is white, firm, easily digested, and nutritious,
and in many cases it preserves most of its good
qualities when dried. All these fishes are marine
(with a single exception), the influence of fresh
water being in no way necessary to any function in
their economy. Their powers of reproduction are
enormous, and notwithstanding the myriads that
are captured, there is every likelihood that the sup-
ply will always continue to be plentiful.
180
XVIII. COD AND HADDOCK FAMILY.
GADID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. — Gen. 8, Sp. 21.
Gren. 73. Morrhua Sp.l 47. ilf. vulgaris.
Common Cod.
U^.M. callarias.
Dorse, or Variable
Cod.
149. M. ceglefimos.
Haddock.
150. M. kisca. .
Bib, Pout, or Whit-
ing Pout.
•
151. M. mimda. .
Poor, or Power Cod.
74. Mkrlangus.
152. M. vulgaris.
Tlie Whiting.
153. M. alhus. .
Couch's Whiting.
\hi. M. jpollacliius.
The Pollack, or
Lythe.
1 55. M. carlonarim. The Coalfisli.
IBQ.M. virens. .
Green Cod.
75. Merluccius.
157. M. vulgaris.
Common Hake.
76. Lota. . .
l5S.L.Molva. .
The Ling.
159. L. vulgaris.
The Burbot.
77. MOTELLA. .
ISO.M.tricirrata.
Three-bearded
Reckling.
\Q\. M. qmnquecir-
Five-bearded Rock-
rata.
ling.
162. M. cinibria.
Four-bearded Rock-
ling.
]63.3f.glauca. .
Mackerel ]\Iidge.
164. M. argenteola.
Silvery Gade.
/8. ±jROSMiLS.
165. B. vulgaris. .
The Torsk, or Tusk.
79. Phycis. .
l66.P.ft(/)-catus..
The Great Forked
Hake.
80. JRaniceps. ,
167. R. trifurcatus.
Tad-pole Fish.
\ X-
'!'
/ in 't
4,
\
t x\
/, .-^.
>' m 3
x,\)i
GEN. MORRHUA. COMMON COD. 181
This is one of the mo>t extensive famihes of our
native fishes, and also one of the most useful to
man. The most imjDortant species are appropriated
to the more northern latitudes ; and as the British
islands are situated within vs^hat is called, in refer-
ence to geographical distribution, their metropolis,
or chief place of resort, we have our full share of
the benefits to be derived from them. They may
be known by having the eyes placed one on each
side of the head ; the ventral fins separate, jugular,
and pointed; the jaws and front of the vomer
armed with teeth. The body is covered with scales,
but these are of small size, sometimes scarcely per-
ceptible, and are inserted, as it were, beneath the
cuticle ; they are therefore closely adherent, never
coming off to the touch like those of the Ckipeidas,
and they are not unfrequently covered with an
unctuous secretion. All the fins are soft, rather
thick and fleshy, being covered with the common
skin of the body ; most of them voluminous, espe-
cially the hinder dorsal and anal. The caudal is
not large, and commonly straight or convex at the
hinder extremity.
Gen. LXXIII. Morrhua. — Dorsal fins three in
number, the first triangular ; anals two ; chin with
one barbule.
(Sp. 147.) M. vulgaris. Common Cod. This is
by far the largest member of the genus, and is a
fish almost universally known in cold and temperate
climates, it is so generally distributed, and exten-
sively captured as an article of commerce. Its most
182 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
southern range seems to be about the latitude of
Gibraltar, but it has never been known to enter the
Mediterranean. It extends very far northwards,
although in some of the most northern places visited
by navigators, it appears to be supplanted by the
species next to be mentioned. It occurs in profu-
sion, as is well known, on the shores of Newfound-
land, and other places on the North American
coast. The coasts of Norw^ay also swarm with Cod,
and many profitable fisheries are established there.
It occurs round the whole shores of Britain a- id
Ireland, but becomes more plentiful as we advance
from the south northwards. Thus the principal
fishing stations have hitherto been oif the Western
and Shetland Islands ; but, according to Mr. Yar-
rell, the fish have of late become more frequent in
the south of England, and the London fishmongers,
who used formerly to be supplied from Orkn(>y and
the north of Scotland, obtain them in sufiicicnt
quantities from the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coasts,
or even between that and London, where previously
very few fish could be procured.
These fish generally inhabit deep water, from
twenty-five to forty or fifty fathom, and when
found in shallower places there must be some parti-
cular attraction in the supply of food. They are
extremely voracious, scarcely any of the smaller in-
habitants of the ocean coming amiss to them : small
fish of all kinds, mollusca, worms, and cruotacea ;
among the latter, crabs of considerable size are
found in their capacious stomachs. Nay, they fre-
GEN. MORRHUA. COMMON COD. 183
'][uently gorge substances, such as pieces of wood,
which even their powerful gastric juices are unable
to dissolve, and they have the power of rejecting
them when incommoded by their presence. They
deposit their spawn in the months of May and June,
according to Dr. Parnell; but Mr. Yarrell gives
February as their proper spawning season ; and the
number of young to which one female may give
birth in one season is so great, that it is usually re-
ferred to as one of the most remarkable instances on
record of animal fertility. The ova are said some-
times to amount to nine millions three hundred and
eighty-four thousand ! The fry are seen in the sum-
mer months, in company with sprats, herring, &c.,
and are then from three to five or six inches in
length, and freckled with light brown and yellow.
They attain greater size as the autumn advances,
their growth being extremely rapid, and are then
frequently taken by the fishermen, who call them
Codlings, Skinners, and Tamlin Cod. In most places
the full-grown fish are taken all the year, but they
are in greatest perfection during the colder months.
As Cod frequent deep waters, and seek their
food at or near the bottom, they cannot well be
caught otherwise than by a hook and line ; and this
method is invariably practised. They catch almost
at any small object moving in the water, and it is
not therefore necessary to be very particular about
the nature of the bait, but shell-fish, such as lim-
pets, uhelks, mussels, &c., are most commonly em-
ployed On the Newfoundland bank, the fisher-
184 MALACOP. SUB-I3RACH. COD FAMILY.
men have sometimes used pieces of pork and sea
fowl with advantage.
" The flesh of these fishes, which is white, firm,
and of most excellent flavour, renders them exceed-
ingly valuable to us.. It is capable of being pre-
served in a state fit for eating much longer than
that of most other species of this class. Its con-
sumption is consequently extended through the four
quarters of the globe. Almost all the parts of the
Cod are adapted foi' the nourishment of man and
animals, or for some other purpose of domestic
economy. The tongue, for instance, whether fresh
or salted, is a great delicacy ; the gills are carefully
preserved, to be employed as baits in fishing ; the
liver, which is large and good for eating, also fur-
nishes an enormous quantity of oil, which is an
excellent substitute for that of the whale, and appli-
cable to all the same purposes ; the swimming-blad-
der furnishes an isinglass not inferior to that yielded
by the sturgeon ; the head, in the places where the
Cod is taken, supplies the fishermen and their fami-
lies with food. The Norwegians give it with ma-
rine plants to their cows, for the purpose of pro-
ducing a greater proportion of milk. The vertebrae,
the ribs, and the bones in general, are given to their
cattle by the Icelanders, and by the Kamtschatdales
to their dogs. These same parts, properly dried,
are also employed as fuel in the desolate steppes of
the shores of the Icy Sea. Even their intestines and
their eggs contribute to the luxury of the table." "'
* Griffith's Cuvier, vol. x. p. 507.
GEN. MORRHUA. VARIABLE COD. 185
Several well marked varieties have been described.
One with a sharp nose, elongated before the eye,
and the body of a very dark brown colour, prevails
along the southern coasts, and it is this which is
now commonly found in the London market. The
other has a round blunt nose, short and wide before
the eyes, and the body of a light yellowish ash-
green colour. This is commonly called the Scotch
Cod.* Another variety of a dark red, or reddish-
brown colour, supposed to be caused by some par-
ticular kind of food, has been frequently found at
the Isle of Man and also on the coast of Durham
and Northumberland.
Cod have been found to thrive well in a pond to
which the tide has access, and even to become
superior to those caught in the open sea.
These fish sometimes attain a very large size.
There are instances on record of individuals weigh-
ing sixty and seventy-eight pounds, and reaching a
length of nearly six feet.
(Sp. 148.) M. callarlas. Dorse, or Variable Cod.
This fish has been for some time inserted in the
catalogues of our indigenous fauna, but up to a very
recent period this appears to have been done with-
out sufficient authority. All doubt on the sul)ject,
however, is now removed, by the discovery of s])Q-
cimens both in the north and south of Ireland, by
Mr. Thompson of Belfast. It is a much smaller
fish than M. vulgaris^ the length being always be-
low two feet and not frequently exceeding one
* Yarrell's Britisli Fishes, vol. ii. p. 227.
J ^6 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
The belly is not very prominent, and the head, back,
and sides are more or less spotted, besides other
distinctions which will be found stated in our Sy-
nopsis. It is a northern species, being well known
in the Baltic, and was found by Capt. Ross on the
northern coast of the American continent, along the
shores of the inlet to the west of the peninsula of
Boothia. Fabricius mentions it as frequent in
Greenland, and varying in size, number of fin-rays,
and colouring. He states also that it is taken in
the winter by breaking a hole in the ice, and using
some shining substance, such as a ball of lead, or a
glass pearl, as a bait. Cuvier says that its flesh, is
superior to that of the common Cod.
(Sp. 149.) M.,Tglefinm. Haddock. This fish
is almost as generally known, and of as great value
as the Cod ; when taken in deep and clear water,
and in fine condition, it is even thought by some to
be the most delicate and savoury of the wdiole fa-
mily of the Gradidas. It does not, however^ take salt
so well as the Cod, and cannot therefore be ren-
dered of such extensive utility. It frequents all the
coasts of Britain, and most of the Irish shores, but
is most plentiful on the east side of both islands.
It swims in large shoals, and these shoals appear in
certain localities nearly at the same time in different
years. On the Yorkshire coast, for example, the
fishermen have remarked that their arrival may be
expected about the 10th of December. It has been
calculated that the shoal in that quarter, on its first
arrival, is about three miles in breadth and eighty
GEN. MORRHUA. THE HADDOCK. 187
Iniles in lengtli, extending from Flamborougli Head
to the mouth of the Tyne below Newcastle. The
fishermen, on these occasions, have been knowTi to
load their boats twice a day, taking each time a ton
of fish, which they sold from eightpence to a shilling
the score. Haddocks were formerly very abundant
in the Firth of Forth, but of late years the numbers
have decreased, and they seem to be retiring to the
outlet of the estuary; the best being now taken
near Aberlady and to the eastward of that point.
Yery fine fish of this species, and the largest indi-
viduals yet seen — weighing sixteen pounds — have
been captured in Dublin Bay.
The Haddock is taken either with long lines or
hand lines in the same manner as Cod. In stormy
weather it refuses every bait, and seeks refuge among
the sea-weeds in deep water, till the commotion
has subsided. February and March are the spawn-
ing months, and the young are found six inches
long by the beginning of September. They are in
the greatest perfection for the table from October
till the beginning of January, and the middle sized
kind, about eighteen inches in length, are considered
preferable for that purpose to those of larger dimen-
sions. They are preserved in a variety of ways.
When smoked in a particular manner, they are
called Finnan Haddocks ; and when fish of proper
size and condition have been selected and the opera-
tion rightly performed, they form a very racy and
most agreeable article of diet, especially if used
JJ»8 MALACOP. SUB BRACII. COD FAMILY.
within a limited time after being cured. Many arc
prepared in this manner at Aberdeen, and these
enjoy a greater reputation than any others. They
are sold in small bundles, and are very much used
in Edinburgh and many other cities in Scotland.
Small Haddocks, simply dried and uncooked, are
called Speldrinys^ and a good many are consumed in
that state.
It is rather a curious circumstance in the distri-
bution of the Haddock, that, although ranging far
to the north, it has never yet been seen in the
Baltic ; neither does it occur in the ^Mediterranean.
To the west, however, like its congener the Cod, it
reaches tlie American shores, vast shoals having been
found on the coast of Massachusetts. Fabricius ob-
served it to be pretty numerous in the Greenland
seas, but it is not a little singular, that out of the
many he examined, not one was found with the
large black spot behind the pectorals, the mark of
St. Peter's thumb, which, as far as we know, is never
wanting in British specimens. He adds that neither
Artedi nor Linn^us (It. Scan, and It. Wgoth) make
any mention of that spot, and he thence concludes
that it is not a constant mark.
The French fishermen call the Haddock, Hadot^
and Mr. Yarrell conjectures that our name is thence
derived. In Scotland the name is pronounced al-
most exactly like the French word, omitting tlie
final letter ; and as it is the practice in the dialect
of Edinburghshire and some other places to change
GEV. MORRHUA. THE POUT. 189
certain terminations in o and oic into ie^ the fish-
wives of Newhaven and the neighbourhood invari-
ably call these fish HadcUes.
(Sp. 150.) M. lusca. Bib, Pout, Whiting Pout,
or Brassy. This species may be distinguished from
aU the other Morrhuge by the uncommon depth of
body compared to its length, and by the length of
the base of the first anal fin which commences in a
line with, or racher in advance of, the insertion of
the first dorsal. M. lusca and M. harhata have
been described by most of our older Naturalists as
distinct ; Bloch was the first to bring them together,
in which he was followed by Mr. Jenyns ; and this
view may be said to be proved to be correct by the
recent observations of Mr. Yarrell. This author
considers that the various provincial names of Klcg
(Scarborough), Blens and Blinds (Devon and Corn-
wall), Smeltie (Zetland), have all reference to this
species, and that the appellation of Pout, Bib, and
Blens (the latter meaning a blister, as it appears in
the word chilblains), have been suggested by the
singular power possessed by this fish of inflating,
like a bladder, a membrane which covers the eyes
and neighbouring region of the head. This fish is
in great esteem for its flesh, and it is sold in the
London markets under the name of Whiting Pout. *
It is common all along the southern coasts of Eng-
land ; and, although not abundant elsewhere, is yet
* Fow fishes have been so favoured Avith a diversity of names
as this. At St. Ives, according to Pennant, it is called Luy, a
Leaf; and at Penzance, ^olhoch, i. e- Large Eyes.
190 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
taken in pretty considerable quantities. It is not
rare in Scotland, and such likewise seems to be the
case with Ireland. It is frequent in Greenland,
where, according to Fabricius, it deposits its red-
dish-yellow spawn among the fuci of the smaller
bays, even under the ice, in February or Maren
The male and female, he adds, are supposed fre-
quently to keep each other company under the same
stone. The ova are used as food by the Green-
landers. " The Brassy," says Dr. Parnell, " is taken
in the Firth of Forth, principally near the Isle of
May, with long lines set for Cod and baited with
mussels. It is seldom found as high up the Firth
as Inchcolm, but when taken beyond that point, it
is generally thin and ill-flavoured, not meeting with
that abundance and variety of food which it finds
in deeper and more rocky situations." '•
(Sp. 151.) M. minuta. Poor, or Power Cod.
The general appearance of this fish is similar to the
last, but it is by no means so ventricose, and is at
once distinguished by its inferior size, which never
exceeds seven or eight inches, and the position of
the first dorsal, the hinder extremity of wdiich is in
advance of the first anal fin. The name probably
refers to the smallness of its size, which renders its
capture of little value to fishermen ; it can have no
reference to the qualities of its flesh, which is as
good as that of most of its congeners. It is princi-
pally employed as a bait for larger fish, although it
occasionally appears in the markets along with the
* Mem. Wern, Trans., vii, 342.
GEN, xMERLANGirs. THE WHITING. 19J
Wliiting Pout. It is not unfrcquently taken on
the coasts of Devon and Cornwall ; and occurs also
in Ireland. We have not seen any Scottish locality
assigned to it. It is almost the only kind of Cod.
properly so called, that occurs in the Mediterranean >
and it is also plentiful in the Baltic.
Besides the ahove species of I^Iorrhua, Dr. Turton
describes another as British, under the name of M.
punclata. This no subsequent author appears tc
have taken any notice of except Dr. Fleming and
Mr. Jcnyns, the former of whom enumerates it
among the other species, adopting Turton's descrip-
tion without remark. Mr. Jenyns considers it a
variety of M. vulgaris^ which in all likelihood is
the light in which it ought to be regarded.
Gen. LXXIY. Merlangus. — This generic group
admits of a very brief and determinate definition,
as the only character of importance in which it dif-
fers from the preceding genus is in the want of a
cirrus or barbule at the chin, while the possession of
three dorsal fins distinguishes it from aU the follow-
ing genera of the family. The species are of hand-
somer forms than the Cods, the belly being less
prominent, and the fins not so ample ; but they arc
very closely allied to them in structure as well as
habits, and among other resemblances is the fortu-
nate one of being fitted to aff*ord most excellent food
to man. Tliis is tlie case, in particular, with the
first we have to mention,
(8p. 152.) M. vulgaris. The Wliiting, whicb is
generally thought to be superior in delicacy to aU
192 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
the other Gadidas, and at the same time Hghter and
more digestible. It is fortunately a very common
fish, occurring so plentifully on most of the coasts of
Britain and Ireland, that it is quite unnecessary to
mention particular localities. It prefers a sandy
bottom, and generally swims in shoals a few miles
from the shore. Its principal food is the fry of
other fishes, but moUusca, crustaceous, and other
marine animals of small size are likewise devoured,
and that with little discrimination, as it is extremely
voracious. It sheds its spawn in March, and is
afterwards out of season till June. It is in highest
condition from January to the end of February. It
is fished for, however, nearly all the year, being
generally taken with lines. Large quantities are
salted and dried, but several of the good qualities of
the flesh are impaired or lost by this process. The
ordinary length is from a foot — the size which is con-
sidered best for the table — to sixteen inches, and
the weight about a pound and a half. They occur,
however, of the weight of four pounds.
(Sp. 153.) M. alhus. Couch's AVhiting. This
species is found in the Mediterranean, having been
described by Risso, but was unknown in this coun-
try till 1810, when it was taken by Mr. Couch on
the Cornwall coast.* "We cannot do better than
^ive that gentleman's description, as published by
Mx. Yarrell, in the second volume of his work on
fishes.
* Wc presume this to be the locality, although the fact is
not expressly mentioned.
GEN. MERL ANGUS. COUGHS WHITING. IP!'^
" Length fifteen inches ; the depth in a straight
hne, two inches and a half; from the base of the
first dorsal fin to the vent, along the curve, three
inches; from the mouth to the edge of the gill-cover,
three inches ; from the same to the anterior edge of
the eye, one inch ; the eye large, the form a per-
pendicular oval ; under jaw the longest ; the upper
maxillary bone terminal, the snout receding from
it backwards, contrary to the f(jrm of the Whiting,
in which the upper jaw is under a projection ; the
general form of the body resembles that of a Whit-
ing, but rather more slender ; the back rounded, as
if the specimen was plump, thus showing its slender
form not to be the result of emaciation ; teeth in
the jaws as in the Whiting ; on the roof of the
mouth a pair of prominent, sharp, incurved teeth ;
lateral line straight, and passing near the back ;
another line along the middle of the body formed
by the meeting of the muscles; the body ending
arrow-shaped at the caudal fin ; the first dorsal fin
begins over the posterior third of the pectoral ; the
second dorsal fin like the first in form and elevation,
both being triangular ; between them a space about
equal to their separate breadth ; nearly twice this
breadth between the second and the third dorsal
fin ; the beginning of the third dorsal fin is slightly
anterior to that of the second anal fin ; caudal fin
shaped as in the Whiting, but less wide ; the pecto-
ral fin ends opposite the middle of the first dorsal
fin, ventral fins small and slender, placed rather high
on the side, and much like those of the Whitin<»
7D4 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
Pollack (MerlaTjgus polJacJims) ; the longest fibre
measures seven-eighths of an inch ; from the point
of the under jaw to the vent, four inches and a quar-
ter ; from the centre of the vent to the commence-
ment of the first anal fin, one quarter of an inch ;
first anal fin long, widest in the middle ; the second
anal longer than the third dorsal, both end close to
the caudal fin ; colour brown ; belly white ; a dark
spot at the upper margin of the pectoral fin ; along
the base of the anal fins a broad white band ; no
such band at their margin. The distinctions between
this fish and the Whiting are obvious, in the jaws,
fins, lateral line, colour, and vertebra?. The brilliant
white along the base of the anal fins remained un-
altered, after the brilliancy of all besides had con-
siderably changed. The muscular substance of the
fish was more pulpy than that of the Whiting. It
was taken with an ordinary bait a few miles from
land."
(Sp.l54.) M. Pollachius. The Pollack, orLythe.
This fish differs from the Merlangi, already noticed,
by having, among other characters, the under jaw
projecting beyond the upper, the lateral line curved,
and the caudal fin slightly concave. It attains
nearly the same dimensions as the Coalfish, but is
not so common as that species, although it is gene-
rally distributed around the coasts of Britain and
Ireland. It is partial to rocky places; and does
not congregate in shoals when in search of food,
although large quantities are often taken near to
each otlier. They are described by Pennant and
GEN. MERLANGUS. THE POLLACK. I9b
Low as being extremely frolicksome, frequently
gamboling on the surface of the water, and flinging
themselves about in a thousand ways. They are
often attempted to be sold for Whiting, and in many
places are called Pollack Whiting ; but although of
very good quality, especially during the winter
months, and their flesh actually bearing consider-
able resemblance to that of the Whiting, it is still
inferior in delicacy and flavour. It is stated by
Mr. Couch that the Pollack spawns in winter, and
that the young abound near the edge of the tide in
rocky ground at the beginning of summer. It is a
rare visitant of the Firth of Forth, seldom more than
half a dozen, according to Dr. Parnell, being taken
during the season, and these generally of large size.
We have already mentioned that the Herring
may be taken with a hook having a white feather
attached to it : as this is likewise the case with the
Coalfish (in a young state) and more especially the
present species, the following notice of this mode of
fly-fishing will be read with interest. " Of all the
apologies for a fly this is the clumsiest ; it is only a
swan's or goose's feather tied round a large and
very coarse bait-hook, without the least pretence to
art ; any man who had never dressed a fly in his
life would be as successful in the attempt as the
most finished performer.* The rod and line are in
* Worsted is occasionally used instead of the feather, and it
is sometimes a kilHng way to have a different colour for each
rod, viz. white for one, yellow for another, and red for a third.
This last is best for Mackerel ; and in some states of the water
196 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
perfect keeping with the fly; a bamboo cane, or
young hazel tree, with ten or twelve yards of oiled
cord, and a length or two of double or treble gut
next the hook : no reel is used.
" The fish generally caught in this way are Lythe
and Seithe, although Mackerel will rise freely also ;
when fishing for the former, good double gut may
be strong enough, but if large fish are expected, I
shoidd always recommend triple. Seithe take best
in the morning and evening, and a slight breeze is
rather an advantage; although the flv is sometimes
sunk a little with lead, it is more often fished with at
the top. You may begin at any state of the tide, and
row over all the sunk banks and places where the
fish frequent, at a slow rate, with three or four rods
placed regularly in the stern of the boat. When a
small Seithe is hooked, pull it in at once, and out
with the rod again as fast as possible ; sometimes
nearly all the rods have a fish at the same time. In
Lythe fishing you need not launch your boat till
low water ; sink the fly with a couple of buck-shot,
and troll on the brow, when it descends perpendi-
cularly ; this is easily seen at that state of the tide.
Wlien you hook a large fish, try to prevent it get-
ing down, or you may be obliged to throw the rod
overboard, in case the Lythe should break away ;
but if you can manage to swing it about at the top
for a short time, it will soon be unable to offer anv
resistance.
and sky, l»oth Lythe and Seithe, especially the former, prefer
the yellow to the white.
GEN. MERLANGUS. THE COALFISH. 19/
^ Trolling with the white feather has this recom-
aiendation, that it may be enjoyed by an invalid or
party of ladies — and, certainly a more delightful
way of spending the cool of a summer evening
cannot be imagined ; rowing slowly along those
romantic shores, — hearing the distant gurgle of the
dwindled mountain- brook in its steep descent, and
ever and anon passing the blue curling smoke of a
shepherd's or fisherman's grass-topped hut upon the
banks." *
(Sp. 155.) M. corhonarius. The Coalfish. "When
full grown this is a fish of rather handsome form,
the small tapering head, general outline, and forked
tail, almost reminding us of the elegant proportions
of the Salmon.t The last mentioned character, in
connexion with the straight lateral line, distinguishes
it not only from all the other species of this genus,
but even of this family, at least considered as Bri-
tish.:{: Although the ordinary colour of the upper
parts is brown or dusky, yet they sometimes be-
come deep black, and it is this that has caused it to
be called the Coal-fish. In almost all northern seas
it is frequent, and in some it abounds. It was the
only fish found by Lord Mulgrave on the shores of
Si^itzbergen, and was noticed by Parry in Davis
* Colquhoun's Moor and Loch, p. lib.
t 111 some parts of the country, Coalfish are actually named
BlacTc Salmon.
t The Gadvs fwcatvs of Swainson, a Sicilian species, has
the tail deeply forked. See Lard. Cye. Fishes, vol. i. p. 318,
fig. 71.
198 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
Straits ; Fabricius, however, does not include it in
his Greenland Fauna. It also occurs on the coasts
of North America, in the Pacific (it is said), and in
the Mediterranean ; but in the latter it is very rare.
Our own shores and those of the sister island pro-
duce it in abundance, but it becomes gradually less
l^lentiful as w^e advance from the northern parts of
Britain southwards, except in particular places, such,
for example, as the coast of Cornwall, where 24 cwt.
have been caught by four men in a few hours.
Coalfish deposit their spawn early in spring, and
as the growth of the fry is rapid, they are upwards
of two inches long by the month of June, and nearly
five in August. It is when about this size that they
are most valued as food, for as they grow older their
flesh becomes coarse, although it is always wholesome
and substantial, and finds purchasers among the
poorer classes. In all stages of its growth, this fish
takes a bait with extraordinary eagerness ; when a
boat falls in with a shoal, they may be kept beside
it, by being attracted in this way, till the whole are
captured. Almost every district has its own local
name either for the full grown fish or the fry. Thus,
among the Scotch Islands the former is called Sil-
lock, Pitlock, Cudden, Sethe, Sey, &c. At New-
castle the latter are called Coalsey, and when pretty
large, Poodlers. In the Firth of Forth, and many
other parts of Scotland, the young are called P(.d-
leys. Under the latter designation they are w^ell
known to juvenile anglers, who take them in plenty
from the end of piers and other places overlooking.
GEN. MEllLAKGUS. GREEN COD. 19J
the water, often with a very rude tackle, and
almost any kind of bait that happens to be at hand.
They rise freely to an artificial fly. Mr. Wilson
mentions that he once killed thirty-three dozen
with the rod in a few hours, using six small flies,
and fi^equently landing an equal number of fish at
once.* In the winter time, as we are informed by
Mr. Low, while the fry of this fish is in the har-
bour of Orkney, it is common to see five or six
hundred people, of all ages, fishing for them, with
small angling rods about six feet long, and a line
a little longer ; but with this simple apparatus they
kill vast numbers, none going away without as
many as he inclines. The whole harbour is covered
with boats, and the piers with men, and all are
supplied ; for from the surface to the bottom of the
water it is crowded.
Full grown specimens of the Coalfish are between
two and three feet in length.
(Sp. 156.) M. mrens. Green Cod. If this fish
is not a particular state of the fry of the Coalfish,
w^hich Mr. Couch and some other ichthyologists
believe it to be, it certainly makes a very near ap-
proach to that species, the general form being simi-
lar, the lateral line straight, the tail deeply lunate,
if not actually forked, and the colours not beyond
the range which might legitimately be assigned to
a species known to be very variable in this respect.
With the exception of the colour, and, as Mr. Yar-
rell thinks, a greater proportional depth than tho
* Encyc. Brit. Ichthyology, p. 218.
200 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
young of either tlie Coalfish or the Pollack, we can
see no unportant distinction from the former ; from
the latter it may generally be known by the jaws
being of nearly equal length, and the lateral line not
curved over the pectorals. From the time of Lin-
n^us, however, it has generally been regarded a.-s
distinct : and by retaining it, in the mean time, as
such, its claims to the distinction are most likely to
receive a thorough examination. Nr.rthern ichthy-
ologists seem to entertain no doubt on the point ;
and Fabricius includes it in his Fauna of Greenland,
where the Coalfish does not occur. It was first
noticed as British by Pennant, whose correspondent.
Sir John CuUum, obtained specimens from the Ger-
man Ocean. It has occurred plentifully round the
Isle of Man, and has been taken in the Firth of
Forth ; although of late it has become very scarce
in that estuary. Linnaeus does not attribute to his
Gadus mrens a length exceeding that of the Perch
'about a foot). Nilsson gives the dimensions of
nis fish of the same name as from two to three
feet.
Gen. LXXV. Merluccius. — Of this genus, the
name of which may be translated Sea-pike, we pos-
sess only one species, which, like the Merlangi, has
no barbule at the chin, but the dorsal fins are only
two in number, the first short, the second very
long.
(Sp. 157.) M. vulgaris. The Common Hake, is a
fish of considerable size, commonly measuring nearly
two feet in length, and not unfrequently exceeding
GEN. MERLUCCIUS. THE COMMON HAKE. 201
three feet. Its body is rather slender and elongated,
the gape of the mouth wide ; the under jaw longest,
and armed with very long and sharp teeth. The
second dorsal fin commences opposite the vent and
runs back nearly to the tail, the hinder extremity
produced and round, so as to give the outline of
the fin a slightly sinuated appearance ; the anal fin
of similar size and shape. It is rather a plentiful
fish on the English coasts, and also on those of
Ireland, but seems to be comparatively rare in the
^Scottish seas. Dr. Parnell, in reference to the Firtli
of Forth, informs us that a single specimen was
taken some years ago in a stake-net, near Mussel-
burgh, and sent to the Edinburgh market, where it
appeared to be unknown. In the bay of Galway,
on the contrary, as we learn from a writer in
Griffith's Cuvier, it is so abundant, that the bay is
named, in some ancient maps, the Bay of Hakes :
and similar testimony, as to its frequency on the
Cornwall coast, is supplied to Mr. Yarrell by Mr.
Couch. The generic name indicates its voracity.
When enclosed in a sean w^ith pilchards, as fre-
quently happens, it gorges itself to its heart's con-
tent ; Mr. Couch has seen seventeen pilchards taken
from the stomach of a Hake of ordinary size! When
taken, they generally disgorge the contents of their
stomach. The spawning season is from January to
April.
The flesh of the Hake is held in rather less esti-
mation than that of any of the Giididoe noticed in
the preceding pages. It is much used, however, in
202 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
a dried state, although the name of Poor John^ hy
which it is known in many places, does not say
much for the value sometimes set upon it. It is
this species and the common Cod, when dried and
salted for exportation, to which the name of Stock-
fish is usually applied. The term is said to be
derived from a German phrase, literally meaning
stick-Jlsh^ because they are extended on sticks in
f^rder to be dried. When long kept, they become
very hard, and it is therefore the custom, before
cooking them, to beat them smartly with a mallet,
to bruise and separate the fibres. It is from this
practice that we derive the common phrase, " to
beat one like a stock fish."
The geographical range of the Hake, seems to
be extensive in all directions ; northwards, to Scan-
dinavia, Greenland, &c. ; southwards, the Medi-
terranean and Madeira ; westwards, the shores of
America. In stating that it occurs in the Mediter-
ranean, we do not overlook the fact, that although
Cuvier regards the Hake of that inland sea as
identical with our northern fish, Mr. Swainson con-
tends that it is distinct, and applies to it the name
of M. sinuatus. In reference to this circumstance,
Mr. Yarrell regrets that Mr. Swainson has merely
given a figure of his fish, without mentioning its
characters ; inadvertently overlooking the fact, that
he has supplied a description in the Appendix to
his second volume (page 390). There, however, he
still relies on the sinuosity of the dorsal and anal fins
as the principal character, and he was probably, in
GEN. MERLUCCirS. THE COMMON HAKE. 20^
some degree, misled in the inference he drew from
this (as Mr, Lowe seems to have been in regard to
the Madeiran Hake), by the fignre of the fish in the
first edition of Yairell's work, where the second
dorsal rather diminishes in height towards the tail,
and no sinuosity consequently exists. "We do not
mean to say that this form of the fin, or at least an
approach to it, may not occasionally be observed,
for it varies considerably, but the normal shape
is decidedly sinuated (as represented in the figure
in Yarrell's second edition), as may be seen by
Pennant's. Jenyn's, and other descriptions, in which
the hinder rays of the fins are stated to be highest,
and it is by this the sinuosity is produced. So far,
therefore, Swainson has proved nothing in favour of
the view he takes of the Mediterranean Hake. Ho
next states that the head of M. sinuatus is shorter
than in the British Hake, being exactly one-fifth
the entire length of the fish ; Mr. Yarrell gives the
length of the head of M. vulgaris^ as compared with
the length of the hody alone^ as one to three ; these
last mentioned dimensions we find to correspond
exactly to Mr. Swainson's figure of M. sinuatus.
The next character he refers to is afforded by the
teeth, which are said to be in two rows in M. sinu-
atus, instead of one, as in M. vulgaris. In describ-
ing the teeth of the latter. Dr. Parnell says, that
there is one row in each jaw, with some short ones
at the base — it is possible that these may sometimes
assume somewhat of the form of a subsidiary row.
If it were found that there invariably existed two-
^204 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
regular series of teeth in M. sinuatus and only one
in M. vulgaris, it would be an anomalous discre-
pancy between two fishes in other respects so closely
related. The only other circumstance of sufficient
-importance to be noticed, is, that the ventrals in the
Mediterranean fish are said to be rounded. If there
is no mistake in this, it would be a deviation from
ihe family/ character, and all analogy is against it ;
we are unable, however, to say what importance
ought to be attached to it. In one of Mr. Yarrell's
figures of the Common Hake, the fin in question is
pointed, in the other (the amended one) it is scarcely
or not at all so. Every thing considered, we can-
not, at present, admit the specific distinction Mr.
Swainson contends for, and must therefore con-
sider the range of the British Hake as extending to
the Mediterranean.
Gen. LXXYI. Lota. — This and the preceding
genus are rather of subordinate value, and it would
perhaps be more correct to consider them merely as
sub-genera. The principal distinctions in Lota are,
that the dorsal fins are two in number, and the
chin with one or more barbules. The body is elon-
gated, narrow, and rather compressed behind ; the
hinder dorsal and anal nearly as in Merluccius ;
tail convex at the extremity. We have only two
■British species, one of which is an inhabitant of
fresh water.
(Sp. 158.) L. moha. The Ling. In point of
size, as well as commercial value, this common fish
can only be compared with the Cod, and perhaps
GEN. LOTA. THE LING. 205
.ifter it and tlie Hcriing, it is the species which
most engages the enterprise and industry of our
fishermen. It is found along all the coasts of the
three kingdoms, hut the principal fishing stations
are among the Western Islands, the Orkneys and
Shetland, Yorkshire coast, Cornwall and the Scilly
Isles. The mode of capture and cure is nearly the
same as with the Cod. The greater proportion are
exported to the Spanish ports, hut the traffic is
said to yield, in general, hut a trifling remuneration.
The sounds (air-bladders) are pickled ; and the roes
are preserved in brine, being used either as food, or
as a means of attracting fish by thiowing it about
the nets, as is often done by the French fisherman.
The liver is very large, of a white colour when the
fish is in season, and yields a large quantity of oil,
often used for the lamp, and not unfrequently of
late as an internal medicine, having been found to
operate very beneficially in cases of rheumatism.
According to Pennant, when the fish is out of season,
the liver becomes red as tliat of an ox, and aff'ords
no oil, as the latter, by supporting them in the
breeding season, when they pursue the business of
generation with so much eagerness as to neglect
their food, is completely exhausted. The spawning
season is stated variously by different authors, and
it probably varies in reality. This fish is equally vora-
cious with the other larger species of the family, and
it may almost be said to devour every kind of small
marine animal that falls in its way. It is extremely
prolific; and so tenacious of life as to survive in-
^06 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
juries to which most other animals would taV^
victims.
In the Firth of Forth, Ling are taken principally
about the Isle of May, where they are found more
plentifully than further up the estuary ; occasionally
small ones are met with near Inchkeith, but scarcely
ever above Queensferry. * The Edinburgh market
seems, at times, to be well supplied with them.
The range of this species extends northwards as
far as Greenland; it is plentiful on the coasts of
Norway, 900,000 pounds weight being annually
exported from that country. We are unacquainted
with its southern limit.
The specific name, moha^ first applied to this
fish by Charleton, is said by Cuvier to be a corrup-
tion of Morrhua : liTig is synonymous with the
northern words laenga and loenge^ and means long.
(Sp. 159.) L. T>ulgaris. The Burbot. The de-
pressed head of this fish, its nearly cylindrical body,
and the oval and pointed tail, give it rather a pecu-
liar and not very pleasing aspect, while its smooth,
slippery, and slimy skin does not invest it with any-
additional attractions. It reminds one in several
respects of the eel, to which it likewise bears a re-
semblance in its habits. It is this similarity that
has caused it to be named the Eel-pout, and has
afforded Mr. Swainson more plausibility than he
usually possesses on such occasions, in considering
the family of the Gadidas as representatives of the
Apodal order among the soft-rayed tribes, Th*
* Mem. Wem. Soc, vol. vii. p. 353.
GEN. MOTELLA. THE ROCKLTNtt. 207
species is singular in another respect; among a
tribe of fishes otherwise as strictly marine as possi-
ble, it is exclusively fluviatile, never being found
but in rivers or lakes, and having no communica-
tion with the sea. In this country it appears to
be confined to England ; but its distribution on the
Continent is extensive. The Cam, the Trent, the
Ouse, the Esk, and the Derwent, are a few of the
English rivers in which the Burbot is a resident.
" It conceals itself," says Mr. Yarrell, " under
stones, waiKng and watching for its prey, consipt-
ing of aquatic insects and young fish, under archo'',
and near eddies, into which such small and weak
animals are likely to be brought by the current of
the water. It feeds principally during the night ;
and, like the eel, is most frequently caught by trim-
mers and night-lines." *
Its ordinary length is from one to two feet, and the
weight about two pounds ; but it frequently occurs
considerably above that length, and three or four
times that weight. Its flesh is white and excellent ;
and it is one of the species which Sir H. Davy re-
commends to be propagated and diffused throughout
our lakes and rivers, for which it is particularly
well adapted, as it is of a very hardy nature, and
so tenacious of life that it can be kept a long time
alive out of the water.
Gen. LXXYII. Motella. — In this group the
general form of the second dorsal and anal fins are
pretty much as in the two last genera ; but the
* British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 268.
?n^ MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
dorsal commences more in advance of the anal, and
both approach very near the root of the tailj so as
to form with it almost a continuous fringe round
the hinder part of the body. The structure of the
first dorsal is very sinoular, and apparently unique
among fishes. It has quite a rudimentary appear-
ance, being composed of numerous very fine, short,
fleshy filaments, preceded by a longer and thicker
one than the rest, the whole united at their base by
n thin membrane. These rays are destitute of any
internal bony support, so that when the fish is taken
out of the water, the fin falls to the side and is
scarcely perceptible. Another peculiarity is, that
the snout is provided with barbules as well as the
chin ; the latter always single, the others varying-
in number according to the species.
(Sp. 160.) M. tricirrata. Three-bearded Rock-
ling. In the ciirated mouth, and general appearance,
this fish bears a remote resemblance to the common
fresh- water loach or beardie, and is therefore some-
times called the Sea Loach. It is a much larger
fish, however, averaging a length of between a foot
and eighteen inches. The colour in young indivi-
duals is a uniform brown, but as it approaches
maturity it becomes of a rich yellowish brown,
spotted on the upper parts of the body with deep
chestnut-brown. The snout has two barbules, and
there is another pendant from the lower jaw. It
frequents shallow water, where the bottom is co-
vered with sea-weed, and feeds upon the small
Crustacea found abundantly in such places^ As ita
GEN. MOTELLA. THE ROCKLINQ. 209
iiesh is of little value, becoming of an unpleasant
smell shortly after death, it is seldom an object of
pursuit to fishermen. It may, however, be taken
with a bait, although, in point of voracity, it ha?
little resemblance to the majority of the Gadidae. It
seems to be rare in every part of Scotland, but is far
from uncommon on the Devonshire and Cornish
coasts, as well as at Weymouth and some other
places. It is generally distributed round the Irish
coasts.
This is sometimes called the Whistle-fish, and in
the absence of any apparent cause for the applica-
tion of such a name, Mr. Yarrell ingeniously con-
jectures that it is a corrupt substitution for Weasel-
fish, as the Rocklings were called MuHela from the
days of Pliny down to the present time.
(Sp.161.) M. quinquecirrata. Five-bearded Rock-
ling. About the size of the former, which it greatly
resembles ; at one time, indeed, it was considered a
mere variety, but most naturalists are now inclined
to regard it as distinct. The most obvious difference
is the presence of four barbules on the snout, two
near the point of the nose, and another pair, nearly
double in length, a little way behind. Tlie general
colour of the body is dark or olive-bronn, some-
times with a bronze lustre, the belly whitish ; an'ci
there is generally no trace of spots. The first ray of
the rudimentary dorsal is fully three times the length
of the succeeding ones, and about one-third the
length of the base of the fin. This species is much
more plentiful than any of the other Rockliugti, and
0
SsiO MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
may be found on most of our coasts as far north as
Orkney, where, according to Low, it is frequent,
but although reckoned good eating, it is never got
in any quantity, as it will not seize a bait, and the
rocky and weedy places it frequents prevent it being
caught by almost any other means. In the Firth of
Forth, however, it is frequently taken with a hook,
in the month of July, and brought to market, being
sold in company with young cod, whiting, and
podley. It is found on all the Irish coasts.
(Sp. 162.) M. cimhria. Four-bearded Rockling.
This species of Rockling appears to have been first
ascertained to be British by Mr. Euing of Glasgow,
who observed it in 1827 near Rothsay, and has re-
peatedly obtained specimens since in the same lo-
cality, where it appears to be by no means rare.
It was afterwards found in the Firth of Forth by
Dr. Edward Clarke and Dr. Parnell. The speci-
men obtained by the latter was found in June 1837,
a little to the east of Inchkeith, on a haddock-line
baited with mussels, and was the only fish of the
kind the fishermen had ever seen. On dissection,
the stomach was found to be filled \vith shrimps
and small crabs. The csecal appendages were few
in number ; the roe large, the ova small and nu-
merous, and apparently in a fit state to be deposited.
ITie length of the fish varies from nine to fourteen
inches. The snout is furnished with three barbules,
one a little in front of each nostril, one at the ex-
tremity of the upper lip, and another on the chin.
Tliis is a sufficiently obvious character, and another
GEN. MOTELLA. MACKEREL MIDGE. 211
equally so is to be found in tlie great length of the
cirriform filament placed in front of the almost ob-
solete first dorsal, which in a fish of ten inches and
a half long, measures two inches and a quarter. It
is difficult to see what Linnaeus can mean when he
says that this ray presents the appearance of the
letter T. The colour of the back and sides is grey-
ish brown, the belly dirty white. The lateral line
is very distinct, and composed of a series of oval
depressions ; it describes a slight curve towards the
middle of the body.
(Sp. 163.) M. glauca. Mackerel Midge. If this
be really a mature fish (and in the present state of
our acquaintance with it, we are not entitled to
come to any other conclusion), it is one of the
smallest, and among the most delicate of all the
finny tribes that frequent our shores. Its length is
about an inch and a quarter ; the colour of the back
bluish green, the whole of the other parts, including
the fins, silvery. The head is obtuse and compressed ;
the snout with four straight barbules, the under lip
with one. The fins, particularly the pectoral and
ventral ones, are rather laro;e for the size of the
body ; the tail nearly straight. The anterior dor-
sal is almost obsolete, and it does not appear from
the descrij^tion given by its discoverer, whether
there is a large cirrose ray in front of it. This
beautiful little fish was first noticed by Mr. Couch
on the Cornish coast and described by him in Lou-
don's Mag. of Nat. Hist., under the name of Ciliata
glaiica. It was soon afterwards, however, referred
212 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
by Mr. Jenyns to the genus Motella, to which it
obviously and most strictly belongs, presenting a
distinct, though miniature view of all its principal
attributes. It occurred in groat abundance, swim-
ming near the surfiice of the water. It is gregarious
and migratory, never making its appearance before
'May, and retiring in winter apparently to tbe deep
sea. It dies instantly upon being taken out of the
water.
The Mackerel Midge — for so it is called by the
Cornish fishermen — ^has all the appearance of being
the fry of a larger species ; and if regarded in this
light, it would naturally be considered the young of
the species, to which it corresponds in the number of
barbules. It has been watched, however, all the
summer, and no increase of size was observed. The
most satisfactory way of solving the question, would
be to keep a few of these fishes in confinement, and
observe what changes (if any) they undergo.
(Sp. 164.) M. argenteola. Silvery Gade. This
little fish in every respect resembles the preceding,
except in the following particulars : it is two inches
in length ; snout with two barbules, another on the
chin ; first ray of tlie first dorsal much longer than
the other rays of that fin. It Avas first noticed by
Cjlonel Montague, and described in the second
volume of the Memoirs of the Wernerian Nat. Hist.
Society. He found many individuals thrown upon
the shore in the south of Devonshire, in the summer
of 1808, and caught scA-eral afterwards. He admits
that it has very much the aDucarance of the fry of
GEN. BROSMIUS. THE TUSK. 213
some larger species, but is unwilling to consider it
as that of the Three-bearded Rockling, because ho
had examined that fish in all its stages, from the
most minute size to its full growth of sixteen or
seventeen inches, and never observed it to vary in
the colour, which is always rufous-brown in its in-
fant state. In these circumstances there is no al-
ternative but to insert it in the list of species,
leaving it to future observation to determine Avhether
it is entitled to retain that position or other ^Yise.
Gen. LXXYIII. Brosmius has the body elon-
gated and compressed, particularly behind ; the first
dorsal, which was so rudimentary in Motella^ here
entirely disappears, and there is only a single dor-
sal commencing on a line with the middle of the
pectorals and continued to the very root of the tail,
leaving a very narrow space between ; the anal
corresponds to this behind, and is continued forward
about half the length of the belly : the ventrals are
fleshy, and there is a barbule on the chin. The only
British species is
(Sp. 165.) B. vulgaris. The Torsk, or Tusk,
which is a northern fish, seldom ranging much fur-
ther south than the 60th degree, and which there-
fore is but little known on the coasts of our mainland.
Indeed we have seen no well authenticated record
of its occurrence at all on the shores of England
or Scotland. Dr. Parnell includes it in his catalogue
of the Fislies of the Forth, but he does not appear
to have met with it himself, as he merely states
that it is said to be occaisionally taken in the Firth
214 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
of Forth, and brought to the Edinburgh market.
It begins, however, to appear among the Orkney
Islands, as on the banks off the Burgh of Birsay ;
and in the neighbourhood of Shetland it is plentiful,
forming a considerable article in the fish-trade of the
[slanders. It occasionally reaches the London mar-
kets in boats from the north ; but this is rather an
accidental occurrence than otherwise, as its flesh is
not of such a quality as to create a demand for it
there. It is not much eaten any where in a fresh
state, as the flesh is firm, tough, and unsavory ; but
it is in '^ood estimation when dried, swelling much
in boiling, and parting into very thick flakes.'^ To
the north of Shetland the Tusk becomes still more
abundant, frequenting the coasts of Norway as far
as Finmark, the Faroe Islands, the south and west
of Iceland, &c. Fabricius has inserted it in his
Greenland Catalogue, but with the mark attached
which indicates that it did not fall under his ow^n
personal observation. It approaches the land in the
beginning of the year to spawn. It prefers deep
water with a rocky bottom, and is therefore not
easily captured. 'The circumstance of its stomach
being usually found empty, has given rise to the
saying that it lives on the juice of sea weeds. In
severe storms immense quantities are often cast
ashore on some of the northern islands. Three feet
and a half are the largest dimensions it has been
o
known to attain ; in general it is from eighteen
inches to a foot.
* Low's Fauna Orcadensis, p. 200.
GEN. PHYCIS. GREAT FORKED HAKE. 215
Gen. LXXIX. Phycis. — The most marked pe-
culiarity in Phycis is in the construction of the ven-
tral fins, each of which consists of a single cirriform
ray, usually about one-third of the length of the
body, and divided a little before the middle into two
unequal branches. The dorsal fins are two in num-
ber, the first triangular ; the second, as well as the
anal, long, and nearly as in Merluccius and Lota :
chin with one barbule.
(Sp. 166.) P. furcatus. Great Forked Hake.
The form of the pectorals, from which this species
derives its name, will at once distinguish it from all
the other British fishes, but there are several others
very similar to it in other seas, such as the P. longi-
pinnis of Swainson, a native of the Mediterranean.
In that fish the length of the fins in question is
about half that of the body ; in the British species
they are about a third the length of the body. The
first dorsal in P. furcatus is acutely pointed, and
it is nearly twice as high as the second dorsal : this
circumstance distinguishes it from the most com-
mon species of the Mediterranean (Phycis Mediter-
raneus of Laroche, supposed by Cuvier to be the
true Blennius phycis of Linnjeus), in which I he an^
terior dorsal is rounded and elevated above the
adjoining fin, while the length of the ventrals does
not exceed that of the head.
This must be ranked among the rarer of our
British fishes It has been observed in the seas of
all the three kingdoms, but only in small numbers
and at distant intervals. The only e^^ception to
216 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY.
this appears to be the coast of Cornwall, where
Mr. Couch finds it to be not uncommon in the
winter. It is known to the fishermen in that quar-
ter by the name of Hakes Dame. It was first dis-
covered in that locality by Mr. Jago, a clergyman
of the Church of England settled in Cornwall, and
one of Ray's correspondents, and inserted in his
synopsis, under the descriptive name of " Barbus
major Cornubiensis cirris bifurcatis." Pennant ob-
tained it from the coast of Flintshire. Mr. T. C.
Heysham has seen examples caught near Bo'ness,
and in the Solv^^ay Firth; a notice is inserted in the
Mem. of Wern. Nat. Hist. Society* of its occurrence
at St. Andrews, and Mr. Thompson finds it in Ire-
land. In these circumstances we are but little
acquainted with the natural history of this curious
fish. Mr. Couch says that it seems to come into
the shallow water to spawn in the winter ; that it
takes a bait, and is used as food, but is not much
esteemed. Pennant gives the length as eleven inches
and a half; Borlase, eighteen inches and a half;
and Mr. Couch says it grows to the length of two
feet.
Gen. LXXX. Raniceps. — The generic name
refers to the broad, depressed, frog-like head, which
being attached to a rapidly tapering and compressed
body, gives the general form the appearance of that
of a tadpole. There are two dorsals, but the first
is small and inconspicuous, composed of only a few
rays ; the second dorsal and anal are long, and ter-
* Vol. vi. p. 5G9.
J
GKN. RANICKPS. TADPOTE FT=:H. 217
niinate near the tail, whicli is small ; ventrals small,
the two anterior rays long and detached from the
rest : chin mtli a barbule.
(Sp. 167.) R- tri/urcatus. Tadpole Fi-h. This
fish was first noticed by Pennant, and several suc-
ceeding naturalists were of opinion that his descrip-
tion was taken from a damaged skin of the Forked
Hake. Other specimens, however, were obtained,
and a correct account, with a figure, was inserted
by Mr. Hugh Davies in the edition of Pennant's
British Zoology, published in 1812. It has since
been found on the coasts of Cornwall, Northumber-
land, Berwick, the west of Scotland, and in the
Firth of Forth ; also in Ireland, off Donaghadee
harbour. It is a fish of very singular aspect, and
its appearance is well expressed by the English
name, the resemblance being still further increased
by the colour, which is either very dark brown or
black. The length varies from eight inches to a
foot. Its greatest circumference is just before the
pectoral fin, and from that point it tapers rapidly
to the tail. The head is very broad and depressed,
the gape of the mouth wide, the hps prominent,
rounded, and white; the teeth sharp, in two rows
on the under jaw, those on the upper jaw more nu-
merous but not arrano^ed in rows. Rather a singular
character in this fish, consists of a series of small
rounded tubercles placed over the pectoral fin near
the commencement of the lateral hne. "When the
fish is alive or recently dead, these are often scarcely
or not at all perceptible ; but as the skin dries and
becomes more tense, they acquire sufficient promi-
218 MALACOP. SUB-BRACIT. COD FAMILY.
iience to be easily felt by the finocr. The presence
of these tubercles was thought by Dr. Fleining to
distin<:,mish R. trifarcatus from the Lest Hake of
Pennant or the " Barhis minor Cornuhienais" of
Mr. Jago, and he accordingly named the latter B.
Jago after its discoverer. But after what has been
stated it is obvious that this di.stiiictioii cannot be
maintained, as has been sufficiently shown both by
Dr. Johnson* and Mr. Yarrell. The structure of
the first dorsal appears to be similar to that of the
gei-us Motella already described, consisting of a
few slender rays, which are lodged in a kind of
groove; but the accounts given of this fin some-
what differ. Dr. Johnson simply stating that it is
very minute, and terminates in a rather long ray;
if this refers to its anterior termination, this assimi-
lates it closely to the corresponding fin of the Rock-
lings. But Dr. Parnell says that the first dorsal is
composed of three small rays, the middle of which
is the longest, and they are thus represented in the
coloured engraving of the fish which appeared in
the Magazine of Zoology and Botany. Impressions
frr)m this same plate accom};any Dr. rarnell's Essay
(m the Fishes of the Forth, from which Mr. Yarrell's
wood-cut is engraved; if the rej)rettentation of this
fin be erroneous, the error, therefore, is likely to be
propagated. The point in question is not an un-
important one, as it throws light on the analogical
relations of this curious fish.
* See Address to the Bcrwicksliirc Naturalists' Club for
:832,— quoted also by Mr. YarrcU.
219
XIX. FA.AIILY OF THE FLAT FISH.
PLEURONECTID^.
Rfi^presentatives in Briihh Fauna. — Gen. 5, Sp. 18
Gen. 81. Platessa. 8p. 1 (><',. P. vvJ/jaris. . Common Plaice.
\(')i). P.fieaus. . . Flounder.
1 70. P. IhfMwla. . The Dab.
1 7 1 . P. microce'phala.. Smooth or Lemon
Dab.
\l%P.PoU. . . Pole-Flnke, or
Pole-lJab.
173. /\liraandfjides. Sandsucker.
1 74. P. elori/jata. . Long Flounder.
82. H1PPOGLOS.SUS. 1 In. II. vvJf/aris. . The Ilolibut.
815. Rhombus. . ]7f<. R.maxclraus. . Turbot.
\11. R.xulrjaris. . The Brill.
MVi. R.hirtus. . . MuUer'sTopknol.
\1'.). R.jtv/fi/slatv^. . Blochtt ditto.
\W).R.mc(j(Xistoma. The WhifF.
\'<',\. R. A rnofjlossvAs. The Scaldfish.
84. SoLEA. . . ]P>2. S.vvJr/aris. . Common Sole.
1 i'>o. S. Pefjv^a. . . Lemon Sole.
85. MoNOCHiRUS. li'A. M. variefjatvJi. Variegated Sole.
1 o .'j . M. liwjvMtulv^. Sol enette.
The characters of tliis family are so peculiar as to
render it one of the most marked and in.sulated
groups in the Avhole tribe of fishes, nay, as Cuvier
remarks, in the wliole series of vertehrul animals.
The most singular circumstance is the want of sym-
metry in certain of the parts ; that is to say, if a
220 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT PISH.
central line be drawn, the parts on each side of that
line do not correspond to each other, according to
the general rule that has been observed in the for-
mation of animals. The head appears as if it had
been forcibly twisted to one side — sometimes to the
right, sometimes to the left — the mouth, by this
process, to have become distorted, and the eyes
tliTOwn out of the same line, and frequently rendered
unequal in size. The body is very much com-
pressed, and extremely deep, almost surrounded by
the large dorsal and anal fins, while the ventrals
seem like a continuation of the latter. The colour
is always confined to one side, that on which the
eyes are placed, and the other is invariably white.
The result of the conformation just noticed is, that
these fish swim on their sides, as expressed in the
family name, which is derived from rXsu^a the side,
and vjjxnjg a swimmer. Like the Rays and Skates,
they are intended to inhabit the bottom of the
ocean, seeking their food from or near the surface
of the submerged land ; they are therefore destitute
of a swimming bladder, and it wnll at once be per-
ceived how admirably adapted their form is for their
destined residence.
We occasionally find that the eyes and colour are
'placed on the side opposite to that thev usually
occupy in the same species, and individuals exhibit-
ing this peculiaritv are said to be reversed: at one
rime they were thought to he distinct species. At
other times, again, both sides are coloured alike, in
which case the specimen is said to be double.
PLEUKONECTID^. 221
The fins of the rieuronectidae, at least in several
of the species, are semi-spinous, ])ut thia is never so
conspicuously the case as to create any douLt about
them being true Malacopteiy«fian fishes.
Like the three preceding families, the flat fish are
of very great utility to man, as will at once be seen
by turning the eye to the table of species on a
preceding page, among which many familiar names
will be perceived.
" The number of species," says Mr. Yarrell,
" diminishes as the degrees of northern latitude in-
crease. In this country we have sixteen species. '^
At the parallel of Jutland, Denmark, and the
islands at the mouth of the Baltic, there are thirteen ;
on the coast of Norway they are reduced to ten
species ; at Iceland the number is but five, and at
Greenland only three." +
The colours of these fish are remarkable for their
uniformity, and in the prevalent tone we at once
perceive a benevolent provision for their safety.
**■ The resemblance between the colours of the flat-
fish, in general, to those of the ground they repose
on, is so admirably ordered, as to claim both atten-
tion and admiration. The upper surface, or that
which is exposed to view and to the action of the
* This was probably the amount of our native species when
the first edition of ]Mr. Yarrcll's work apjieared ; but lie forgets
that in the second edition, fi-om which the above extract is
taken, he describes two others, so that the total number is
eir/hteen.
+ Britisli Fi.hes, 2d edit. vol. ii. 299.
222 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT PISH.
light, is invariably of some shade of earthen brown,
or of greyish sand colour ; this is broken by dots
-and blotches, either light or dark, blackish or red-
dish, but always so disposed as to resemble those
under-shades, as they may be called, which are
caused by the inequalities of the ground, and the
presence of particles of different tints that may
be upon it. Thus whether we contemplate the
God of Nature in his most sublime productions, or
in those provisions which He makes for the well-
being of his most irrational creatures, the same
principle of design — the same absolute perfection
in execution^is equally conspicuous.**
Gen. LXXXI. Platessa. — This genus has both
eyes on the right side of the head, one above the
other ; a single row" of teeth in each jaw, and the
pharyngeal bones, as it were, paved with teeth;
dorsal fin commencing over the upper eye and
continued along the back to within a short distance
of the tail ; the anal nearly corresponding to it, but
not continued so far forward ; tail rounded at the
end.
(Sj). 168.) P. vulgaris. Common Plaice. This
is a well-known fish along all our shores, and in
great demand for the excellence of its flesh, which
is very delicate and of most agreeable taste. The
marks by which it may be distinguished from the
other flat fish are, as will be seen by a reference to
our Synopsis, sufficiently obvious and decisive, but
* Swainson, Cab. Cj^c. Fishes, vol. i. p. 313.
GEN. PLATrSSA. COMMON PLAICE. 223
when others fail, it may always be recognised by a
row of bony tubercles forming a curved line from
the posterior part of the prominent ridge between
the orbits of the eyes to the commencement of the
lateral line. The usual length is from a foot to
eighteen inches ; but there are instances of its at-
taining very large dimensions. Pennant says they
are sometimes taken of the weight of fifteen pounds,
but that they seldom reach that size, one of eight or
nine pounds being reckoned a large fish. At the
time when the celebrated naturalist just named was
collecting materials for. the history of our native
animals, the best and largest Plaice were taken off
Rye, on the coast of Sussex. February and March
are the spavming season, when it frequents sand-
banks more than at other times, and approaches
the shores. It is in highest condition for the table
in the month of May. In the month of August,
according to Dr. Parnell, the young are seen from
two to three inches in length at the mouths of
rivers, but they seldom ascend beyond the influence
of the tide. They are common in almost every part
of the Frith of Forth, but are seldom met with of
large size in that estuary. The young are frequently
called Fleuks in the Edinburgh market. Low says
of this species that it is frequently found on the
bank of the harbour of Stromness, and at the top of
the bay ; likewise in the bay of Skeal, and other
flat sandy shores round the Orkneys. It does not
extend far north, and seems to be unknown in
Greenland.
224 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
The smallness of the mouth and structure of the
teeth confine it to the smaller and softer inhabitants
of the ocean for food, such as molluscous animal*
or very young fishes. We have mentioned, in the
Introduction to our First Volume on British Fishes,
instances of the Plaice being permanently trans-
ferred to fresh water, where it has been found to
flourish.
(Sp. 169.) P. flesus. Flounder. Even more
abundant and more widely distributed than the
last, from which it may always be distinguished by
having the sides smooth, the lateral line rough, and
a series of asperities along the base of the dorsal^
anal, and caudal fins. These asperities consist of a
number of small, rounded, stellated tubercles, more
or less densely scattered. The body is more elon-
gated than that of the Plaice, and the greatest
width of the dorsal and anal fins is a little behind
the middle, while in the Plaice it is just about the
middle. It is generally caught of much smaller
dimensions than the Plaice, from seven to nine
inches being the ordinary size ; but much larger in-
dividuals often occur, and Pennant has heard of
them w^eighing six pounds. Mr. Jenyns states the
ordinary length at twelve inches and upwards,
which is beyond the average size in Scotland. They
are found in all the seas of the United Kingdom,
from the most southern point to the northern ex-
tremity of Shetland, and are also plentiful in the
Baltic and North Atlantic Ocean. They do not,
however, extend very far north, and do not exist in
GEN. PLATESSA. JfLOUNDER. 2^2o
the latitude of Greenland. In their habits they
resemble the Plaice, frequenting sand-banks near
the mouths of rivers, and other places where the
bottom is formed by soft sedimentary matter, such
as the mouths of harbours, &c. Their partiality to
a mud bottom has procured for them the name of
Mud-Flounders in Scotland ; but they are likewise
known by the names of Fleuke and Mayock-Fleuke.
They spawn in March and April, commonly where
the salt water is mingled with the fresh of rivers,
and by the month of June the young are about half
an inch long. Aquatic insects, worms, and small
fish are the ordinary food, but the Flounder is not
a choice feeder, and such dead animal matter as it
finds disseminated among the mud is readily con-
verted to its use. It is probably in part owing to
this cause that the flesh is but indijQferent, inferior
to that of most of the other flat fish. The Floun-
der lives indifferently in salt, brackish, or fresh
water, and seems to thrive equally well in all. It
ascends rivers to a great distance from the sea ; the
Avon, for example, to within three miles of Bath,
and the Thames to Teddington and Sunbury.
" Varieties of the Flounder," says Mr. Yarrell,
" occur much more commonly than those of any
other species of flat fish. I have before me, while
now writing, specimens without any colour on either
side ; specimens coloured on both sides ; and speci-
mens with both eyes and the whole of the colour
on the left side instead of the right. Those without
any dark colour on either side are albino varieties,
226 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
through the transparent skins of which the colour of
the blood-vessels and muscles has suggested the tri-
vial names of o^osea and carnaria to the authors who
considered them species. The PL passer^ figured by
Bloch, Part II. pi. 50, is certainly only a reversed
Flounder, having the eyes and the colour on the left
side ; — a variety so common, that it is scarcely pos-
sible to examine a peck measure of Flounders with-
out finding one or more reversed specimens."*
(Sp. 170.) P. limanda. The Dab; Saltie, and
Salt-water Fleuke. The roughness of the body
(alluded to in the specific name which is derived
from lima a file), occasioned by the scales being
ciliated on the edges ; the abrupt and high arch of
the dorsal line over the pectorals ; along with the
absence of rough tubercles on the head, lateral line,
and base of the dorsal and anal fins, form the most
recognisable marks by which this species may be
known from its congeners. It is likewise frequent
on our sandy coasts, but by no means equally so
with either of the preceding. Edinburgh market is
pretty well supplied with it from the Firth of Forth,
and the London market abundantly so from various
places, for this fish admits of being carried to a
great distance without injury, on which account,
according to Cuvier, it is preferred in Paris to the
Plaice. It frequents deeper water than the species
just named or the Flounder, being seldom seen at
the mouths of rivers or on shallow banks near the
shore. It feeds on small fish, Crustacea and shell-
* British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 305.
GEN. PLATESSA. SMOOTH DAB. 227
fish. It is thoiiglit by some almost to equal the
finest of the flat fish in delicacy of flavour, when
obtained in the best condition, which is from the
beginning of February to the end of April. The
ordinary length is from eight to nine inches, although
it sometimes reaches fifteen. Dr. Parnell informs
us that in the Firth of Forth numbers are caught
-vvith long lines baited with mussels, and they are
frequently found with other Flounders entangled in
the salmon-nets at Musselburgh and Queensferry.
(Sp. 17J-) P' microcephala. Smooth Dab, or
Lemon Dab. This species has the body smooth ;
the head and mouth very small ; the jaws equal,
and the teeth wanting on the eye side, extending
very little more than half way round the mouth :
the lateral line is very little curved over the pec-
toral ; and the colour of the surface is pale reddish
brown, mingled with yellow, and a few scattered
dark brown specks. Judging from the localities
cited in works on Ichthyology, this fish appears to
occur all around Britain and Ireland, but the num-
bers are always so limited that it must be ranked
among the rarer of our flat fish. It is known at
Bath as the Lemon-sole ; at Plymouth as the Merry-
sole ; at Penzance as the Qucen-Jish ; in Edinburgh
as the Sand-Jleuk ; and sometimes in London as
the Smear-dab. Great differences of opinion have
been expressed as to the qualities of the flesh of tha
Smooth Dab ; and these have no doubt been occa-
sioned by its being brought to the table at different
seasons. From December to February it is perhaps
228 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
inferior to none of the Platessae ; from April to
June, on the contrary, the taste is coarse and dis-
agreeable, having a strong tarry flavour.
(Sp. 172.) P. pola. Pole-Fluke, or Pole Dab.
This species was first detected in Britain by Mr.
Yarrell, who observed it among a number of other
different kinds, in a fishmonger's shop in London,
in the year 1833. The first published record of it
as a British species, is, however, to be ascribed to
Dr. Parnell, who inserted a notice of it in the Edin-
burgh New Philosophical Journal for 1835. He
found it in the Firth of Forth, and at first appears
to have regarded it as undescribed. He subsequently
obtained three examples at Brixham on the coast
of Devon ; and in the Firth of Forth, since its first
discovery, about fifteen specimens have occurred.
It is kno^^^l to the fishermen in the last mentioned
locality by the name of Craig-Fluke. It is obviously
the Platessa pola of Cuvier, and this Mr. Yarrell
regards as identical with the Pleuronectes cynoglosms
of Linna?us, and P. nigromanus of Nilsson. It may
be distinguished from all its allies, except P. liman-
doides and P. elongata^ by having the lateral line
straight ; and from the former of these by the body
being smooth, the scales, although large, being nei-
ther ciliated nor in any way roughened ; and from
the latter by the comparatively wide body, which,
to the whole length, is rather more than a third,
while in P. elongata, it is as one to four and a half.
Cuvier says that its flesh is considered in France as
equal to that ^f the sole ; and the individuals found
GEN. PLATESSA. LONG FLOUNDER. 229
in the Forth seem to have maintained this high
character. This is one of the three Pleuronectidse
Fabricius includes in his Fauna as natives of the
Greenland seas. It is found in some plenty, and
appears to be rather voracious, its food consisting of
••' Gadi miuores, scorpii, ammodytes, salmo arcticus
et cancri varii." An oil is obtained from it which
the natives use for their lamps.
(Sp. 173.) P. limanduides. Sandsucker; Long
Rough Dab, Long Fluke. The general form is ob-
long-oval, the cheeks and body covered with harsh
ciliated scales, the fin rays sharp and prominent,
the lateral line straight, or very slightly inclining
upwards as it approaches the operculum ; mouth
large, and furnished with long and sharp teeth.
The fish to which these distinctive characters apply,
was first noticed in 1833 by Dr. Harwood, who ob-
tained it from the Sussex coast. It has since been
found on the coasts of Berwick, Sunderland, Devon-
shire, and in the Firth of Forth. It may be obtained
very frequently in the Edinburgh market, where it
is called the Sandsucker, from the erroneous notion
that it feeds on nothing but sand. The first account
of it as a British fish, was published by Dr. Parnell in
the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal for 1835.
(Sp. 174.) P. elongata. Long Flounder. Our
acquaintance with this recent and rare acquisition,
is exclusively derived from Mr. Yarrell's interesting
and instructive pages. He regards it as quite new
to Ichthyology, and only two specimens have yet
been obtained. These were found by Mr. Baker,
230 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
at Stoford, in Bridgewater Bay, in the month of
December. The name expresses its most charac-
teristic attribute ; the length being much greater in
proportion to the breadth than in any other British
Platessa. The fins are soft, the rays not projecting,
and the dorsal and aual extend to the very root of
the tail ; the latter elongated M-ith the sides paral-
lel. The body is ver}' thin, and the lateral line runs
directly along the middle, and has a very short and
slight bend over the base of the pectoral. The out-
line of the head inclines to circular ; the jaws nearly
equal and each furnished with a single row of small
and regular teeth. From the further description
given hereafter, this will be found to constitute a
very distinct and well marked species.
Gen. LXXXII. Hippoglossus. — In this genus,
which contains only one British species and that
the largest of all our flat-fish, the body is oblong,
and much narrower in proportion to the length than
in Platessa, the fins similar to those of that genus ;
jaws and pharynx with sharp and strong teeth ;
eyes and colour on the right side, at least in our na-
tive example of this group.
(Sp. 175.) H. vulgaris. The HoHbut. This fish
generally measures from three to six feet, and two
instances are on record of it attaining the dimensions
of seven feet and a half, and weighing three hun-
dred and twenty pounds. One of that size was
taken off the Isle of Man in April 1828, and sent
to the Edinburgh market ; another of the same di-
mensions is mentioned by Low, but he does not
Vi I ^
\>l'"13f^^' ^
GEN. HIPPOGLOSSUS. THE HOLIBUT. 231
state where he saw it.* It is not an uncommon
fish on the coasts of Scotland and east of England ;
but it is less known on the southern shores of the
latter. In Ireland it occurs nearly in the same
numbers as in Scotland. Its proper residence is in
northern latitudes. Mr. Swainson believes that it
is not found in the Mediterranean, while in the op-
posite direction it extends to Norway, Iceland, and
Greenland. It is rather remarkable that it has not
been observed in the Baltic. It abounds in some
parts of the North American coasts.
Its food is much the same as that of the other
flat fish, but its larger size, and long, sharp, curved
teeth enable it to seize and devour prey of consider-
able size and strength. As instances of its voracity.
Pennant mentions that it has been known, oftener
than once, to swallow the lead weight at the end of
a line with which seamen were sounding. It spawns
in spring ; and the roe, which is very numerous, is
of a pale red colour. " In the Firth of Forth, Holi-
but inhabits deep and rocky places, and is frequently
taken of large size near Inchkeith and in the neigh-
bourhood of the Bass. In the months of July and
August specimens are caught about a foot and a
half in length, and sold in the Edinburgh market at
the rate of fourpence a pound, where they are named
Holibut-turbot, and are frequently disposed of as
Turbot."*
This fish is not in much estimation as food, being
* Fauna Orcadensis, p. 214.
+ Mem. Wern. Nat. Hist. Soc. vii. p. 373.
232 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
coarse in the fibre and liaving little flavour, but it
is much used as being plentiful and cheap. Middle
sized specimens are considered best, and Pennant
says that the part which adheres to the side fins is
extremely fat and delicious. The skin and bones
yield a large quantity of oil.
The Greenlanders fish for it with lines made of
slender pieces of Avhalebone, or the skin of the
Bearded Seal. Even the skin and liver are con-
sumed in a raw state, mixed with the berries of
Empetrum nigrum.
It is the only kind of flat fish found in this country
having the extremity of the caudal fin crescent-
shaped; this, however, is not a generic character,
as some authors suppose, for some foreign species
resemble the rest of the Pleuronectidge in this re-
spect ; such, for example, as the H. macrolepidotus
of the Mediterranean.
Gen. LXXXIII. Rhombus. Following the ar-
rangement and nomenclature of Cuvier, we designate
the present group by the above name, although
there seems to be no reason why the designation of
Pleuronectes, originally given by Linnasus to this
family, should not be retained for one of the princi-
pal genera, as has been done by Mr. Jenjns and
others. The distinguishing characters of Rhombus
are, the colour and eyes on the left side ; dorsal
commencing immediately above the upper lip, and
continued, as is also the anal, very nearly to the
root of the tail; jaws and pharyngeal bones with
fine card-like teeth.
GEN. RHOMBUS. THE TUREOT. 233
(Sp 176-) B. maximus. Turbot. This mucli
valued fish, and the other species of the same genus
most nearly related to it, R. vulgaris^ have the body
nearly of a circular shape, if we exclude the tail
and snout, for the depth is equal to the length from
the nose to the fleshy portion of the tail. It may
at once be known by this rhomboido-circular shape,
in connexion with the prominent osseous tubercles
with which both sides of the body, and particularly
the upper or coloured side, are studded.
If we trace the Turbot from our most northern
shores southward, it will be found gradually to in-
crease in numbers, till we reach the eastern coasts
of England, on many of which it occurs in largo
quantities. Among the Shetland islands it is sel-
dom seen, and it is also rare among the Orkneys,
" insomuch," says Low, " that in these seven years
I have but seen two or three specimens." In the
Dornoch and Moray Firths, Turbot are occasionally
taken, but they are said to be of small size. At
the mouth of the Firth of Forth they begin to ap-
pear in some plenty, in sufficient quantities indeed
to afford a very good supply to the Edinburgh
markets ; and here also they attain their full dimen-
sions, specimens from twenty to thirty pounds weight
being not unfrequently taken. On the coasts of Ber-
wick, Northumberland, Durham, and York, Turbot
fisheries have been long carried on, in some places
on an extensive scale. Two extensive banks of
sand, named the Yarne and Ridge, the former seven,
the latter twelve miles frnm Dover, are much fre-
234 MALACOP. SUB BRACH. FLAT FISH.
quented both by English and French Turbot fishers t
and the coast of Devonshire often supplies large
quantities, many of which find their Avay to London
by land carriage. We are unacquainted with the
distribution of the Turbot on the western side of
Britain ; but it occurs on many of the Irish coasts.
The coasts of Holland produce Turbot in immense
quantities, and the fishery is carried on by theDutch
with great skill and success. Most authors mention
the occurrence of the Turbot in the Mediterranean
as a fact too well known to require any authentica-
tion : Mr. Swainson, on the contrary, says, that he
cannot coincide in the belief that this delicious fish
was known to the Athenians; for although the
Pleuronectidas, as a whole, are common to the Gre-
cian and Sicilian seas, he never saw Turbot there,
nor ever heard of its being captured. By this, we
presume, he means to deny the Turbot a place at all
among the Mediterranean fishes ; but a conviction of
the contrary so general and settled, is not to be thus
lightly set aside. We find it included in the lists
of North American fishes, but not without a mark
of doubt.
The Turbot spawns in autumn, and is in best con-
dition for the table during summer. Although very
voracious, it is rather choice in its food, which con-
sists of small fishes* Crustacea, and mollusca, greatly
preferring them alive, and never touching any thing
in the least tainted. This occasions a good deal of
trouble to the fishermen, w^ho are thus obliged to
keep their bait always in a fresh state ; after being
GEN. RHOMBUS. THE TURBOT. 235
twelve hours on the hook, it is vain to expect that
it will be taken. The most attractive bait is a small
fish of a bright silvery hue, put on the hook alive,
and continuing to live for a good while after the
lines are sunk. The atherine, sea-scorpion, and
river lampern have been much used ; herrings and
haddocks, cut in small pieces, have also been em-
ployed with success, and even bullock's liver. The
line and hook is the common mode of fishing : the
fishermen of Scarborough often fasten their lines to-
gether till they extend nearly three miles in length,
and to these are attached no fewer than 2520 hooks.
The trawl-net is likewise much used both in this
country and in Holland.
The ordinary length of the Turbot is from eighteen
inches to two feet, and the weight from four to ten
pounds. Individuals of twenty, thirty, seventy, and
even 190 pounds weight, have been met with. The
extent of the demand for this fish in the London
market appears from the fact, that the annual sup-
ply at Billingsgate has been about 87,958. A pre-
ference is given to those brought by the Dutch, who
are supposed to have drawn, for many years back,
not less than £ 80,000 a year for the supply of this
market alone. * Up to the present year, a duty of
£ 6 was paid for each boat-load, which might con-
sist of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty.
* Lobster sauce is much used with this luxury. The annual
supply of lobsters at Billingsgate market is 1,904,000 : many
of them come from Norway, and the Danes derive fi-om
£ 12,000 to £ 1 5,000 a year from this traffic.
236 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
By the recent modification of the Tarifi^, the dut}>
has been reduced.
Every one is acquainted, either by report or ex-
perience, with the celebrity of the Turbot as an
article of luxury. " The flesh is in great request,
in consequence of its exquisite flavour, on which
account the French vulgarly call it icater or sea-
pheasant. It is white, fat, flaky, and delicate. It
has exercised the skill and ingenuity of the great
professors of gastronomy, in a variety of culinary
preparations, from the time of Apicius down to that
of Ude and Kitchener. The Romans entertained a
profound respect for the Turbot, as the following
passages from Horace prove :
cum passeris, atque
IngTistata mihi porrexerit ilia rhombi.
Esuriens fastidit omnia, prseter
Pavonem, rhombumque." *
It was an enormous individual of this species
(although some allege, but without sufficient autho-
rity, that it was the Brill, the fish next described)
which was presented to Domitian, on which occa-
sion he convoked the senate to deliberate on the
best mode of disposing of such a treasure, t
(Sp. 177.) R' mdgaris. The Brill, Pearl, or Bo-
met Fleuke. This species is frequently taken along
all our coasts in company with the Turbot. It is
less than the latter, not frequently exceeding the
length of eighteen inches ; the general form is simi-
* Griffith's Cuvier, vol. x. p. 516,
t Juv. Sat. •¥.
GEN. RHOMBUS. MULLER S TOPKNOT. 237
lar, but more oval, the upper surface of the body
perfectly smooth, without any osseous tubercles,
and sprmkled over with white pearly specks. Com-
pared with the Turbot the qualities of the flesh are
inferior, but they are equal, if not superior, to those
of all the other flat fish, with the exception perhaps
of the Sole. Great quantities are disposed of in the
London markets. In the Firth of Forth, according
to Dr. Parnell, it is taken with the hook principally
about Aberlady Bay, but scarcely ever found as
high ujo the Firth as Queensferry ; and is of much
less frequent occurrence than the Turbot. Besides
the names given above, it is called the Kite on the
Devonshire and Cornish coasts, and also on the lat-
ter the Brill, a name derived from a provincial word
meaning speckled.
(Sp. 178.) B. hirtus. MuUers Topknot. By
the generality of ichthyologists, including those of
greatest name, such as Cuvier, Nilsson, &c. this
species has been confounded with the R. punctatus
of Bloch, who in his turn confounded the latter
with R. megastoma. Muller was the first to point
out the distinction in his Zool. Dan. *, and the dif-
ferences intimated by him have been fully confirmed
and illustrated by Mr. Jenyns and Mr. Yarrell. The
R. hirtus is a fish scarcely exceeding six or seven
inches in length, of a reddish brown colour, mottled
and spotted with very dark brown or black, the
general form rounded-oval, the rays of the dorsal
and anal fins longest over the posterior third part of
* Vul. iii. p. 30".
238 MALACOP. SUB BRACH. FLAT FISH.
the body. The upper or coloured surface alone is
rough ; the ventral and anal fins have no interval
between them ; the profile is not notched before the
eyes, and the first ray of the dorsal, or that imme-
diately over the upper li]:*, is not longer than the
succeeding ones. These marks will prevent any
other being hereafter mistaken for this species,
which Mr. Yarrell has named after the individual
by whom they were first clearly pointed out.
This appears to be a rare fish, but this may in
part be owing to it having but little, compared with
most of the other Rhombi, to recommend it to the
notice of fishermen, the size being small and the
flesh soft and insipid. It seldom, moreover, takes
a bait, and frequents deep waters. In the Edin-
burgh market it receives the name of the Little
Black Hair?/ Flake, and is very rarely seen except
during stormy weather. Sometimes it is taken in
crab-cages, as far up the Firth as Inchkeith.*
Various places on the east and west of England
have produced it; and it has likewise been taken
on the coast of the county of Down, in Ireland.
(Sp. 179.) R. punctatus. Bloch's Topknot.
Rather less than the preceding, to which in other
respects it bears a very close resemblance. The
body is rough on both sides ; the fin rays are sharp,
prominent, and spotted ; a division is observable be-
tween the ventral and anal fins ; the first ray of tlie
dorsal much elongated, about three times the length
t Pamell's Essay on the Fishes of the Firth of Fortli,
p. 378.
GEN. RHOMBUS. THE WHIFF 289
of those next to it, and the tail is rather long, the
sides approaching to parallel.
This fish is accounted still rarer than the preced-
ing, although Dr. Fleming, who obtained a speci-
men in Zetland in 1810, was informed by the fisher-
men that it is not uncommon in that quarter. Mr.
Jenyns informs us that a specimen was obtained by
Professor Henslow at Weymouth, and is now in the
Museum of the Cambridge Philosophical Society.
A third has been caught on the coast of Ireland.
The most singular feature in this species is the
elongation of the first dorsal ray, which is refen-ed
to in the English name. In the figure of R. unima-
culatus of Risso, which Mr. Yarrell considers iden-
tical with this, and also in the figure given in
Fleming's Philosophy of Zoology, this appendage is
wanting, which leads to the conjecture that it may
possibly be a sexual distinction.
(Sp. 180.) P. megastoma. The Whiff. The two
species which yet remain to be noticed in order to
complete the list of those referred to this genus, differ
so much from the typical rhombi, that it would per-
haps be proper to include them in a sub-genus by
themselves. But for the colour being on the left
side, and that is a variable character, an observer
would be almost as ready to consider them Soles
as belonging to the Turbot group. The body is ob-
long and very narrow compared to the length, sud-
denly contracted before the tail, and so thin as to
be somewhat transparent. The membrane connect-
ing the fin rays is extremely delicate, and usually
240 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
entire only near the bone, leaving the rays to project
like insulated spines. The present species, as the
name implies,' has the mouth large, and the lowest
jaw longest, the coloured side rough with ciliated
scales ; the lateral line is conspicuous, and bifurca-
ted over the pectoral fin, one branch being straight,
and the other curved upwards. The upper side is
light yello^vish, or reddish brown, occasionally a
little mottled with dark brown. The length is from
twelve to eighteen inches.
From its rarity very little is known about the
habits of this fish. Mr. Couch says, that on the
Cornish coast, where it is not uncommon, it is called
the Carter ; it keeps on saniy ground, not far from
land, and is often taken, but little valued, from
being so thin. Mr. Jenyns found it at Hastings ;
Mr. Donovan in Wales ; Dr. Johnson at Berwick ;
and Mr. Yarrell has obtained it from the fisli-
mongers' stalls in London. It also occurs on the
Irish coasts, but has not been observed, as far as
we know, on those of Scotland.
(Sp. 181.) R. Arnoglossus. The Scaldfish, or
Smooth-sole. One of the smallest of the British
Pleuronectidas, the length not exceeding five or six
inches. The scales of this fish are large, thin, and
so deciduous as to fall off by the friction of the
trawl-net, or even by the touch ; and the membrane
which unites the rays of the fins is a thin film or
pellicle, broken by the slightest pressure ; the naked
state, therefore, in which the fish usually appears
after being cauglit, has suggested the name of Scald-
*^f
GEN. SOLEA. COMMON SOLE. 241
fish, as well as the scientific appellation of B. nudus^
by which Risso designates it. We have very little
acquaintance with its habits or history. It appears
to frequent deep water, and has never been known
to take a bait. The only places in this country
where it has occurred are Plymouth and Weymouth.
Specimens from the latter locality, where it is called
the Megrim^ are preserved in the Museum of the
Cambridge Philosophical Society. It is found in
the Mediterranean, along with a still smaller species,
the body of which is wholly diaphanous. This is
the R. candidisslmus of Risso, or as it is more aptly
named by Schneider, Pleuronectes diaphanus.
Gen. LXXXIY. Solea. — The shape of the
Soles is not unlike that of the two species last noticed,
being oblong-oval, but the body is thick and plump,
yielding an abundance of the delicately flavoured
flesh so well known and highly esteemed by all.
The eyes and colour are on the right side ; and the
mouth is, as it were, distorted or twisted to the side
opposite the eyes. It is on the last mentioned side
only that there are any teeth, and these are fine
and velvet-like. The snout is more rounded than
in any of the Pleuronectidaa hitherto noticed by us,
and the lateral line is straight, except an inconspicu-
ous curvature at the very extremity.
(Sp. 182.) S. vulgaris. Common Sole. This
valuable fish may be said to be distributed around
the whole coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, but
varying greatly in numbers in different localities.
It is least frequent in the north, and it is there also
Q
242 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
of smallest size, thus Intimating tliat it is approacliing
the limit of its extension in that direction. JMany
places on the eastern coasts of England supply it
in large quantities ; but the principal fisheries are
on the south and west, where the Sole attains a
large size, and is thought to be in other respects
superior to those obtained elsewhere. Its geogra-
phical range appears to be very extensive beyond
the limits of the British seas. Northwards the
Baltic and Scandinavian seas ; westward the shores
of North America, and the neighbourhood of Suri-
nam ; southwards, the coasts of Spain and Portug-al,
and the Mediterranean, where there is an abundant
fishery at the island of Sardinia, are a few of the
localities that have been given. It is even said that
Mr. Bowdich observed the Common Sole in the
river Gambia ; but in this, and perhaps in some
other instances, it is probable that another species
was mistaken for it.
The shape of the body is a long oval, much
rounded anteriorly, the greatest width nearly on a
line with the hinder extremity of the pectoral fins,
and not amounting to half the length ; the colour
of the surface nearly a uniform dark brown, having
a reticulated appearance ; the pectoral fin tipped
with black. The under side is white, and the side
of the head opposite the eyes is covered with a kind
of villosity consisting of numerous soft papillas.
The Sole frequents deep water, and is seldom
fished for >\^th a bait, as it very rarely can be in-
duced to take one. Trawling is therefore resorted
GEN. SOLEA. COMMON SOLE. 243
to, and this is practised to a great extent on the
southern coasts of England. Brixham in Torbay has
been long a great fishing station; and the boats, which
use trawling-nets with a very large beam, range for
them as far as Land's End, and even the Sciliy
Islands. They are taken with the net in the Firth of
Forth, but in sparing numbers, falling far short of
the demand in the Edinburgh market. A solitary
specimen, according to Dr. Parnell, is occasionally
found on lines set for haddocks, and such as are so
caught are generally of large size ; one of twenty-two
inches in length was caught a short time since near
the Bass, which is the largest that has been found
in that neighbourhood for many years. Not many
instances are recorded of their exceeding these di-
mensions, but Mr. Yarrell mentions a pair taken
at Torbay which measured twenty-three inches in
length each, and weighed together ten pounds ; and
another appeared in Totness market in 1826 which
was twenty-six inches long, eleven inches and a
half wide, and weighed nine pounds. Tliese fish are
in season nearly all the year, being soft and watery
only for a few weeks in the end of February and be-
ginning of March when they spawn, but the debility
consequent on that operation is inconsiderable, and
speedily repaired. The deeper the water from which
they are taken, the finer is the quality of the flesh,
and those of small or moderate size are considered
superior to very large ones. AVhen sent to a distance
they are commonly packed in baskets, the smaller
ones arranged round the sides and the larger in the
244 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH.
middle. Within the period of twelve months, eighty-
six thousand bushels of Soles have been known to
arrive at Billingsgate market.
Soles have been kno^^^l to thrive and even to
breed in fresh water, as in the river Avon for ex-
ample. The principal peculiarity they exhibit when
confined to fresh water, is, that they become much
thicker in proportion to their length, which of course
enhances their value for the table.
(Sp. 383.) S. Pegusa. Lemon Sole, or French
Sole. The colour of the Lemon Sole, is a mixture
of orange and light brown, and it is freckled over
with numerous small round brown spots. It is
wider in proportion than the Common Sole, the
greatest breadth (including the fins) being half the
length. The under surface of the head is almost
smooth, instead of presenting the papillae so remark-
able in the common Sole. Its length does not ap-
pear to exceed ten or twelve inches.
First discovered by Mr. Yarrell and described by
him in the Zoological Journal for May 1829, under
the above name. He at first considered it identical
with the Solea Pegusa of Lacepede, and the SoUo
de rocco^ as also the Monochirus Pegusa of Risso,
which occurs at times in the Mediterranean; but
Mr. Jenyns asserts that this is not the case, and
Mr. Yarrell seems now to be of the same opinion,
as he has not inserted these appellations among
his synonjTns. In that case, the name should be
changed, as having been previously appropriated to
another species. He obtained, in the first instance,
GEN. MONOCHIRUS. VARIEGATED SOLE. 245
only one example at Brighton, but a few others
"were afterwards procured in the London Market,
and it is not unknown on the coast of Devonshire,
where it is called the Sand Sole. The Brighton
fishermen take it occasionally along with the Com-
mon Sole, when trawling over a clear bottom of
soft sand; and as this happens most frequently in
the direction of the French coast, they sometimes
call this fish the French Sole.
Gen. LXXXY. Monochirus. — In all the flat fish
the pectoral fins are small, and in the Soles they are
particularly so, the fin on the under or white side
being less than the corresponding one on the upper
side, and showing a tendency to become obsolete.
In the restricted group now to be considered, this
takes place absolutely or nearly so, the fin in ques-
tion being almost imperceptible or entirely dis-
appearing, and that on the upper side being much
reduced in size. In this respect these fishes are
exactly intermediate between the typical Soles and
the foreign group named Achirus^ in which both
pectorals are wanting. The circumstance alluded
to is the only one in which Monochirus difi'ers from
Solea, so that its value is inconsiderable, and inade-
quate for more than forming a section of the genus
Solea, or at most a very subordinate sub-genus.
(Sp. 1 84.) M. variegatus. Variegated Sole. This
fish was first noticed by the editor of Pennant's
British Zoology, published in 1812, who named it
the Red-back Flounder, and supposed it to be the
-Solea parva seu lingula of Rondelet. Donovan,
246 MALACOP. SUB.-BRACH. FLAT-FISH.
and Dr. Fleming respectively figure and describe it
under the name of Variegatus ; and Mr. Jenyns,
under the name of S. lingida^ confounds it with the
following species, an error of which he himself had
some suspicion at the time, but which was almost
unavoidable before the discovery of M. linguatulus
in Britain threw a new light on the subject. M.
variegatus is a small fish scarcely attaining half a
foot in length, the colour of the surface reddish
brown, variegated on ihe body and fins with dark
brown ; the scales are large, ciliated, and rough to
the touch, and there is a distinct space between
the termination of the dorsal and anal fins and the
root of the tail. This is a rare species in Britain.
We learn from various sources that it has been
taken at Rothsay, near Plymouth — where it is said
to be common in the spring,* — on the coasts of
Cornwall, and in Belfast Bay.
(Sp. 185.) M. linguatulus. The Solenette, or
Little Sole. The exertions of Dr. Parnell, whose
invest] o-ations have not been confined to the Firth
o
of Forth, have been the means of adding this small
and distinct species to our Fauna. He obtained it
at Brixham, on the Devonshire coast, and published
a notice of it in 1837, in the Transaction^ of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh, under the name of
M. 7ninutus, Mr. Yarrell, we believe, being the first
who detected its identity with the 3f. linguatulus
of Rondelet and Cuvier. These Soles are by no
means scarce in the locality mentioned, being often
* Pennant's Brit. Zool. (ed. 1812), vol. iii. p. 314.
GEN. MONOCHIRUS. THE SOLENETTE. 247
taken in the trawl-nets throughout tlie year, per-
haps to the amount of a dozen or more daily, but as
they are too small to be an object of attention with
the fishermen, they are either thrown overboard or
left to decay at the bottom of their boats. They
are known to the fishermen by the name of Red
Soles, the colour of the back being light reddish-
brown, and as they never exceed the length of five
inches, there can be no doubt that they are mature
fish, and not a juvenile state of some other species.
Mr. Thompson has obtained specimens ou the north
coast of Ireland.
The peculiarity specified in the generic character,
the very small size of the upper pectoral, in con-
nexion with the colour, shape of the body, and ex-
tension of the dorsal and anal fins to the very base
of the tail, where they almost form a union with the
caudal, will prevent this fish being mistaken for
M, Tarieyatus^ to which it is most nearly related,
and readily separate it from all the other Pleuro-
nectidae.
248
XX. FAMILY OF THE SUCKERS.
CYCLOPTERID^.
Rp^presentatives in British Fauna. — Gen. 3, Sp. 5.
Gen. 86. Lepadogaster. Sp. 1 86. L.Cormihiensis. Comish Sucker
1 87. L. 6r//iacwZaitw. Two-Spotted
ditto.
87. Cyclopterus. . 188. C. lumjyv^. . Lump do.
88. LiPARis. . . . \8Q.L. vulgaris. Unctuous do.
1 90. Zi. Monfagui. Montagu's do.
This family is of very limited extent, most of the
species of comparatively small size, and not of much
importance in an economical point of view. It cor-
responds to the third family of Cuvier's Malacop-
terygii Sub-brachiati, named by him Discoboli, from
a very striking peculiarity in their structure. The
ventral fins are very much dilated beneath, and
surround a circular disk, which acts as a sucker.
By means of this instrument these fishes are able to
retain their place in a strong current of water, and
obtain food in places where most other kinds of fish
would be swept away.
Gen. LXXXYI. Lepadogaster.* — In this ge-
* This term is derived from X^ttcs a shell and yatrrt^ the
belly, in reference to the shell-shaped sucker formed by the
Centrals. Some authors, among others I\Ir. Jenyns and Mr.
Yarrell, write the word as if it were derived from xtirii, a
Bcale.
GEN. LEPADOGASTER. CORNISH SUCKER. 249
nus the membranes representing the pectorals form
one large disc, and behind that there is another
formed by the union of the ventrals. The body is
without scales. Only two British species are known.
(Sp. 186.) L. Cornubiensis. Cornish Sucker.
This small species, the length of which does not usu-
ally exceed two inches and a half, appears to have
been first noticed in this country by Dr. Borlase, on
the coast of Cornwall. That is still the locality
where it occurs in greatest plenty, although it has
been noticed both in Scotland and Ireland. Pennant
calls it the Jura Sucker, specimens having been pro-
cured by him from the shores of that island. It is
frequently spotted, and there are two large ocellated
spots behind the eyes ; these however are not visi-
ble in the young fish. It is usually found about low-
water mark, adhering to stones, and is often left by
the tide. Mr. Couch says it spawns in March, and
that its food consists of crustaceous and other minute
marine animals.
(Sp. 187.) J^' himaculatus. Two-spotted Sucker ;
so called from two marks on the sides, which, how-
ever, are not always very obvious, and in young
specimens are altogether wanting. This species sel-
dom much exceeds an inch and a half in length ; the
head depressed and the body tapering more than in
L. Cornubiensis. The prevailing colour is a fine red ;
under side flesh colour. It has been found at Wey-
mouth, Torcross in Devonshire, Polperro and Pen-
zance in Cornwall, and also in Ireland. It appears
to have been first described by Pennant, who states
250 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. SUCKERS.
that specimens were communicated to him by the
Duchess Dowager of Portland.
Gen. LXXXYII. Cyclopterus. — The jDosses-
sion of suck ers is the principal property in which
this genus, at least viewed in relation to Britain,
shows an affinity to the other members of the fa-
mily. There is a single suctorial disc formed by the
union of the pectoral fins under the throat, and the
ventrals also are connected with it. The body is
still free from scales, but it is covered with a series
of tubercles, and is remarkably deep and thick com
pared with the length. There is but one British
species, namely,
(Sp. 188.) C. lamjms. The Lump Sucker. This
species attains a leng-tli of a foot and a half or up-
wards, and from its great depth and thickness has
a very massive and clumsy appearance. The an-
terior part of the back rises into a sharp prominent
ridge, which seems to have given rise to the name
of Cock-paidle, or paddle, often bestowed on this
fish. It is extensively distributed, especially in
northern seas, and appears to extend to America.
It is frequent on our own coasts, appearing at times
in multitudes during the spring months. The male
IS much (nearly one-half) smaller than the female,
and at the breeding season becomes of a bright red
colour ; but after spawning, both sexes change their
hue considerably, a circumstance which has given
rise to the notion that they are two species of Lump-
fish, They spa^vn in the end of March or in April,
the ova being deposited among the rocks and sea-
GEX. LIPARIS. 251
weed within lo^v-^Yater mark. The male is said to
watch the ova till the exclusion of the young, when
the latter fix themselves, by means of their sucker,
to his sides and back, and he thus carries them off
to deeper water and more secure retreats. Dr. Par-
nell states that, on the west coast of Scotland,
sometimes as many as two dozen are taken in the
salmon-nets almost at every tide, principally in
the month of June, when they seek the sandy
ground to deposit their spawn. The fishermen boil
them down with vegetables for their pigs, and con-
sider them to be fattening food. The flesh when
cooked is soft and very rich, and is considered by
some of the inhabitants of Edinburofh as a luxury : .
but there are few stomachs with which it agrees, in
consequence of its oily nature. The males are con-
sidered best for the table.
The food of the Lump-fish is almost wholly small
fish, although Mr. Couch has occasionally found
o-nisci in its stomach. It becomes in its turn the
prey of seals, w^hich devour it in large numbers. It
is very tenacious of life, and its power of adhesion
so great, that a very heavy stone or other substance
to which it has attached itself may be lifted with it,
if an attempt be made to draw it away.
Gen. LXXXVIIT. Liparis. — This genus is
readily known from the other two composing the
British family of CyclopteridaB, by having a single
dorsal fin extending from the tail to before the mid-
dle ; the anal is also lengthened. The body is with-
out scales and very smooth, and covered with an
unctuous secretion.
-252 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. SrCKERS.
(Sp. 189.) L. vulgaris. Unctiioiis Sucker, or Sea-
snail. The usual length is from four to six inches,
the whole bodv of a soft texture, soon dissolving
after death. The skin is somewhat loose and in-
vested with a thick slimy matter. It is found in
various parts of the coast of Britain, as well as in
Orkney, and other countries further north. It is
said to be eaten in Greenland, although its appear-
ance is bv no means inviting, and we know that
the flesh of an allied species described by Pallas is
so bad that even dogs will not eat it. It is full of
spawn in January, and the mature ova are described
as of large size. Dr. Parnell has taken L. vulgaris
in the Firth of Forth, but it is far from common in
that estuary.
(Sp. 190.) L. Montagui. Montagu's Sucker.
This diminutive fish was first described by Colonel
Montagu in the Memoirs of the Wernerian Society
(vol. i. p. 91, pi. 5), and it was named after him by
Donovan, who figured it in his British Fishes. In
the Unctuous Sucker the dorsal and anal fins are
connected with the caudal ; in the present instance
there is an intervening space. This species seldom
exceeds three inches in length, and is of a dull
orange colour, varied with faint tints of blue. It is
found chiefly on rocky parts of the coast, and ap-
pears to be not very scarce in many places. Berwick
Bay, south-western coast of Scotland, Cornwall,
Devonshire, and south coasts of Ireland, have been
mentioned as localities. 'When adhering to any ob-
ject, it has the habit of curving the hinder or free
portion of its body forwards towards the head.
h
!.., ■■f . mm
i
^ftl| I
253
XXI. FAMILY OF THE REMORA
SUCKERS. ECHENEID^.
Representative in British Fauna. Sp. I.
Gen. 89. Echeneis. Sp. 191. F. remora. Sucking-fish.
The few fishes which compose this singular fa-
mily, are properly natives of more southern seas than
those which wash our shores. Only one appears
to inhabit Europe, and that is the species of which
we have now to give some account, namely, the
famous Remora of the Mediterranean, of which the
Roman writers give such extraordinary accounts.
Gen. LXXXIX. Echeneis. — In the fishes last
noticed the adhesive disc occupies the under side of
the anterior part of the body ; here it is placed on
the crown of the head, in the form of a large oval
shield composed of numerous transverse cartilaginous
plates, surrounded by a muscular margin. The
body is elongated, and covered with such small scales
that it has frequently been described as destitute of
scales altogether ; the mouth wide and densely be-
set with teeth ; a single dorsal fin opposite the anal ;
tail lunate.
(Sp. 191.) E. remora. Common Sucking-fish.
This species cannot be regarded as a habitual inha-
bitant of our seas, but only as a very rare visitor,
and that probably as the result of mere accident^
254 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. REMORA SUCKERS.
rather than from it vohiiitarily extending its range
in this direction. We beheve that the sole instance
of its occurring here is that mentioned by Dr. Tur-
ton, who states that, in the snmmer of 1806, one
Avas taken by him at Swansea from the back of a
cod-fish. It is a well known fish in the Mediter-
ranean, and was famiHar to the Greeks and Romans,
from whom we have received many fabulous ac-
counts of its extraordinary powers in attaching itself
to the sides of ships and instantly arresting their
course. Those who take pleasure in such narrations
will find ample details in Pliny's Nat. Hist, and in
the voluminous collections of Gesner, Johnson, Ron-
delet, &c. Feeding principally on the small animals
difi*used throughout the waters of the ocean, it pro-
bably receives a sufficiency of food even when at-
tached to a moving object, such as a ship or large
fish, merely by opening its mouth, which has a very
wide gape. But it must be admitted that we know
nothing peculiar in its economy to enable us to
explain why it is supplied with an apparatus ap-
parently intended to meet some peculiar want.
Whether it attaches itself to other objects, as Mr.
Yarrell remarks, for protection or conveyance, or
both, is a question which has not been satisfactorily
ascertained.
The length of the Mediterranean Remora is about
eighteen inches, and the length of the head nearly
one-fifth of the proportion of the whole fish. The
adhesive shield contains seventeen or eighteen trans-
verse laminas, and it commences just behind and
GEN. ECHENEISU SUCKING-FISH. 255
above the upper lip, extending nearly as far as the
ends of the pectoral fin rays. The fins are all
covered with a leathery membrane. " The vertical
direction of the moveable laminse," says Mr. Yarrell,
in reference to the adhesive apparatus, " is efi"ected
by sets of muscles going off obliquely right and left
from two elongated bony processes, one on each half
of each of these moveable divisions. The contrac-
tion of these muscles, acting upon these levers, raises
the external edges of the parallel divisions, increas-
ing the area of the vacuum ; and it will be observed
that the points of the moveable transverse divisions
to which the muscles are attached are nearer the
middle line than the outer edge, by which the chance
of interfering with the perfect continuity of the free
margin, and thereby destroying the vacuum, is di-
minished. All the bony laminae, the outer edges of
which are furnished with rows of minute tooth-like
projections, are moved simultaneously, like the thin
vertical divisions of our common wooden window-
blinds, by means of the mechanical contrivance on
the framework. The longer muscles, placed near
the outer oval edge, are probably instrumental in
preserving the contact of the more flexible margin,
and the serrated external edges of the parallel la-
minae help to preserve the degree of elevation ob-
tained : the adhesive power is in proportion to the
area of the vacuum." *
* British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 37i>.
25Q
ORDER IV. MALACOPTERYGII APODES.
The Fourth Order of bony fishes with soft fins,
is named Malacopterygii Apodes, because the
ventral fins, or those which may be considered as
representing the feet, entirely disappear. The order
is made up of one natural family of anguillifonii
fishes, some of which are remarkable for their form,
nud others, of exotic origin, for their powerful elec-
trical properties.
XXII. FAMILY OF THE EELS.
MUR.ENID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. Gen. 7, Sp. 1 1
Gen. 30. Anguilla. Sp. 192. ^. acutirostris. Sharp-nosed Eel,
193. ^. IcUirostris. Broad-nosed do.
1 94. J. . mediorostris. Snig do.
195. C. vulgaris. Conger-eel.
] 96. M. Helena. . The Muraena.
Anglesey ]\Iorris,
198. 0. imherhe. . Beardless Ophi-
dium.
199. 0. harbatum. Bearded do.
200. E. Drumnio'ii- Drummond's
dii Echiodon.
20\. A. Tohiamis. Sand-eel.
2^'2. A. Lancea. . Sand-launce
91. Conger.
92. MURiENA. .
93. Leptocephalus. 197. L. Morisii
94. Ophidium.
95. Echiodon.
9fi. Ammodytes.
When it is stated that the type, or most charac-
teristic representative, of this family, is the Com-
mon Eel, one of the most familiarly known of our
GEN. ANGUILLA. EELS. 257
native fishes, little more need be added to convey
an idea of the general appearance of the species.
Differing considerably from each other in the details
of their structure, they possess in common a long,
narrow, serpent-like body, which, owing to the con-
formation of the vertebral column, is extremely
flexible; the greater part of the body surrounded
by a low nearly continuous fin ; scales so minute
as to be for the most part almost invisible ; and the
surface frequently invested with a slimy mucus.
The c«ca are wanting ; but all have an air-bladder,
which sometimes assumes a very peculiar form.
Gen. XC. Anguilla. — Our acquaintance Avith
the species of true Eels, composing the present
group, is by no means m a satisfactory state. It is
not long since all the Eels found in this country
were regarded as specifically the same ; in the best
and latest works three kinds are described as dis-
tinct. The differences consist chiefly in the form
of the head and the colours of the body. In the
former respect Eels seem subject to great variation,
and there is reason to think, that if this be assumed
as a mark of distinction, we might find grounds for
believing in the existence of even more than th$ee
species. Xo one believes that there are two species
of Conger-Eel in our seas ; and yet we have seen
an example Avhich presents nearly the same differ-
ence in the form of the sno<ut, that there is between
the sharp-nosed and broad-nosed Eel. The ante-
rior part of the head of the Conger is usually elon-
gated and rather narrow; in the specimen alluded to
R
258 MALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
Cwhicii is preserved in the Edinburgh University
Museum) it is comparatively short and bkmt. May
not difference of sex have somethino- to do with
o
this ? The kind of water in which they dwell, soil,
food, and general nature of the locality, has perhaps
a greater influence on the colour of Eels than on any
other fish, and we have already seen how great that
influence is in many cases, — in that of the Common
Trout, for example. It is not improbable, there-
fore, that the views of ichthyologists will yet un-
dergo some change regarding the specific distinctions
of the members of this genus ; meanwhile, we pro-
ceed to notice the species as at present admitted
by IMessrs, Jenyns and Yarrell.
(Sp. 192.) A. acutirostris. Sharp-nosed Eel,
This may be regarded as the Common Eel, although
the broad-nosed Eel is in many places equally plen-
tiful. It is found in all the fresh waters of this
country ; abounds throughout Europe, except in the
arctic regions and some of the rivers, such as the
Wolga and certain tributaries of the Danube, which
have their source in very cold regIo:.s ; occurs also in
Asia, the great islands of the Pacific Ocean, and in
North America. It is, strictly speaking, a fresh-
water fish ; can subsist permanently in fresh water,
and, there can be little doubt, breeds there. When
it has the means, however, of following its natural
instinct, it migrates towards the sea in the autumn,
and resides in the brackish water at the mouths oi
rivers. As eels are extremely sensitive to cold, it is
supposed that this situation is preferred during the
GEN. ANGUILLA. SHARP-NOSED EEL. 259
Winter months, on account of the higher tempera-
ture there obtained, resulting from the mixture of
two fluids of different densities, the salt and fresh
^Yater. The brackish water in such situations is
about two degrees warmer than that of the river or
sea. Here they commonly bury themselves in
sludge, and the spawn becomes matured.
The mode of generation in Eels was long a mat-
ter of doubt, and the most absurd notions have been
entertained as to the mode in which it is effected.
Not long since they were believed to be viviparous ;
but the careful investigations of Mr. Yarrell, con-
tinued for many months in succession, scarcely leave
room for doubt that they are oviparous, producing
their young like other true osseous fishes.
They are often kept in ponds, and become com-
paratively tame ; * but they are so voracious as to
destroy all other kinds of fish in such situations
(except some of the larger kinds which they are
unable to overcome), and when in want of food,
devour each other. In rivers they are very de-
structive to the spawn of other fishes ; they likeAvise
feed on worms, larvfB of insects, carcasses, and even
occasionally vegetable substances. Their tenacity
of life is well known ; and the facility they have,
ow4ng to the suppleness and sliminess of their body,
in gliding between opposing objects or slipping from
the hand, has passed into a proverl). They are
* An interesting account of some tame Eels, by Mr. Trevel-
yan, will be found in the Edinburgh New Philosoi)hical Jour-
nal for AprU 1841, p. 439.
260 MALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
able to remain a longer time out of the water tliau
most other fishes, owing to the power they possess
of closing the aperture over the gills and thus pre-
venting the desiccation of the latter ; the mucous
secretion also keeps the body long moist. In con-
sequence of these provisions, they often voluntarily
leave the water, and travel over a considerable space
of land; sometimes, it would appear, in order to
obtain food, at other times for the purpose of
changing their abode. These migrations usually,
or always, take place in the night, when the absence
of the sun, and the frequent presence of dew, or
rain, prevent them suffering from the want of their
natural element.
Being much in request, in most countries, for the
table, various modes are adopted for capturing Eels.
"When ascending rivers from the sea, which they do
at times in immense bodies (in 1832, it was calcu-
lated by two observers, that from sixteen to eighteen
hundred j)assed a given point in the Thames at
Kingston, in the space of one minute), numerous
plans are resorted to on purpose to intercept them.
The apparatus used in the Thames, called an Eel-
buck, consists of a number of wicker baskets of a
peculiar form supported on a wooden framework,
each basket having a large open end opposed to the
stream, and the interior so constructed that a fish
once entering cannot get out again. When imbedded
lU the mud, they are often taken by eel-spears ; and
at times dug out in heaps. Large quantities are
imported to Billingsgate from Holland, for which a
GEN. ANGUILLA. SHAKP->OSED ELL. 2(jl
tiuty of £]3 per cargo used to be paid. But
tlioiigh so much used as food, Eels cannot be con-
sidered as very wholesome, the great quantity of oil
they contain rendering them difficult of digestion.
A strong prejudice against them exists in Scotland,
occasioned probably by their serpent-like form, and
the pretty general impression that they are not true
fish.
It is mentioned, in Griffiths' edition of Cuvier's
Animal Kingdom, that the skin of eels, which has
a consistence resembling parchment, forms the ob-
ject of a small trade ki great cities. The property
of mak'iig hair grow has been attributed to it when
used as a fillet; and in Tartary it is employed,
after being oiled, as a substitute for glass in windows.
To this w^e may add, that we have often seen it
worn round the arm or finger, as a cure for rheu-
matic pain.
We have often seen anglers, as the most ready
means of killing eels, make a transverse cut in the
tail, under the idea that they most speedily bleed
to death by being wounded in that part of the body.
May not the destruction, in so doing, of the singular
pulsatory apparatus, described in our Introduction
as a lymphatic heart, be the means of hastening
death?
The life of Eels seems to be of long duration, and
their growth, as is usual in such cases, is rather
slow. They often attain a very large size, five or
six feet in length, and weighing upwards of twenty
pounds.
262 JIALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
(Sp. 193.) A. latirostris. Broad-nosed Eel. The
habits of this species, as far as ascertained, differing
in no respect from that just described, we have only
to notice its principal marks of distinction. Of
these the most observable is indicated by the name,
the snout being depressed and comparatively large,
the nose broad and rounded. The skin is said to be
much thicker than in A. acutirostris, and feels more
soft and unctuous. It is the variety mentioned by
Pennant as known in the Thames by the name of
Grigs^ and about Oxford by that of Chrigs or Gluts,
He adds that they are not so much esteemed as A,
acutirostri.9, and do not often exceed three or four
pounds in weight. The largest Mr. Yarrell has
seen did not weigh above five pounds. Tliis Eel
appears to be common, at least in England; it
also occurs in the Firth of Forth, and is probably
not rare in other parts of Scotland.
(Sp. 194.) A. mediorostris. Snig Eel. All that
we know of this supposed species we owe to Mr.
Yarrell, who obtained specimens from jMr. Jesse
and Mr. Mills. They were procured from the Avon
in Hampshire, where this Eel is called the Snig,
and is considered distinct from the other Eels. " In
the comparative breadth of the nose," says the au-
thor just named, " the Snig is intermediate in refer-
ence to the sharp and broad nosed Eels, but rather
more resembles that with the sharp nose ; it has a
slight but elongated depression extending from the
anterior edge of the upper jaw to the upper and
back part of the head • the tubular openings of the
GEN. CONGER. COMMON CONGER-EEL. 263
nostrils are larger, and the mucous pores about the
lips larger aud more conspicuous; both ja\YS rounded
at their extremities, the lower one the largest;
teeth larger and stronger than in the common sharp
nosed species ; gape large ; the angle and the pos-
terior edge of the eye on the same vertical line ;
he pectoral fins, the commencement of the dorsal
in, and the vent, are each placed nearer the head
than in either of our fresh-water Eels. The general
colour is olive-green above, passing by a lighter
green to yellowish white below." He further shows
that the five first cervical vertebra3 are destitute of
the lateral spinous process which is possessed by
the other two. The Snig, moreover, roves about and
feeds during the day, which other Kels do not. It
is considered excellent food, and seldom exceeds
half a pound in weight.
Gen. XCI. Conger. — Most of the generic char-
acters of Anguilla are likewise exemplified in Con-
ger, but the latter is readily distinguished by the
dorsal commencmg nearly on a line with the hinder
extremities of the pectorals, and forming, by uniting
with the anal, a pointed caudal fin. Several species
are known in the jNIediterranean and other seas, but
the only one that visits our shores is
(Sp. 195.) C. vulyaris. Common Conger-eel;
which occurs pretty frequently all around Britain
and Ireland. It is a large fish, sometimes exceeding
ten feet in length, and w^eighing upwards of a hun-
dred pounds, but its ordinary dimcnisions are from
five to seven feet. It is entirely a marine species,
'2<J4 WALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
;.ilthough frequently found in the mouths of rivers,
which it is alleged to frequent for the purpose of
feeding on the fish that ascend or descend the
stream. Of these it devours a large quantity, as
well as crabs and shell-fish, the strength of its jaws
enabling it to comminute very hard substances. The
smaller kinds of fish it swallows almost entire : in
the stomach of one brought to the Edinburgh mar-
ket in 1834, no fewer than sixty-eight spirlings
were found, and these were so fresh and uninjured,
that they were afterwards exposed to sale, and soon
obtained a purchaser.* The gigantic palinuri, or
spiny lobsters of the Mediterranean, are said to
enter into combat occasionally with the Conger,
and generally come off victorious by tearing the fish
with their claws. The season for spawning is De-
cember or January, and young fish, about the
thickness of a man's finger, may be seen in rocky
places close to the shore, during the summer. Al-
though the flesh cannot be spoken of with high
commendation, this does not prevent it being much
used for food. The rich fee ding- ground in the Firth
of Forth between Alloa and Stirling produces a
considerable number of Congers, whence they are
often brought to the Edinburgh market, where one
four feet long is sold for about a shilling or eighteen-
pence. They are often dried, and in that state
exported, principally to Spain. The most profitable
fishery for Congers is on the Cornish coast, where,
according to Mr. Couch, it is not uncommon for a
* PameU's Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 389.
V,
GEN. MUR^NA. COMMON MUR^XA. 205
boat with three men to bring on shore from five
hundred weight to two tons as the produce of one
night's fishing ! Long lines called hulters are em-
ployed, and the ordinary bait is a pilchard ; the
French fishermen, however, prefer the sand-launce
as a bait, its shining silvery lustre rendering it par-
ticularly attractive.
Gen. XCII. Mur^na. — Of this genus, which
is distinguished chiefly by the absence of pectoral
fins, we have only one British representative, and
that must be ranked among the rarest visitors to
our shores, namely,
(Sp. 196.) M. Helena. Common, or Roman
MuriBua. There is only one instance on record of
its occurrence in Britain, Mr. Couch having obtained
a specimen from a fisherman of Polperro, caught on
the 8th October, 1834. It is very plentifid in the
MediteiTanean, and is the murcena so highly prized
by the ancient Romans, who kept thom in their
vivaria almost in a tame state, and carefully fat-
tened them for the table. The flesh is white, fat,
and of very agreeable flavour. The fish is said to
thrive equally w^ell in salt and fresh water, although
it never occurs naturally in the latter. The ordi-
nary lengih is between three and four feet, and ex-
amples are sometimes met with weighing between
twenty and thirty pounds. It is fished for with
lines, and is rather diflicult to capture. It is vora-
cious, bites severely, and can live a long while out
of its natural element. The colours and markings
are extremely beautiful, and in connexion with the
266 MALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
form of the fish, give it a strong resemblance to
some kinds of serpents.
Gen. XCIII. Leptocephalds. — The remaining
genera of the family Murenidee may be regarded as
forming a section by themselves, differing in many
important points from those already noticed. The
species are of comparatively small size ; the body,
instead of being cylindrical or nearly so, is much
compressed, becoming in several instances riband-
shaped, and the whole texture is extremely delicate.
This is the case in particular with the genus above
named (so called on account of the smallness of the
head), of which only one species has yet been dis-
covered in Britain. It is the
(Sp. 197.) L. Morrisii. Anglesey Morris. First
made known by Pennant, who obtained a specimen
from Holyhead, where it was discovered ly the in-
dividual after whom it is named. Other specimens
have since been found in various parts of the coast
of England, Wales, and Ireland, so that this curious
fish is now comparatively w^ell known, althougli
some were formerly disposed to exclude it from our
Fauna, under the impression that Pennant had been
labouring under some mistake regarding it. It is a
fish of extreme delicacy, being semipellucid ; and
when placed on a slip of glass, and examined in a
good light, the intestine, and some other parts of its
internal structure, can be distinctly perceived. It is
of a fine silvery hue ; the eyes large and prominent ;
and its motions are described by Mr. Deere, who
had a specimen for a short time alive, as very grace-
/ *'IV?'
GEN. OPHIDIUM. BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM. 267
ful.* It is about five or six inches long, the head
short and blunt, the dorsal commencing before the
middle, the anal rather behind it, and both uniting
at the tail, which gradually narrows to a point.
The lateral line is straight, and a double series of
oblique lines meet it at an acute angle. The thick-
ness of the fish, according to Montagu, does not ex-
ceed the sixteenth part of an inch. It is usually
found entangled among sea- weed. Mr. Yarrell is
of opinion that the Leptocephalus Spallanzani of
Risso, which occurs in the Mediterranean, is identi-
cal with the fish ju^.t noticed.
Gen. XCIY. Ophidium. — A few simple charac-
ters, as they will be found stated in our Synopsis,
are sufiicient to indicate the distinction between
this and the allied genera. We possess two species
presenting strong marks of difference, although it
has not been thought necessary to separate them
generically.
(Sp. 198.) 0. imlerhe. Beardless Ophidium.
We are indebted to Pennant for the earliest notice
of this fish as British. His specimen, communicated
to him by the Duchess of Portland, was obtained
at Weymouth, Init as he gave only an indifterent
figure of it, unaccompanied with description, con-
siderable doubts exist as to the identity of his fish
with the one above named. Colonel Montagu
afterwards procured an example of what he con-
sidered to be 0. imherhe, and described it under that
♦ Loudon's Mag. of Nat. Hist,, vol. vL pp. 530 and 531.
268 MALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
3iame in tlie Memoirs of the Wernerian Society.*
Cuvier appears, however, to have entertained some
doubt as to Montagu s fish being the true Linnean
0. imlerhe. + Jenyns, Yarrell, and ?ome other au-
thors, receive it as such, but some further informa-
tion on the subject seems necessary to clear away all
difficulties.
The length of Colonel Montagu's fish was about
three inches, depth about a quarter of an inch :
head very obtuse; eyes large; body compressed
towards the tail ; pectoral fin rounded ; dorsal com-
mencing immediately above the base of the pectoral ;
anal commencing at the vent, and, together with the
dorsal, uniting with the caudal, which is wedge-
shaped. Colour purplish brown, disposed in minute
speckles.
(Sp. 199.) 0. harhatum. Bearded Ophidium.
The claims of this species to be admitted into our
liyts of native fishes, rest on very doubtful au-
thority. Berkenhout introduced it into his synopsis,
but without mentioning any of the circumstances
which led him to do so, and when we consider that
he altogether omitted O. imherhe^ which had been
previously described, such authority does not seem
entitled to much weight. No subsequent zoologist
has met with it in our seas. It is a well known
rish in the Mediterranean, where it is captured with
nets, and used for the table, although its flesh is
♦ Vol. i. p. 95, pi. 4, fig. 2.
+ Regne Animal, t. ii. p. 359 (note).
GEN. ECHIODON. DRUMMONDS ECHIODON. 269
very indiifereiit. It is named Donzella in Laugue-
doc, and is the Donzelle commune of Cuvier.
Gen. XCV. EcHioDON. — The description of this
new form in Ichthyology we owe to Mr. W. Thomp-
son of Belfast. A single specimen of the fish on
which the genus is founded, was discovered, in a
dead state, on the beach at Carnclough, near Glen-
arm, in the county of Antrim, in the month. of June
1836, by Dr. J. L, Drummond. Ample details
will be found in the Proceedings and Transactions
of the Zoological Society, from which we select the
following particulars.
(Sp. 200.) E. Drummondii. Drummond's Echi-
odon. The length of the specimen was eleven inches ;
the greatest depth six lines a little behind the head
the body gradually narrowing from that point to the
tail; the whole very much compressed, especially
towards the tail. Xo scales could be detected, but
these may have been abraded while the fish was ex-
posed on the beach. The dorsal fin commencing one
inch six lines from the snout ; anal just behind the
vent, and both uniting to the caudal, which is
pointed ; the fin rays gradually becoming longer as
they approach the tail, and the body more and more
attenuated. The anterior half of the body was a
dull flesh-colour, presumed to have been originally
red ; behind the middle marked and spotted over
with reddish brown. The dentition is rather re-
markable, and well distinguishes this fish from those
which most resemble it in other respects. " There
are two large strong teeth," says Mr. Thompson,
270 MALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
" placed close together, and curving inwards at each
side of the extremity of the upper jaw, the two
inner one-sixteenth of an inch apart. * In the lower
jaw one slender rounded tooth, nearly one line long
on each side, curving outward at the base, and in-
ward at the point. Entire upper and under jaw
and vomer densely studded with small bluntish
teeth, somewhat uniform in size ; vomer extending
far forward, and very much developed, forming a
cavity in the lower jaw, and in advance of the
tongue when the mouth is closed ; a series of rows
of teeth, similar to those last described, on the palatal
bones ; all the teeth of the upper jaw exposed to
view when the mouth is closed."
Difference of opinion may arise as to the proper
position and relations of this curious fish. Mr.
Thompson was originally of opinion that it belonged
to the Tfenioidas, or Riband- fish, it showing con-
siderable affinity to that family. It is to be hoped
that other specimens will soon be met with.
Gen. XCVI. Ammodytes. — This genus is strik
ingly contrasted with the other members of this fa-
mily in having a deeply forked tail, and the dorsal
and anal fins separated from the caudal by a con-
siderable space. The head is a goo;l deal elongated,
and the under jaw is much longer than the upper.
Although two species appear to have been long
recognised by fishermen in this country, and desig-
nated by different names, it is but of late that the
* It is these teeth, which resemble serpents' fangs, that
suggested the generic appellation of Echiodon.
.^ ^^
GEN. AMMODYTES. SAND-LAUNCE. 271
proper distinctions have been pointed out by natu-
ralists. The first is
(Sp. 201.) A. ToUanus. The Sand-eel, Horner, or
Hornels. This is much the larger of the two, usually-
measuring from ten to fifteen Inches. It Is, how-
ever, comparatively rare, as scores of the Common
Launce, or smaller Sand-eel, may readily be procured
for every individual of this species. They are occa-
sionally observed swimming about near the shore,
and have been caught with a bait. But they usually
bury themselves in the moist sand after the retiring
of the tide, to a depth of from four to six inches.
They have been found on most of our shores where
the beach is composed of fine sand, and in the Firth
of Forth are not unfrequent. We have never seen
the Common Launce dug for to any extent near
Portobello or on the northern shores of the Forth,
without a good many Homers (as they are here in-
variably called) being at the same time procured.
They are brought to the Edinburgh market and
sold by the dozen, their flesh being esteemed very
. palatable. Dr. Parnell says they shed their spawn
in September.
(Sp. 202.) A. lancea. Sand-launce, or Common
Sand-eel. This well known fish is much smaller
than the preceding, scarcely ever exceeding seven or
eight inches, and being more frequently under six ;
but a more satisfactory means of discrimination will
be found In the dorsal fin commencing in a line over
the middle of the pectorals, whereas in A. Tohiamis
the dorsal commences on a line with the hinder ex-
27^ MALACOP. APODES. EEL FAMILY.
tremity of tlie pectorals. It may be affirmed, gene-
rally, to be distributed all around the shores ot
Britain and Ireland, and also occurs in many other
countries. Large shoals are frequently observed
swimming about near the shore, and it often happens
as with the species already noticed, that instead of
retiring with the ebbing tide, they dig into the
sand, and remain there till the water again covers
them. Advantage is often taken of this by the
people dwelling on the coast, and when it is dis-
covered that a shoal of Sand-eels have hidden them-
selves in the sand, they repair often in great numbers
to the spot, armed with spades, shovels, three-
pronged forks, rakes, &c. to dig them out. This
they seem to do partly for the sport, and partly for
the value of the fish, and we have sometimes wit-
nessed very animated scenes on such occasions.
When dug from the sand, the fish leap about with
singular velocity, and the gathering of them affords
a fine amusement to the younger parties, who are
commonly most numerous and eager in this pursuit.
It is remarkable with what ease and rapidity these
slender and delicate looking fish penetrate the sand^
even when it is of a pretty firm texture. They
seem to form a favourite morsel with many, and are
even at times brought to the Edinburgh market and
sold by measure. On the south coast of England
they are sometimes salted and dried. But their
principal use is as bait for the capture of more valu-
able fishes, there being scarcely any other found to
answer the purpose so effectively.
GFN. AMMODYTES. SAND-LAUNCE. 273
Sand-launces are eaten In other countries besides
our own. Mr. Swainson informs us that the Sici-
lians reckon them, when fried, among their most
deHcious fishes, and he therefore recommends them
to be eaten in this country, which, he adds, they
seldom or never are, owing to some singular preju-
dice. It is strange that he should have been unac-
quainted with the fact that they are in such general
use and so much esteemed especially in Scotland.
274
ORDER V. LOPHOBRANCHII.
We now come to Cuvier's Fifth Order of Bony
Fishes, which is of very limited extent, and distin-
guished by having the branchiae in small rounded
tufts disposed in pairs along the branchial arches,
owing to which peculiarity it is named Lopho-
BRANCHii, or with the gills in tufts. There is only
one family, namely,
XXIII. FAMILY OF THE PIPE-FISHES.
SYGNATHID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. Gen. 3, Sp. 7-
Gen. 97. Sygnathus. Sp. 203. S. Acus. . Great Pipe-fish.
204. S. Typhle. Deep-nosed do.
98. AcESTRA 205. A. tsquorea. ^quoreal do.
2 0 6 . J. . angidnea. Snake do .
207. A. ophidion. Straight-nosed do.
208. J., lumhrici- Worm do.
for mis.
99. Hippocampus. lOB.H.hrevirostris. Sea-horse.
The Pipe-fish have a very remarkable appearance,
the body being long and very slender, the snout also
much lengthened, and the whole covered with bony
plates like a coat of mail. The disposition of these
plates is such as to render the body angular, but
they do not materially interfere with its flexibility.
The mouth, which is placed at the extremity of the
elongated narrow tubular snout, is very small, and
SYGNATHUS. GREAT PIPE-FISH. 275
opens almost vertically. There are no ventral fin?,
and, in the majority of instances, no anal, pectoral, or
caudal. But the most remarkable peculiarity they
present is, in the genus Sygnathus, a marsupinl
pouch under the abdomen, in which the eggs are
matured, and into which it would appear the young
occasionally retreat. Although the section contain-
ing the species destitute of a caudal fin, and without
a marsupial bag, is sufficiently distinct from the
other to be distinguished generically, we do not
find that this has been done by any recent author
except Mr. Swainson ; but as the name Acus which
he applies is objectionable from being used in a spe-
cific sense in the same family, we have substituted
-another term of equivalent meaning.
Gen. XCVII. Sygnathus.* — In this group,
which contains only two British species, the pecto-
ral, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, are all present;
and the males are furnished with an elongated
pouch under the tail.
(Sp. 203.) S. Acus. Great Pipe-fish. Attains
a length of between twelve and sixteen inches in
our seas, but in the Mediterranean and some other
seas seems to grow much larger. The body is
heptangular anteriorly, then becomes hexangular,
and the whole of the caudal portion is quadrangular.
The osseous plates which cover the body are about
sixty-three in number, all of them beautifully stri-
* From 9V9 and ^vaSoj, jaws united ,- a name given by Ai>
tedi in tlie belief that the elongated muzzle of these fishes waa
formed b.v the union of their jaws.
276 LOPHOBRANCHII. PIPE-FISHES.
ated. The operculum is large, shaped nearly like a
mussel-shell, the surface granulated and marked
with radiating striae. The pectoral fin is small, the
dorsal pretty high, but the longest rays not equal in
height to the depth of the body ; tail well deve-
loped, rounded at the extremity, and very like ^
half-expanded fan. Both sexes are pretty well
figured by Pennant in his British Zoology (vol. iiir
pi. 26), but under different names ; the marsupial
pouch being indicated in the figure of the male.
The singular use of this abdominal bag, however,
seems not to have been rightly understood till lately.
It is now ascertained that the ova are transferred
from the abdomen of the female into this false belly
or pouch ; that they become matured there, and the
young hatched. At what time the male receives the
charge of the ova, and in uhat precise manner the
exchange is effected, are. points not exactly known.
It further appears, that even after the young make
their escape from this receptacle, they are in the
habit, for a short time after their birth, of occasion-
ally retiring to it. These fishes thus present us with
a perfect analogy to marsupial quadrupeds. As in
several other instances presented by this class of
animals, the Great Pipe-fish begins to breed while
;yet young, specimens of four inches long, apparently
of the preceding year, having been found with full-
grown ova.
This is the most common species of the family,
frequenting shallow places, apparently in most parts
of our coasts. Mr. Couch savs it swims in a singii-
GEN. SYGNATHUS. LESSER PIPE-FISH. 277
!ar manner, horizontally or perpendicularly, with
the head downwards or upwards, and in every atti-
tude of contortion. It is frequently met with in
■the Firth of Forth, where, as well as in other parts
of Scotland, it is called the Tangle-Jish^ as it is
-commonly found lurking under sea- weed, or tangle,
as it is called in the north.
This fish, in common with all the others belong-
ing to the family, is of no use either as food or bait,
the dry rigid body almost resembling a piece of
wood, and being, as Cuvier says, presque sa7i9
chair.
(Sp. 204.) S. Typhle. Deep-nosed or Lesser Pipe-
fish. The habits and economy of this specie^ as far
as known, being the same as in that just described,
we have little to add to the external marks of dis-
tinction as they are stated in our Synopsis. Tt occurs
almost as frequently as S. Acus^ and on tlie shores
of all the three kingdoms. " It is rather rare," says
Dr. Parnell, " in the Firth of Forth, although a
place apparently favourable for its habits. It fre-
quents water from three to four feet deep, where
the bottom is of a sandy nature and covered with
the smaller kinds of fuci^ among wdiich it prowls
about in search of minute aquatic insects. I have
taken them in pools, at North Berwick, left by the
receding of the tide, but further up the Firth they
seem but little known. At Brixham, in the month
of September, I saw as many as four dozen taken
at one haul of a net ; and I was informed at the
€ame time by the fishermen, that in the earlier part
278 LOPHOBRANCHII. PIPE-FISHES.
of the season, they would sometimes inclose five
times that number ; which being of no service, are
invariably returned again to the sea."*
Gen. XCYIII. Acestra. — The most conspi-
cuous differences between this group and the pre-
ceding have already been alluded to. They consist
of the entire absence, in Acestra, of pectoral, ventral,
anal, and caudal fin<!, the dorsal alone being present,
but that is always conspicuous. Neither is there
any abdominal sac, although provision is made for
the performance of a function analogous to what is
executed by the former. The species are much
more slender and vermiform than the Sygnathi, and
if a distinction of Endish names were thouoht de-
sirable, they might with propriety be termed Needle-
fish, an appellation which has occasionally been
given to the w^hole family.
(Sp. 205.) A. oequorea. Equoreal Pipe or Needle-
fish. "We believe that the first notice of this fish as
British occurs in Sir Robert Sibbald's Scotia Illus-
trata, and that his specimen was found in the Firth
of Forth, although it has not been taken in that lo-
cality since. The Berwickshire, Northumberland,
and Devonshire coasts have affbrded examples, as
well as one or two other places, but it seems to be
very rare. The Cornish fishermen report that they
have seen it far out at sea, swimming at the surface
over a depth of upw'ards of fifty fathoms.
(Sp. 206.) A. anguinea. Snake Pipe or Needle-
fish. This singular looking fish scarcely exceeds
* Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 398.
iMj*r *•
'^fe*^^^-
OEN.ACESTRA. STRAIGHT-NOSED PIPE-FISH. 279
the thickness of a goose-quill, and is readily known
from the preceding by the remarkably long narrow
tail. The body is scarcely angular while it is alive,
but becomes so after death, when the parts begin to
dry. The sexual peculiarities of the genus Acestra
have been observed chiefly in this species, and Mr.
Yarrell says that neither male nor female possesses
an anal pouch, but the ova after exclusion from the
abdomen of the female are carried for a time by the
male in separate hemispheric depressions on the ex-
ternal surface of the abdomen, anterior to the anus.
The females have no such depressions. Males taken
in August were found to have one ovum of the size
and colour of a mustard-seed lodged in each cup-
like cell.
Seems to be pretty generally distributed, but oc-
curs nowhere in great plenty.
(Sp. 207.) A. ophidion. Straight-nosed Pipe or
Keedle-fish. Body very long, slender, and nearly
cylindrical, tapering from the anal aperture gradually
to a fine point. The head is very little narrower
than the anterior portion of the body, the forehead
very slightly depressed. Mr. Yarrell's English name,
therefore, is a very distinctive one. Mr. Jenyns
describes this species under the name of S. lumhri-
ciformisy and he states his belief that it is not un-
common on many parts of the coast, and is said to
be called in Cornwall the Sea-adder. Mr. Yarrell
obtained several specimens from the Dorsetshire
coast.
(Sp. 208.) A. lumlriciformis. Worm Pipe or
280 LOPHOBRANCHII. PIPE-FISHES.
Needle-fish. This is the S. ophidion of Pennant,
and some other authors who took him as their
guide. He also calls it the Little Pipe-fish, it being
the smallest of the family, usually about five inches
long. The nose is shorter and more suddenly turned
upwards than in the other species ; the eyes promi-
nent. It appears to pass through a kind of meta
morphosis when young ; the whole of the tail, vvhei.
it escapes from the egg, being enveloped in a thin
membrane, and small pectoral fins are also visible,
both of which subsequently disappear. It is pro-
bable that a more intimate acquaintance with fishes
in the earlier stages of their development, would
supply many examples analogous to this. The
Worm-like Pipe-fish does not appear to be rare, al-
though it is probably often overlooked owing to its
small size. It is common on the coast of Cornwall ;
occurs in various parts of Ireland ; in Berwick Bay,
and in Orkney, where, according to Low, it is found
very frequently under stones in the space between
high and low- water mark.
Gen. XCIX. Hippocampus. — Cuvier defines this
genus as having the trunk laterally compressed, and
much more elevated than the tail; when the body
curves after death, the upper parts have some re-
semblance to the head and neck of a horse in minia-
ture, which has suggested the English name. The
margin of the scales are formed into ridges, and the
angles into spines. Both sexes have pectoral and
dorsal fins, and the females an anal one. The spe-
cies are not numerous, but they occur in some parts
GEN. HIPPOCAMPUS. SEA-HORSE. 281
of the Continent in considerable plenty, and are
often kept in cabinets of miscellaneous curiosities,
in a dry state (their structure rendering them of
easy preservation), owing to the singularity of their
form. They may indeed be examined either dead
or alive without it being conjectured that they be-
long to the class of fishes. The shape and disposi-
tion of the plates on the tail are such as to admit of
it being easily curved inwards, and it is accordingly
used as a prehensile instrument, the animal twist-
ing it round the stems of marine plants, and waiting
in that position with its head free, ready to dart at
any passing object which it desires to make its prey.
We have only one species,
(Sp. 209.) H. brevirostris, Short-nosed Sea>
horse, and that is very rare, a few specimens only
being found now and then, chiefly in the south of
England. Tliey are described as swimming in a
vertical position, with the tail ready to grasp any
object that may be met with. " When two ap-
proach each other, they often twist their tails to-
gether, and struggle to separate or attach themselves
to the weeds ; this is done by the under part of
their cheeks or chin, which is also used for raising
the body when a new spot is wanted for the tail to
entwine afresh. The eyes move independently of
each other, as in the chameleon ; this, with the
brilHant changeable iridescence about the head, and
its blue bands, forcibly remind the observer of that
animal."*
* Lukis, apud Yarrell, vol. ii. p. 464.
282 LOPHOBRAISCHII. PH^E FISHES.
The mode of propagation, as far as known, coin-
cides in every respect with that of the true Syn-
gnathi. There can be little doubt also, from the
structure of the mouth and snout, that the food is
the same as in that typical group.
The Cuverian Order named Plectognathi, or
nshes with soldered jaws, next claims our attention.
The principal characters he states to consist m the
maxillary bone being soldered to the side of the in-
termaxillary, which constitutes the jaw, and the
connexion of the palatal arch with the cranium by
an immoveable suture. The skeleton is still osseous,
although from the slow manner in which ossification
takes place, and the imperfect structure of the jaws,
we can discern an approach to the great tribe of
cartilaginous fishes, in which no true bone occujrs.
283
XXIY. FAMILY WITH NAKED TEETH,
GYMNODONTID^.
Bapresentathes in British Fauna. — Gen. 2, Sp. 3.
Gen. 100. Tetrodon. Sp. 2 1 0. ^. Pennantii. Pennant's Globe-
fish.
101. Orthagoriscus. 21 1. O.moZa. . Short Sun-fish.
212. 0. ohhngus. Oblong Sun-fisli.
Gen. C. Tetrodon. — In the absence of true teeth,
the partially exposed jaws are divided in the middle
by a suture, thus presenting the appearance of four
teeth, as the name implies. The species are, pro-
perly speaking, tropical ; and in common with
those of the genus Diodon, which has no represen-
tatives in Britain, they possess the singular power of
inflating the belly into a rounded ball by swallow-
ing air. When thus inflated, in consequence of the
under parts becoming lighter than the upper, they
turn upside down, and continue to float about in this
position, apparently retaining the power of direct-
ing their course. As the inflated abdomen is covered
with spines, this seems to be a means of warding
off" the attack of enemies ; at least there can be no
doubt that it is often attended with that eff*ect, al-
though the occurrence of certain species with the
parts in question entirely smooth (Leisomiis of
Swainson, a name inadmissible because previously
284 PLECTOGNATHI. NAKED TEETH FAMILY.
appropriated), may be regarded as a proof that it is
not wholly intended for that purpose. Several of the
species are regarded as poisonous. The only one that
<>ccurs on our own coasts is named by Mr. Yarrell.
(Sp. 210.) T. Pennant'd^ Pennant's Globe-fish,
Tinder the impression that it is not identical with
the T. layocephalus of Gmel., Linn., and Artedi, as
it was regarded by the editor of Pennant's works in
the edition of 18 1 2. It was first recorded by Pennant
as a British species, and named by him Icevigatus.
He had seen only a single specimen, which was taken
at Penzance in Cornwall. Since that time another
has occurred on the Cornish coast, a third at Mount's
Bay, and a fourth near Waterford in Ireland. The
length is about a foot and a half, the back rich blue,
the belly and sides silvery white, fins and tail brown.
Tlie distensible skin extends from below the mouth
nearly to the insertion of the anal fin, and is pretty
tliickly beset with spines which spring from a stel-
lated root of four processes. After filling this crop-
like expansion with air and water, it expels them
by degrees from the branchial apertures and mouth
with considerable force, producing a pretty loud
noise. It is asserted by Mr. Darwin, who has
given a good account of the habits of this fish in the
Voyages of the Adventure and Beagle, that when
handled it emitted from the skin of its belly a most
beautiful carmine red and fibrous secretion, which
stained ivory and paper in so permanent a manner
that the tint is retained with all its brightness to
the present day.
1'lf f
GEN. ORTHAGORISCU^. SHORT SUN-FISH. 285
Gen. CI. Orthagoriscus. — The obloiigo-circu-
lar form, compressed body truncated behind, great
depth of tail, head not distinguishable from the
trunk, and the undivided jaws which serve as a
cutting edge instead of teeth, at once mark this
conspicuous and very remarkable genus. The spe-
cies are far from numerous and two of them are
found in our seas, one of them not very scarce, and
the other a very rare visitor. They are called Sun-
fish, it is supposed, on account of their circular
form, and shining surface. They grow to a large
size, and as Mr. Svvainson remarks, look more like
the dissevered head of a fish than tlie entire animal
itself They are said to exhibit a high degree of
phosphorescence.
(Sp, 211.) 0. onola. Short fe'un-fish. In some
instances this fish is almost perfectly circular in the
outline; at other times it is more elongated, the
length increasing with age more than the breadth.
It may always be distinguished from the following
species, with which it has sometimes been con-
founded, by the comparative shortness of body, the
roughly granular skin, and the rounded extremity
of the pectoral fin. The body is very deep for its
length, the rays of the dorsal and anal fins long and
pointed, and both unite with the caudal, which is
of the whole width of the body. Although a rare
fish, examples have occurred at intervals all along
the coasts of Britain, from Shetland to Cornwall, as
well as in the Irish seas, and they are always objects
of curiosity to their captors from their singular a9
286 PLECTOGNATHI. NAKED TEETH FAMILY.
pect. The specimens have varied in length from
fourteen inches to three or four feet, and in weight
from fifty to four hundred pounds. It was first
observed, in this country, by Sir Andrew Balfour,
in the Firth of Forth, and no fewer than eight or
nine examples have since occurred in that estuary ;
the last of these, now preserved in the Royal Univ.
Museum of Edinburgh, was caught in Largo Bay.
Being destitute of an air-bladder, this fish probably
feeds near the bottom, but is frequently observed
lying on its side at the surface, apparently in a state
of repose, and allowing itself to float along with the
waves or tide. In this seemingly dormant condition,
it may be lifted into a boat, without attempting to
make almost any efi'ort in self-defence. We believe
that it is always captured by fishermen when they
have an opportunity of so doing, as an object of curi-
osity, but it is of no value to them otherwise, as the
flesh is not used for food. If obtained in any abun-
dance, it might be turned to good account from the
large quantity of oil contained in the fatty layer
under the skin. It appears to be generally distri-
buted over the seas of Europe, and has also been
seen on the coasts of America.
(Sp. 212.) 0. oUongus. Oblong Sun-fisli. Au-
thors are widely at variance respecting the value of
the characters presented by the Oblong Sun-fish,
for while Linnasus and Lacepede regard it as iden-
tical with the Short Sun-fish, Shaw and Swainson
consider it as constituting the type of another genus.
To this they assign the name Cephalus^ and found
GEN. ORTHAGORTSCUS. OBLONG SUN-PISH. 5J87
it chiefly on the length of the pectoral fin, which
terminates in a point, and the body being hard, the
surface divided into small angular compartments,
which indicate some relation between this group
,and the Ostracinae. The length of 0. ohlongus is
always more than twice, sometimes approaches to
three times, the depth of the body ; and although
the surface is divided into minute compartments, it
is smooth. We believe that only four instances are
on record of this fish being found in our seas. Dr.
Borlase, in his Natural History of Cornwall, figures
and describes a specimen from Mount's Bay ; and
speaks of another taken at Plymouth in 1734 which
weighed five hundred pounds. Donovan obtained
a small specimen from the Bristol Channel, from
which the figure was taken for his Natural History
of British Fishes (pi. 41). Recently a specimen was
caught in a newly made canal at a short distance
from Towey, in Cornwall, of which an account is
given by Mr. Couch in the 6th volume of tne Annals
of Nat. Hist. The species is said by Cuvier to oc-
jcur at the Cape of Good Hope.
288
XXV. FAMILY OF THE FILE FISHES.
BALISTID^.
Bepresentatwe in British Fauna. Sp. I.
Gen. 102. Balistes. Sp.2\S.B.Capriscus. European File-fish,
The family of the File-fish, which is a very
numerous and important one in tropical seas, is en-
titled in this place only to a very brief notice, as it
can scarcely be said to form a part of our indigenous
fauna. The species are most numerous on the
shores of India and America, and two only occurring
in the Mediterranean, they cannot even be con-
sidered as very characteristic of European Ichthy-
ology. The colours of many of the foreign species
are very warm and beautiful.
(Sp. 213.) B. capriscus. European File-fish. Has
been long known as an inhabitant of the Mediter-
ranean, and there is only one instance on record of
a single individual having wandered to our shores.
It was captured on the Sussex coast, in 1837, as
announced by Mr. Children in his address to tlie
Zoological Club of the Linnean Society at the close
of that year. It was a small specimen measuring
about nine inches and a half, whereas the ordinary
length is between one and two feet. It is named
File-fish, in common with the rest of the family, in
consequence of the first dorsal spine being covered
OEN. BALISTES. EUROPEAN FILE-FISH. 289
on its anterior edge, witti rough granular projec-
tions; and the term Balistes has reference to an-
other peculiarity in the structure of that spine and
jhe one immediately adjoining. " Salviani was the
fii-st to discover that the bones or rays of the first
dorsal fin are so contrived as to act in concert, with
considerable force, in suddenly elevating the fin at
the pleasure of the animal ; though the foremost or
largest be pressed ever so hard, it will not stir ; but
it the last or least ray of all be pressed but very
slightly, the other two immediately fall down with
it, as a cross-bow is let off by pulling down the
trigger. For this reason the fish is called at Rome
pesce hahstra ;"^ the latter name having been used
by the Romans for an engine of war constructed on
a somewhat similar principle, for throAving darts
and arrows. The flesh of this fish is held in no
estimation, and has even been regarded as positively
deleterious.
* Lardner's Cab. Cycl. Fishes, L 193.
290
SECOND SERIES. CIIONDROPTERYGIAN, OR
CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.
We have now passed in review such members of
the First great series of Osseous Fishes as have
been found in our seas, and proceed to notice, in a
similar way, the Second Primary Series, named
by Cuvier Chondkopterygian or Cartilaginous
Fishes. Compared with the former, it is of very
limited extent, not above forty species occurring in
this country, and of these by far the largest projior-
tion belong to the great families of the Rays and
Sharks. In this series, in contradistinction to the
former, the skeleton never consists of true bone, but
is essentially cartilaginous, that is to say, according
to Cuvier s definition, no osseous fibres are formed,
but the calcareous matter is deposited in small
grains and not in threads or filaments ; thence it is
that there are no sutures in the cranium, which is
always formed of a single piece. Another of the
most prominent characters in this series of fishes is
the want of maxillary and intennaxillary bones ; or
rather the mere rudiments of them may be said to
exist under the skin, while their functions are per-
formed by the palatals, and sometimes even by the
vomer. Owing to the comparatively soft texture
of their skeleton, these fish seem to continue to
I
FAMILY OF STURGEONS. 291
grow more or less during the whole period of their
lives, and many of them, accordingly, are by far the
largest of the true fishes, attaining, in many cases,
even to enormous dimensions.
In these fishes the gills are either free, as in the
generality of fishes, or they are fixed by having the
outer edge attached to the skin, so that the water
can find admission to the spaces between them only
by holes in their surface. This peculiarity affords
the means of making two divisions, both of which
have representatives in Britain. To the first of
these, Cartilaginous Fishes with free Gills,
belongs
XXYI. FAMILY OF THE STURGEONS.
STURIONID.E.
Representatixes in British Fauna. Gen. 1. Sp. 2.
Gen. 103. Acipenser. Sp. 214. A. sturio. Common Sturgeon.
215. A. lateralis. Broad-nosed ditto.
This family is composed of a single genus, con-
taining the well known and highly valuable Stur-
geons. They are at once known by the elongated
and angular body, defended by longitudinal rows of
large indurated plates of a pyramidal form with the
apex pointed. The snout is depressed and conical ;
the mouth tubular and without teeth, and placed
on the underside of the head, at some distance be-
hind the extremity of the snout. Our indigenous
292 CHONDROPTERYGII. STL'RGEON FAMILY.
species are not very satisfactorily known, and it ia
conjectured that at least another may exist besides
the two named above. They are numerous in other
seas, and A. husa and A. rnthenus^ the former a
Yiuch larger, and the latter a much smaller species
Aan our own, are of great value to the inhabitants
of Northern and Eastern Europe, almost every por-
tion of the body being turned to economical use —
the flesh as food, the roe prepared and dried under
the name of Caviare for the same purpose, the
air-bladder as isinglass, from which we have the
jelly called blanc-mange, the court-plaster of the
shops, besides other useful preparations. Sturgeons
seek their food chiefly among the mud at the bottom
of rivers, and their head is admirably adapted for
the purpose. The elongated snout, protected by
broad plates, ploughs up the mud, as a hog does
the ground ; and it is probably from this habit they
get the name of Sturgeons, from the German stor-'r
or stoer which signifies to dig the mud. A little
way behind the point of the snout and on the un-
derside is placed a series of worm-like cirri, or
feelers, the office of which no doubt is to examine
the objects turned up by the snout ; a little behind
these comes the sucker-like mouth, ready to receive
what is thus provided for it.
(Sp. 214.) A. sturio. Common Sturgeon. This
may be considered a species of middle size, varying
from six to upwards of eight feet. It is seldom, if
ever, found in any plenty in this country, but is at
times obtained in various localities, and often finds
GiiN. ACIPENSER. COMMON STURGEON. 293
its way to tlie markets of our principal towns, par-
ticularly that of London. Both in France and this
country the Sturgeon is regarded as a royal fish,
that is to say, the property of the crown ; and a
provision still exists in the Statute-book, that the
king's escheater shall make diligent inquiry whether
any Sturgeon has been taken and withdrawn from
the crown. The flesh is firm and compact, tasting
somewhat like veal. It is a migratory fish, passing
the winter in the depths of the ocean, and entering
estuaries and the mouths of rivers in spring. They
are never taken with lines, but are usually found
entangled in salmon-nets. In the Firth of Forth,
according to Dr. Parnell, an individual is taken, on
an average, once in every three years, and then
generally in the salmon- nets at Musselburgh or
Queensferry. The largest specimen recorded as
having been caught in this country, weighed four
hundred and sixty pounds.
(Sp. 215.) A, latirostris. Broad-nosed Sturs^eon.
In the Common Sturgeon the nose is long and
• pointed, and the cirri are placed about midway
between its anterior extremity and the mouth ; in
tlie present species, the nose is broad and blunt,
and the cirri are placed nearer the top of the snout
than to the mouth : other distinctions will be found
in our Synopsis. This species, apparently very
distinct from A . sturio, and not yet identified with
any of the continental species, was first made known
by Dr. Parnell, who describes it in his Essay on the
Fishes of the Firth of Forth, and in the Transactions
204 CHONDROPTERYGII. STURGEON FAMILY.
of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (vol. xiv. pi. 4X
He states that the fishermen of the Solway Firth
had long been in the habit of noticing that two
species of Sturgeon were occasionally entangled in
their nets ; and he obtained a fine specimen of the
Blunt-nosed one, from the Firth of Forth, in July
1835. It was taken near Alloa, and sent to the
Edinburgh market, where it sold at a shilling a
pound. A few weeks after another of nearly equal
size was caught in the Tay, which was also sent to
the Edinburgh market : an entire specimen of the
sea-mouse ( Aphrodita aculeata) w^as found in its
stomach. We are not aware that any other examples
of the broad-nosed sturgeon have occurred in Britain^,
except ine two mentioned by Dr Pamell.
^&
t ^'4t^ I
295
XXVII. FAMILY OF THE CUniJEHM.
CRlMJERlBm,
Representative in British Fauna. Gen, 1, Sp. 1.
Gen. 104. Chimera. Sp. 216. C.monstrosa. Northern Chimsera.
Gen. CIY. Chimera. — In this genus the body,
as in that of the sharks, to which it is nearly allied,
is lengthened, the tail long, tapering, and ending in
a naked filament ; the first dorsal short but high,
tlie second low and extending along the back to the
tail. The species are not numerous, and from the
fantastic shape of the head, they are usually called
sea-monsters.
(Sp. 216) C. monstrosa. Northern Chimaera, or
Rabbit-fish, was first noticed as British by Pennant,
who received a drawing of a specimen taken ofi^ the
Shetland Islands. It was likewise known to Dr
Walker as an inhabitant of these northern seas;
and Dr. Fleming, who has supplied the best de-
scription we have seen of this fish, obtained a spe-
cimen from the same quarter, sent by Laurence
Edmonstone, Esq. surgeon, Unst, where it is termed
the Rabbit-fish. Mr. Yarrell further states that an-
other specimen, also from that locality, has lately
come into the possession of Mr. W. C. Hewitson
of Newcastle. As far as our information, therefore,
at present extends, the seas around the Shetland
Islands are the only British localities for this re^
296 CHONDKOPTERYGII. CHOICER A FAMILY.
markable fish. It is comparatively, however, wel?
known to the Norwegians, who give it the name of
gold or silver fish, from the resplendent colour which
forms the ground of the body, and which is set off
by the dark spots above and below the lateral line.
It is also called by them Sea-rat^ from the form of
the tail, and King-fish^ from a filament terminating
in a tuft, which is found on the head of the male.
They obtain an oil from the liver by infiltration,
which is esteemed useful in complaints of the eyes,
and is also applied to wounds. * The colours are
very beautiful, the upper parts dark brown, varied
with yellowish brown and silvery ; the lower parts
bright silver; the eyes large, green, with silvery
irides, their lustre extremely brilliant. It is on ac-
count of the colour and brilliancy of the eyes that
the Mediterranean fishermen call it Cat. The fe-
male differs considerably from the male, particularly
in the form of the head, which is more conical. The
males are distinguished by having a short upright
process, or caruncle, fringed or denticulated at the
extremity, springing from the forehead, and they
have also trifid bony appendages to the ventral fins.
Cuvier says they produce very large coriaceous eggs
with flattened velvety edges. One of the reasons
of this fish being so seldom seen is, that it com-
monly frequents the deep recesses of the ocean,
* Pennant's Brit. Zool. iii. p. 1 60
297
XXVIII. FAMILY OF THE SHARKS.
SQUALID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. Gen. 12, Sp. 15.
OeB. 105. ScYLLiUM. Sp. 217. S. canicula. Small-spotted Dog-
fish.
2\8. S. Catuhcs. Large-spotted do.
219. S.melanusto- Black-moiitlied do.
mum.
106. Carcharias.
220. C. glaucus.
Elue Shark.
221. (7. vulgaris.
White do.
107. Zyg^na .
222. Z. malleus.
Hammer-headed do.
108. Galeus. .
223. G. mdgaris.
Common Tope.
109. MUSTELUS. .
224. M. Icevis .
Smooth Hound.
110. Lamna.
225. L. Comuhica
,. Portbeagle Shark.
111. Selachus. .
226. <S. maximus.
Basking do.
112. Alopias. .
227. A. viblpes. .
Fox do.
113. Acanthias.
228. A. vulgaris.
Picked Dog-fish.
114. SCYMNUS. .
229, S. borealis.
Greenland Shark.
115. EcHiNORHiNus.230. £1. sinnoaus.
Spinous do.
116. Squatina. .
2'31.S. Angelus.
Angel-fish.
From the large size of many of the species, and
their peculiar habits, this family is one of the most
conspicuons and remarkable in the whole class of
fishes. They are the most perfectly organised of all
the cartilaginous fishes, in several instances of gigan-
tic forms, and from their voracity, which is prover-
bial, they are the dread of those who frequent
tropical seas. The larger kinds are but seldom met
with on the British coasts, but thev abound within
298 CHONDiOPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
the tropics, where they are truly regarded as the
tyrants of the deep. The teeth are long, sharp, and
triangular, with projections and serratures on the
sides, arranged in a series of transverse rows and
looking backwards ; they form such a perfect cut-
ting apparatus, that, being moved by very power-
ful muscles, scarcely any edible substance can resist
tneir action. Well authenticated instances have
occurred of a shaik having cut off a man's leg, nay,
it is even asserted, cut a human body in half, at a
single bite. A human body, almost in an entire
state, has been found in the stomach of a shark ; and
Miiller states that one was taken off the island of
St. Margaret, which weighed 1500 pounds, and
that the stomach contained the whole body of a
horse, w^hich had probably been thrown overboard
from some ship. Substances are occasionally found
in the stomach which seem to have been swallowed
accidentally. One was caught last season near the
Isle of May, in the Firth of Forth, which contained
in its stomach a tin canister, w^hich, upon being
opened, was found to be nearly filled with old coins I
As the teeth are formed (excepting in two genera)
solely for seizing or tearing, the food is always
swallowed in a nearly entire state.
Some members of the family are viviparous or
produce their young alive. Others bring forth their
young in a horny case which has generally the form
of a parallelogram, with long filamentous tendrils
attached to each corner, which are supposed to be
designed to fix it to fuci or other marine objects
GEN. SCYILIUM. 299
while the young are maturing. The foetus is coiled
up in the centre, and is nourished by an umbilical
bag of a pyriform shape, filled by a yellowish vitel-
line matter. When the young is mature, it makes
its escape by an opening at the square end, at the
place next the head. These eggs are often found
on the sea-shore after they have lost their tenant,
and are known by the names of sea-purses, sailor's
purses, mermaid's purses, &c.
The males are smaller than the females, and are
provided with two peculiar organs, placed near the
inner edge of the ventral fins. The name Claspers
usually given to these, sufficiently indicates the
opinion entertained by naturalists as to their use.
The flesh of Sharks is frequently eaten, but it
has little to recommend it ; the Sicilians are said to
consider the young as very palatable. No Shark
is possessed of scales ; the skin is rough with small
siliceous-like particles, which protect and defend it.
When dried, the skin forms an article of commerce,
and is used for polishing wood; also as a cover-
ing for boxes, watch-cases, &c. under the name of
shagreen. The liver of some of the larger species
affords a large quantity of oil.
Gen. CV. Scyllium. — The presence of an anal
and two dorsal fins, the first dorsal never placed
in advance of the ventrals; and the existence of
temporal orifices, are the chief distinctions of this
group. The branchial openings are five in number^
and placed partly above the pectorals ; the nostrils
near the mouth. Tlie teeth are small, sharp, and
300 CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
pointed, with small denticulations on each side,
which give them the appearance of being tricuspidate.
The species are of small size, considering the family
to which they belong, and all of them are prettily
spotted. They are called Dog-fish, and sometimes
hy the older writers Cat-fish, in neither case for very
obvious reasons, but probably their habit of follow-
ing their prey to a great distance, and, as it Avere,
hunting it down, has suggested the former name.
Sp. (217.) S. canicula. Small-spotted Dog-fish,
Morgay, or Bounce. This is considered the most
common of the three British species, but it is not so
plentiful in Scotland as along the southern shores of
England. It is widely distributed, but apparently
becomes scarce as we advance northwards, as it is
not included in the Greeatind Fauna. Its voracity is
represented as very great, and it frequently follows
ships like the larger sharks, for the purpose of feed-
ing on any thing that may be thrown overboard.
Fish and Crustacea, however, form its ordinary food,
although it rejects no kind of animal substance that
falls in its way. Its ordinary length is between
two and three feet, and it very seldom reaches four
feet. The spots are s^mall and numerous, of a dark
reddish brown colour on a pale reddish ground on all
the upper parts of the body, the under side yellowish
white. The female, as is usual in this family, is
larger than the male, and according to Pennant,
produces about nineteen young at a time.
(Sp. 218.) S. cat this. Large-spotted Dog-fish,
^or Bounce Less than the preceding, and much
GEN. SCYLLIUM. LARGE SPOTTED DOG FISH. 30)
scarcer : the spots large and scattered, the ventrals
cut square at the extremity, the valves of the nos-
trils not approximate, as in S. canicula, but sepa-
rate and not reaching to the mouth. The ground
colour also is somewhat different, the red tinge not
being observable. In S. canicula, the whole of the
second dorsal fin is behind the anal ; in S. catulus
it is in a line over the lower portion of the anal. In
the former, the small lobe that is situated immedi-
ately under the outer margin of the nasal valve, is
of a square form ; in the latter that lobe is somewhat
of a triangular form and about three times broader
than its length, extending from the inner corner of
the nasal aperture along half its base, or nearly as
far as the posterior margin of the nasal valve ; the
teeth in S. catulus are about double the size of those
in S. canicula. * The spots are occasionally ocelli-
form, on which account the species has been namea
S. stellaris by the generality of writers. It is dis-
posed to frequent rocky ground, and is known from
that circumstance by the names Rochier, Rock Dog-
fish. " In the Firth of Forth" says Dr. Parnell,^
" examples are occasionally found in the salmon-
nets at Queensferry. It is stated by the fishermen,
that it is more frequently met with on some of the
shores further north, and at Wick specimens of
large size have been taken in the herring- nets ; but
as the two species are so closely allied, it is not im-
probable that they have been frequently confounded.-
♦ Pameirs Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 411.
302 CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
I have seen examples of both species of three feet
and d half in length. They feed on almost any
animal substance, and extrude their purses or eggs
during the winter months. On dissecting a speci-
men in the month of September, I found two pursea
of large size, but the fo9tus was not in the slightest
developed. At one of the extremities of the horny
capsule were attached two strong, slender tendrils,
very much resembling that which is used by fisher-
men under the name of Indian weed." *
(Sp. 219.) S. melanostomum. Black-mouthed
Dog-fish. This species constitutes the genus Pris-
tiurus of Miiller and Henle, a rank to wbicli they
have raised it chiefly on account of having a series
of pretty large scales arranged like the teeth of a
saw on the upper edge of the tail. Regarding this
character as of not more than specific value, we re-
tain the name assigned to it in Buonaparte's Fau'.i.
Ital. It was first ascertained to be a British fisli
by Mr. Couch, who transmitted a specimen to Mr.
Yarrell. The latter gentleman has since been in-
formed by John Malcolm, Esq. that this species is
not uncommon on the west coast of Scotland ; and
it has also been taken in the north of Ireland. The
snout is somewhat more elongated than in the other
two species ; the teeth smaller ; the colour light
brown on the back, each side with two rows of
ocellated spots, and other spots scattered irregularly.
The interior of the mouth is said by Buonaparie to
* PameU's Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 412.
\
'JiU
GEN. CARCHARTAS. THE BLUE SHARK. 303
be bluish-black. The length is about two feet.
The purse or bag which contains the young is of an
oblong shape, and has tendrils only at one end.
Gen. CVI. Carcharias. — This genus compre-
hends some of the sharks properly so called, fishes
of great size and voracity, well known to every
navigator in the Mediterranean and tropical seas,
and not strangers to our owm coasts, although they
appear here only at certain seasons, and in com-
paratively small numbers. Of the two which have
been noticed in the British seas, the least frequent
is
(Sp. 220.) C glaucus ; the Blue Shark, which
migrates annually to our shores during the pilchard
and herring season. Its chief residence is the Medi-
terranean, where it may be regarded as common,
and is the species frequently seen following vessels.
It attains the length of six or seven feet. The whole
of the upper parts are of a slate-blue, and of the un-
der side nearly pure white. The teeth are triangular,
sharp-pointed and serrated on the edges, particularly
in the upper jaw, directed backwards, and diminish-
ing in size from the front to the hinder row. The
pectoral fins are very large, subfalciform, and ter-
minating in an acute angle, the dorsal and ventral
ridoje indented at the setting-on of the tail. The
latter is divided into two lobes, the upper of which
is much the longest and falciform ; the under one
nearly triangular. Mr. Couch says that the Blue
Shark produces its young early in June. On the
coast of Cornwall, which is by far its most abun-
304 CnONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
dant place of resort In tiiis country, It inflicts great
injury on the fishermen hy destroying their nets and
devouring tlie fish entangled in them.
^lian, and various authors since his time, have
given many wonderful accounts of the great affec-
tion the Blue Shark evinces for its young ; among
others, that it will permit the small brood, when in
danger, to swim down its mouth, and take shelter
in its belly. Regarding this statement as confirmed
by the observations of Rondelet, Pennant sees no-
thing more incredible in it than that the young of
the Opossum should seek an asylum in the ventral
pouch of its parent ! It must be admitted that
living young have been found in the stomach of this
shark, but the proverbial voracity of its race con-
strains us to believe that this was a compulsory in-
carceration, and by no means intended for shelter.
The supposed interest taken by the pilot-fish in
this shark, which may also be regarded as proble-
matical, has already been noticed.*
(Sp. 221.) C. vulgaris. The White Shark.
This large and powerful fish, one of the most for-
midable of its tribe, has been long recorded as a
visitor to the British seas, but the instances of its
capture are verj^ few and by no means well authen-
ticated. Willughbj, Sibl)ald, Grew, Pennant, and
Low, all mention it as occurring here, but they give
no particulars and do not seem to speak from per-
^nal observation. As it is abundant in the Medi-
terranean, and found in the greatest plenty in tro-
* Nat. Lib. British Fishes, vol i. p. 206.
GEN. CARCHAKIAS. WHITE SHARK. 305
pical climates, nothing can be more likely than
that individuals should occasionally visit our coasts.
It attains the length of twenty-five feet, and is of a
cinereous colour on the upper parts of the body,
and whitish beneath. Tlie pectoral fins are very
large, the tail expansive and of great power ; it is
thus enabled to swim with great swiftness. The
nostrils are much developed, and it appears to scent
its prey at a great distance. It is affirmed that it
is much more apt to attack a negro than a white
man, and when both are bathing together, or other-
wise in its power, it generally selects the former.
" The French name this terrible animal Bequin or
Bequiem, the rest or stillness of death, in alhision to
the deadly character of its habits ; and when we con-
sider its enormous size and powers, the strength and
number of its teeth, the rapidity of its movements,
its frequent appearance during all the turmoil and
horrors of a tempest, with death and destruction
apparent in every blast and every wave, to add to
the horror of the scene by the phosphoric light
emitted from its huge body near the surface of the
troubled waters, with its open mouth and thi'oat
ready to swallow entire the despairing sailor, we
must admit the propriety of a name, expressive of
the natural association of ideas, w^iich connects this
cruel monster of the deep with death.'* *
Gen. CYII. Zygjena. — The singular form of the
head, from which the species of this genus obtain
the name of Hammer- headed Sharks, at once con-
* Griffiths' Cuvier, vol. x. p. 633.
306 CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
spicuously distinguishes tlieni from all other fishes.
The head is truncated anteriorly, and each of the
sides extended horizontally into a kind of branch,
which has the eyes at the outer extremity; the
latter thus appear placed on two thick peduncles.
Cuvier says that no other similar example is to be
found in the animal kingdom; but Mr. Swainson
well remarks, that a precisely similar arrangement
is observed in the small flies named Diopsis, in which
the eyes are supported on a pretty long peduncle.
Several species of Hammer Sharks have been de-
scribed, some of them even more remarkably pro-
duced at the sides of the head than the species below,
in particular Z. laticeps^ a native of the East Indian
seas.
(Sp. 222.) Z. malleus. Hammer-headed Shark.
The earliest notice of this fish as British is to be
found in the Natural History of Yarmouth by C. J.
and James Paget, who state that an individual
was taken there in October 1829. According to
Mr. Yarrell, ar. other example has been captured in
a herring net off the ^Monkstone Rocks, about two
miles to the west of Tenby. It is impossible to
mistake the genus Zygcena^ but as the several spe-
cies are very like each other and have not been pro-
perly discriminated till lately, it can scarcely be
assumed as certain that in the above instances the
fish was the true Z. malleus. It is, however, ex-
tremely likely, as it is by far the most common in
European seas. Its habits are very similar to those
of the other large sharks, and it shares with them
^
\r
QEN. OALEUS. COMMON TOPE. 307
the characteristic attribute of voracity, not hesitating
to attack man when an opportunity ofifers. It is
said, however, to feed on the Rays in preference to
any other kind of food. It varies from seven to ten
or twelve feet in length. The flesh is very hard and
leathery.
Gen. CVIII. Galeijs. — In general aspect the
Topes, as the fishes of this genus are called, are not
unlike the dog-fish (Scyllium) and the hounds
(Mustelus) ; but the number and position of the
fins are nearly as in Zygoena ; the temporal orifices
are present ; the nostrils beneath the middle, and
the last branchial opening above the pectoral. The
spiracles are rather large, and there is no depression
above the root of the tail.
(Sp. 223.) G. vulgaris. Common Tope, Penny
Dog, Miller's Dog. This is by no means a very
common fish in the British seas, but it is found not
unfrequently on the southern coasts of England and
Ireland, and occasionally on the coasts of Scotland.
Its principal residence is the Mediterranean, where
it is very common. The dimensions of the speci-
mens caught here are seldom considerable, rarely
exceeding four or five feet, but Bloch a£&rms that
in the Mediterranean it sometimes attains to the
weight of one hundred pounds. Mr. Couch has
observed it frequently on the Cornish coast, which
seems to be the locality where it is most plentiful in
our seas, and he states that the young, to the num-
ber of thirty or more, are excluded all at once from
the female in May and June. This fish has been
CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
caaght in Berwick Bay, and it is not rare in the
Firth of Forth, where the fishermen often mistake
it for a full-grown example of the Common Doo-
fish.
Gen. CIX. Mustelus. — The outline and genera]
aspect much the same as in Galeus, the disposition
of the fins similar, but the teeth are hlunt and flat,
forming a closely compacted pavement on each
jaw.
(Sp. 224.) M. Icevis. Smooth Hound, Ray-
mouthed Dog, Smooth Shark. The skin of this fish
is much smoother and softer than that of sharks in
general ; it is from three to four feet in length ; and
is one of the kinds most frequently met with in the
British seas. When young, it is frequently spotted
above the lateral line, but these marks disappear in
the adolescent state. It is singular that such a de-
viation in the dentition from the general character
of the family should occur in a species, bearing in
other respects a perfect resemblance to the Tope and
others of the smaller sharks. In form and arrange-
ment the teeth are almost entirely like those of the
skate, and similar to those of j[?nV^is or the saw-fisL.
" Hence we have supposed," says Mr. Swainson,
" tliat they are united by affinity, although there
appears a hiatus between mustelus a,nd pristis which
nothing yet known is calculated to fill up." In re-
ference to the habits of the Smooth Hound, Mr.
Couch says that it keeps close to the bottom on clear
ground, where it feeds on crustaceous animals, which
* Cab. Cycl. Fishes, vol. i. 160.
'^V -^^
GEN. LAMNA PORTBEAGLE ttHAliK. 309
it crushes previous to swallowing with its tissellated
teeth. It has been known to take a bait. The
young are produced ahve in November, and the
whole come to perfection at once. We have on
several occasions seen specimens of this fish lying on
the beach at Newhaven near Edinburgh. It is not
rare among the Hebrides, where it is used as food
and esteemed a very delicate fish, its difference in
this respect from the other sharks being no doubt
occasioned by the different nature of its food.
Gen. ex. Lamna. — In this genus the skin is
smooth, and the general aspect somewhat resembles
that of the porpoise. There are two dorsals, the
first high and large, the second small and placed
over the anal. The branchial openings are all before
the pectorals; nostrils beneath the base of the
pyramidal snout. Up to a very recent period it has
been considered that there were two British species
of Lanma, the Portbeagle, and Beaumaris Shark.
Mr. Yarrell, after a careful examination of four spe-
cimens which have been taken on the coast since
1837, has come to the conclusion that the differ-
ences observed are only the effects of greater age,
and that all are referrible to a single species.
(Sp. 225.) L. co7'mihica. Portbeagle or Beauma-
ris Shark. Appears to have been first recorded as
British by Mr. Jago, since whose time it has often
been met with in different parts of the British islands.
Dr. Goodenough obtained a specimen at Hastings ;
Pennant at Brighton ; Dr. Johnson two at Berwick ;
Mr. Couch has seen several at Cornwi^ll ; and Dr.
3i0 CHONDROPTEIIYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
Neill and Dr. Parnell have met with it in the Firth
of Forth. One caught in 1834 on the coast of
Caithness, is jDieserved. in the College Museum of
Edinburgh. This specimen measures eight and a
half feet in length, and four feet eight inches in
girth ; sometimes, however, examples occur exceed-
ing these dimensions. According to Mr. Couch, it
associates in small companies in pursuit of prey,
from which circumstance, and a distant resemblance
to the porpoise, it derives its name. He has found
the remains of cartilaginous fishes and cuttles in
its stomach, and in one instance three full grown
hakes. * The teeth are long (in the Edinburgh
Museum specimen, upwards of an inch in length),
very sharp, not serrated, but having a denticle on
each side at the base. They are arranged in three
rows, the inner one much smaller than the others.
When the skin is stroked backwards it feels quite
smooth; the colour is described variously by dif-
ferent writers. Dr. Johnson says, that in his spe-
cimen it was greyish black, the belly white ; Dr.
Traill describes it as deep bluish black, t All these,
and other discrepancies may be accounted for by
difference of age. Gmeliii and Turton have taken
the same view of the specific identity of the Port-
beagle and Beaumaris Sharks, as that which Mr.
Yarrell has arrived at as the result of personal ob-
servation ; Donovan and Fleming are in favour of
the same opinion. Dr. Traill, on the other hand, in
* Yarrell 's Brit. Fishes, vol. ii. p. 516.
t Ency. Brit. 7th edit. Ichthyology, p. 232
TJP^
II
I
U\r
11 ^h ^'
GEN. SELACHUS. UASKI.XG SHARK. 311
the article above referred to, contends for their dis-
tinction, founding his opinion on the examination of
specimens.
Gen. CXI. Selachus. — Of this genus, the distinc-
tive characters of which will be found in the Synop-
sis, we have but one species, namely,
(Sp. 226.) C, maximus. The Basking Shark,
by far the largest of our native fishes, frequentlj
measuring upwards of thirty feet. Several of it»
characters are very strongly marked. The teeth
are conic, simple, and rather small for so large a fish.
The under lobe of the tail is not much smaller than
the upper, which makes the caudal appear nearly
regularly lunate. The branchial apertures are very
large, and almost encircle the neck. The tail and
fins generally are rather small, but this does not
prevent it swimming with considerable velocity
when occasion requires. Usually, however, it is
not much given to locomotion, delighting either to
move slowdy along the surface with the dor-^al fin
above water, or even to repose in perfect stillness,
commonly mth the back, but at times with the
belly uppermost, as if enjoying the light and warmth
It is this habit which has led to it being called by
some, the Sun-fish, and by Pennant the Basking
Shark, a name now generally adopted. It is likewise
named the Sail- fish. " They will permit a boat to
follow them, without accelerating their motion, till
it comes almost within contact, when a harj^ooner
strikes his weapon into them as near to the gills as
possible ; but they are ^*fcen so insensibk, as not to
312 CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
move till the united strength of two men has forced
in the harpoon deeper. As soon as they perceive
themselves wounded, they fling up their tail, plimge
headlong to the bottom, and frequently coil the
rope round them in their agonies; attempting to
disengage the harpoon from them by rolling on the
ground, for it is often found greatly bent. As soon
as they discover that their efforts are vain, they
swim away with amazing rapidity, and with such
violence, that there has been an instance of a vessel
of seventy tons having been towed away against a
fresh gale. They sometimes run off ^vith two hun-
dred fathoms of line, and with two harpoons in them,
and will employ the fishers from twelve to twenty-
four hours before they are subdued."* As might
be inferred from its less formidable armature of teeth,
the Basking Shark is less voracious than its conge-
ners, feeding on the roe of echini, medusas, and, ac-
cording to Pennant, marine plants. The liver is of
large size, and in one fish measuring twenty-six feet,
yielded one hundred and fifty gallons of oil; in
other instances eight barrels of oil have been pro-
cured. From this scource, the fishermen have some-
times realized a profit of £ 20 from a single fish.
It is said by Dr. Fleming to be couimon on the west
coast of Scotland, particularly during the prevalence
of a west wind. It has been taken nearlv all round
the British Islands, as w^ell as on the coast of Ire-
land. It occasionally enters the Firth of Forth.
Gen. CXII. Alopias. — This genus can never be
* Pennant 's Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 138.
GEN. ACANTHIAS. PICKED DOG-FISH. 313
confounded with any otlior, owing to the extra-
ordinary length and form of the tail, which is as
long as the whole body. There is only one species,
(Sp. 227.) A milpes^ Fox-shark, or Thresher, a
fish of considerable size, frequently measuring thir
teen feet in length, including the tail. In a speci-
men of these dimensions the latter usually measures
upwards of six feet. The imder lobe is very small
and the upper is slightly curved upwards, and re-
sembles the blade of a scythe. It is the form of
this appendage which has caused this shark to be
named the Sea-fox, and it obtains the appellation of
Thresher from its habit of attacking other fishes
and the cetacea, striking them violently with its tail
so that voyagers often hear the sound of the strokes
at a considerable distance. It has been observed to
approach a herd of dolphins sporting in security on
the surface, and by one splash of this formidable
weapon scatter them in alarm in every direction. It
is by no means plentiful in our seas, but has been
observed in many different localities. Last season
a fine specimen was exhibited at a meeting of the
"Wernerian Society, which was caught at Largo
Bay, in August 1842.
Gen. CXIII. AcANTHiAS. — Has the general as-
pect of Scyllium and Mustelus : the presence of a
single strong spine, in front of each of the two dorsal
fins, affords the means of distinguishing it at once
from all the other sharks.
(Sp. 228.) A. vulgaris. Picked Dog-fish. The
most common of all tlie sharks, and found in every
314 CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
part of the British and Irish seas. It is affirmed
that on the coast of Cornwall as many as twenty
thousand have been taken in a net at one time. It
measures from three to four feet ; is of a slate-grey
on the upper parts, the under parts yellowish white.
Bloch states that the young are spotted with white ;
a fact which we had lately an opportunity of wit-
nessing in a small specimen, not a foot long, caught
among the rocks at Newhaven, near Edinburgh. It
was of a deep slate-colour on the back, and pretty
thickly spotted with white, which gave it a very
agreeable appearance. Mr. Couch informed Mr.
Yarrell, that for the purpose of using its spines, the
Picked Dog bends itself into the form of a bow, and
by a sudden motion causes them to spring asunder
in opposite directions ; and so accurately is this in-
tention effected, that if a finger be placed on its
head, it will strike it without piercing its own skin.
Low states, that when caught, the fish writhes him-
self around the fishermen's hands, often, if they are
not attentive, wounding them very severely, which,
if it happens in a part near a joint, is always dan-
gerous and bad to heal, making the part to swell
and look very red and fiery, and often endangering
a gangrene. However this may be, the fishermen
always fear these dreadful weapons, and when the
fish is hooked and brought up, commonly catch it
by the tail, and, with a smart jerk against the edge
of the boat, disable it. Mr. Couch has seen a mon-
strosity of this species with two heads, the separa-
tion continuing so far back as behind the ])ectoral
GEN. SCYMNUS. GREENLAND SHARK. 3J5
fins. * This fisli is very troublesome to fishermen
from its numbers and voracity, by destroying their
bait and lines, and becoming entangled in their nets
in the room of more valuable captures. Among the
Western Islands of Scotland and the Orkney Islands,
where these fish actually swarm, they are frequently
salted and dried for winter food, and are considered
not unpalatable. Oil is also extracted from their
livers, twenty individuals yielding about a Scotch
pint. Like most others of its congeners, it is ovo-
viviparous, and produces many young at a time.
Gen. CXIY. Scymnus. — Has all the fins very
small, the anal wanting, and no spines in front of
the dorsals ; the temporal orifices are large, and
placed above as well as behind the eyes ; teeth lan-
ceolate in the upper ja\v, slightly curved, in the
lower jaw crooked at the point, and the cutting edges
crenate : skin rough.
(Sp. 229.) S. horealis. Greenland Shark. A
native of the northern seas, where it occurs in great
abundance, but only three instances are recorded of
its occurrence on our coasts. One was caught in the
Pentland Firth in 1803 ; another was found dead
at Burra Firth, Unst, in 1824; and a third was
taken on the coast of Durham in April ]840, which
is now preserved in the Durham University Museum.
No opportunity, therefore, of observing its habits has
offered itself to British naturalists ; but an interest-
ing account has been given by Scoresby, in his work
on the Arctic Regions, and also by Fabricius, in his
* Yarrcirs Britisb Fishes, vol. ii. p. 526".
316 CHONDROPTERYGIl. SHARK FAMILY.
Fauna Groenlandica, where he names it erroneously
Squalus carcharias. It is frequently fourteen feet
long, and six or eight feet in girth. It feeds on
almost all marine animals, whether living or dead,
but prefers the blubber of whales (excepting that of
the spermaceti whale) to all other food. While
the men are employed in cutting the blubber from
a whale, they have little to fear from it, for it is
then so intent on obtaining its favourite food, as to
make no effort to obtain any other. It even at-
tacks the whale while alive, and, when dead, scoops
out (Scoresby affirms) hemispherical pieces from
its body, nearly as big as a person s head, gorging
lump after lump, until the whole cavity of its belly-
is filled. Insensible to pain and tenacious of life as
all the larger sharks are, this species has been proved
to be so in a still more remarkable degree. A super-
ficial wound seems in no degree to disturb it, and
even when pierced through the body with a sailor's
flensing knife, it does not desert the carcase till its
appetite is fully satisfied. When the body is cut
into parts, the separate portions continue to show
signs of vitality for some time, and it is unsafe to
put the hand into its mouth a good while after the
head has been separated from the trunk. These
peculiarities may be partly accounted for by the
singularly languid state of its circulation.^ the heart,
which is very small, performing only six or eight
pulsations in a minute, and continuing to beat for
some hours afier being taken out of the body. The
Greenlanders, who name this fish Ekallurksoak, eat
^
GEN. ECHII^ORHINUS. SPINOUS SHARK. 317
the flesh of it both fresh and dried, and twist its
rough skin into a kind of ropes. It is said to have
sometimes seized a canoe, covered with the skin of
the seal (which was probably the attraction), in its
mouth from beneath, and, by closing its jaws, de-
stroyed both the canoe and its inmate. Its eyes
are often infested by a parasite, the Lerncca elon-
gata^ which has been described by Dr. Grant.
Gen. CXV. Echinouhinus. — It will be seen by
consulting the characters, as given in the proper
place, that this genus is very distinct from others
of the family, and exhibits some curious modifica-
tions of structure.
(Sp. 230.) £. spinosus. Spinous Shark. This fish
appears to be nowhere abundant, but it has been
long known to ichthyologists. Its addition to the
British Fauna is but of recent date. The first
notice we find of it is in the Proceedings of the
British Association at Newcastle in 1828, where
a description was given by Arthur Strickland, Esq.
of a specimen found on the Yorkshire coast. Since
that time four others have occurred, one in Filey
Bay, Yorkshire; anotlier near the Land's End; a
third near Brixham ; and a fourth near Berry Head.
The figure we have given will convey a good idea
of its form and general appearance. It varies in
length from four to seven or eight feet, and also in
the proportionate thickness of different parts of the
body, results which are no doubt to be ascribed to
difference of age in the individuals described and
figured by authors. The most remarkable peculi-
318 CHONDROPTERYGII. SHARK FAMILY.
arities are the position of the first dorsal, which is
opposite the abdominal fin, and the numerous spines
scattered over the surface of the skin. These spines
exactly resemble the prickles on the stems of the
rose-bush, being conical, generally curved, and
rising from a broad circular base, which is marked
with radiating striae. They are said to be most
numerous in the males. The teeth " are regularly
placed upon each jaw, only one in use at a time,
the rest reclined; they are large, compressed, and
somewhat quadrangular, the cutting edges nearly
horizontal, and both of their sides are generally
tricuspidate. This shark is described by fishermen
as sluggish and unwieldy in its movements, and
but seldom to be observed towards the surface of
the water. When they obtain specimens, it is gene-
rally at a time when they are fishing in deep water,
and when the bait with which the hooks are armed
is near to the bottom. In this respect it resembles
Scyllia or Ground Sharks ; and, if we were to re-
gard only its internal organization, we should be
disposed to consider it as closely allied to that
genus." *
CXVI. Gen. Squatina. — Differs from all others
of the family by having the mouth at the extremity
of the muzzle, and not beneath it ; the body flat-
tened horizontally ; tne pectorals very large, at-
tached anteriorly to the head, and free on the
posterior edge. These and some other characters
render this genus exactly intermediate between the
* Smith's Zool. of Southern Africa,
L.
E ^
Wl
V,
hX
GEN. SQUATINA. ANGEL-FISH. 319
Squalidae and Raiidae, it not agreeing exactly with
either.
(Sp. 231.) -S". angelus. Angel-fish, Monk-fish,
Shark- ray. The depressed form, rounded head, with
the eyes on the upper surface, and the singularly ex-
pansive pectoral fins, give this fish a very peculiar
and not very agreeahle appearance, whence probahly
it has been called angel-fish in ridicule ; it is usually,
however, said to be so called from the pectoral fins
having the appearance of wings, and monk-fish,
from the fancied similarity of the head to a monk's
cowl. It is by 'no means rare on our coasts, espe-
cially in the southern parts of the kingdom, and also
occurs in Ireland. It* is occasionally taken in the
Firth of Forth, where it is known to the fishermen
by the name of Mongrel-skate. It sometimes reaches
the length of eight feet, but British examples are
usually much less. It appears to resemble the rays
in its habits, swimming close to the bottom, and
feeding on the smaller fishes found in such places,
and even at times partially concealing itself among
the sand and mud. Although its skin is not so
well adapted for polishing wood and other substances
as that of many other of the sharks^ it has been long
employed for that purpose, in so much that the fish
was described by Aristotle under the name of oim^
% file, in reference to this cnxumstance.
320
XXIX. FAMILY OF THE RAYS OR
SKATES. RAIID^.
Representatives in British Fauna. Gen. 5, Sjj. 16.
Gen. 117. Torpedo. Sp. 232. T. vulgaris.
118. Bail
119. Trygon. .
120. Myliobatis.
121.CEPHAL0P-
TERA.
233. T. noUliana.
234. R. mucrmmta.
235. H. oxyrJiynchus
236. Ji. intermedia.
237. R. batis. . .
238. R. marginata.
239. R. microceUata.
240. R. miraletus.
2i\ . R. spinosa. .
242. R. chagrifiea.
243. i2. clavata. .
244. R. radiata. .
245. T. pastinacea.
246. M. aquila. .
2i7. C.Giorna. .
Common TorpedOj
or Electric Ray.
New British do.
Long-nosed Skate.
, Sharp-nosed Ray.
Flapper Skate.
The Skate.
Bordered Ray.
SmaU-eyed do.
Homelyn do.
Sandy do.
Shagreen do.
Tliomback,
Starry Ray.
Sting do.
Eagle do.
Homed do.
The name of Rays, by which this family is so
familiarly known, some suppose to be derived from
the Anglo-Saxon " Reoh," which means " rough,"
many of the species having a rough granular skin.
They may be called, as Mr. Swainson remarks, the
flat-fish of the cartilaginous order, the depression
and lateral expansion of the body being as great as
in the Pleuronectida or true flat-fish. Their great
proportional breadth is produced by the immense
FAMILY OF THE RAYS. H21
deveiopnieDt ol the pectoral fins, which form a wide
salient angle at the sides, run forward completely
enveloping the head, and for the most part forming
a long conical projection in front of it. The other
fins are of insignificant dimensions, and generally-
placed on the tail. The latter is armed with from
one to seven rows of strong S23ines, and is used as
an instrument of defence.
In the male, the teeth, which are usually flat
and forming a pavement, commonly become angular
with age ; and that sex is further distinguished
by having a cylindrical appendage to each ven-
tral, sometimes of such length as to present the
appearance of three tails. The sex in question has
also, for the most part, a series of spines towards
the upper outer surface of the pectoral fins.
As with the sharks, the females are larger than
the males, and the mode of propagation is similar.
The young are enclosed in a horny capsule of an
oblong-square shape, with a filament at each corner.
Here it is nourished by means of an umbilical bag,
•till the due period of exclusion arrive, when it enters
upon an independent existence.
Till very recently, the Kays were regarded as
exclusively salt-water fish, but the discoveries of
ISIr. Schomburgk, in South America, as well as the
researches of other authors, have proved the interest-
ing fact that there are many kinds, particularly of the
sting-rays (Trygon), which are strictly fluviatile.*
• See Naturalist's Library, Fishes of Guiana, part ii,
p. 175.
322 CH<J>'DROPrEKYGII. RAY FAMILY.
Gen. CXVII. Torpedo.— The almost perfectly
circular disc formed by the body, and the short
thick tail, sufficiently distinguish this group, other-
wise so celebrated for the possession of powerful
electrical I'ropeities.
(Sp. 232.) T. vulgaris. Common Torpedo, Cramp-
fish, or Electric Ray. The species of Torpedo are
pretty numerous, and a sufficiently careful compa-
rison of such as have occurred on our own coasts
has not been made with those of the Continent, to
enable us to speak with confidence as to their iden-
tity or difference. The present species has been
lono; known as occurring in the British seas, but it
is everywhere rare. According to Pennant it is
frequently seen at Torbay ; Col. Montagu mentions
two specimens, one taken at Torcross, the other, of
large size, off the coast of Tenby, in Wales ; it has
also been found on the coast of Cornwall, off Wey-
n.outh, near Waterfurcl, and in some other places. It
varies from two to four feet in length, and is of a
cinereous brown colour above and white beneath. It
frequents deep water, and seems in its habits, which
are but imperfectly known, to resemble the other
large rays. It is sluggish and inactive, and is par-
tial to a muddy bottom, where it lies partly im-
bedded. Its food consists principally of fish, a
surmullet and plaice having been found in the
stomach, and these it is said to secure by stupifying
them by means of its galvanic apparatus. The lat-
ter occupies a considerable space on each side of the
body, and consists of irregular hexagons or penta-
^' ^i:^
■ji '^Mi\
THE TORPEDO. 323
gons reaching from surface to surface, very much
resemhling a honey-comb. The animal can give
electrical shocks with this instrument at pleasure.
Besides being employed as a means of defence and
for disabling the animals on which it preys, Mr.
Couch is of opinion that the electric shock, by de-
priving animals killed by it of their organic irrita-
bility, disposes them to pass more speedily into a
state of decomposition, by which the digestive powers
are enaliled to act upon them more effectually.
(Sp. 233.) T. rwUliana. New British Torpedo.
Various notices have been published of a species of
torpedo found in the British seas, which seems to
differ in several important points from that last re-
ferred to. A specimen of one of these came into
Mr. Yarrell's possession, and when C. L. Bonaparte,
Prince of Canino, was examining his collection, that
distinguished naturalist immediately said that it was
the T. nohiliana of his Fauna Italica. Mr. Yarrell
is of opinion that it is identical with the T. Walshii
of Thompson (Annals of Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 292;,
und probably with the T. emarginata of M'Coy, as
noticed in the sixth volume of the Annals of Nat.
Hist. It has been taken on the coast of Devonshire,
near Swansea, and also in Ireland. The particular
marks by which it may be known from the pre-
ceding, and also from the other continental species,
will be found in the Synopsis.
Gen, CXVIII. Raia. — The typical genus, from
which the family derives its name, is of great ex-
tent, including many well-knowr fishes, remarkable
324 CHONDROPTERYGII. RAY FAMILY.
on account of their form, and not a few of them of
great value in a commercial point of view. They
are even more strictly flat-fish than the Pleuronec-
tidas, but they do not exhibit that want of symmetry
w^hich is so conspicuous in that family. The nos-
trils, mouth, and branchial apertures are on the
under side, and the eyes and temporal orifices on the
upper side of the head. The body is very much de-
pressed, and of a rhomboidal shape; its great pro-
portional breadth being produced by the inordinate
expansion of the pectoral fins, which not only sur-
round the sides of the body, but likewise envelope
the head, often forming a conical projection in front
of it. The teeth are lozenge-shaped, forming a pave-
ment ; in old males the inner angle produced into a
sharp point directed inwards. The tail is slender,
usually armed with spines on the surface, and hav-
ing two small fins near the end, with, occasionally, a
rudimentary caudal.
(Sp. 234.) B. mucronata.. Long-nosed Skate.
In this and some of the following species, the skin
is perfectly smooth, for which reason Bonaparte has
placed some of them in his genus Lceviraja. Mr.
Couch has supplied all the information we possess
regarding the long-nosed skate, and Mr. Yarrell has
given a figure of it. It is distinguished not only by
the great length of the nose, but also by the distance
between its most extreme point and the transverse
line of the mouth. The nose is much more produced
than in the following species, although that is also
remarkable for a like peculiarity ; and the greatest
GEN. RATA. SHARP-NOSED BAY. 325
breadth of the body is behind the centre. The
colour of the surface is a light leaden hue, the under
side greyish Avhite, with numerous dusky specks.
It is further stated that it frequents deep water, and
is not caught through the winter.
(Sp. 235.) R. oxyrhynclius. Sharp-nosed Ray.
In this species the snout is also very long, but it is
narrower than in R. mucronata, the lateral margins
in a moderately sized fish running nearly parallel to
each other for three or four inches at the extremity ;
the outline from the base of the snout to the widest
portion of the body, which is behind the middle,
waved ; the colour on the under side white, without
specks or spots. It is one of the largest of the Bri-
tish Rays ; an individual obtained by Pennant in
the Menai measured nearly seven feet in length,
and five feet two inches in breadth; and others
have often been found measuring six feet. It is also
thicker in proportion than any of its congeners. It
is probably this superior fleshiness that renders it so
much in request by the French, whose boats come
to Plymouth during Lent to purchase skate,' which
they preserve fresh and moist during the run back
to their own coast by keeping them covered with
wet sand. * It is known by various names in dif-
ferent parts of the country, such as White-skate,
Burton-skate, Friar- skate, May-skate, &c. It has
been taken on the coasts of all the three kingdoms,
and in some places is by no means rare,
(Sp. 236.) R. infennedia. Flapper-skate. This
* Yarrell's Brit. Fishes, vol. ii. p. 557.
326 CHONDROPTERYGII. RAY FAMILY.
skate was first described by Dr. Para ell, from whose
Essay on the Fishes of the Firth of Forth we extract
the following particulars regarding it. Its specific
character is, that the body on the upper surface is
smooth, the under side of a dark dusky grey ; one
or more spines in front of each eye. It appears to
be a connecting link between Haia hatis and R, oxy-
rhynchus^ to both of which it is closely allied, and
it is from that circumstance that it has been named
JB>. Intermedia. It is distinguished from the former
by the surface being perfectly smooth without granu-
lations, and of a dark olive colour spotted with
white ; by the anterior part of each orbit being fur-
nished with a strong spine pointing backwards ; by
the dorsal fins being more remote from each other,
and by the anterior margins of the pectorals being
rather more concave, giving the snout a sharper
appearance. It is removed from H. oxyrhynchus,
pn the other hand, by the snout being conic, the
under surface being dark grey, a spine in front of
each orbit, and the back of a dark olive-green spot-
ted with white. Dr. Parnell's specimens were ob-
tained in the Firth of Forth. A variety was also
taken in the salmon-nets at Queensferry, which was
of small size, of a uniform olive-green without spots,
under surface dark grey ; body very thin ; snout
sharp and conical ; pectorals at their anterior mar-
gin rather sinous, passing off somewhat suddenly at
tbat part in a line with the temporal orifices.
(Sp. 237.) R' hails. Skate, Blue-skate or Grey-
skate, This may be regarded as the most common
GEN. RAIA. IHE SKATE. 327
and best known species of tlie geims, as it is found
in all parts of the coasts of Great Britain and Ire-
land, and is used in large quantities for the table.
Its ordinary size is from two to four feet, but ex-
amples have occurred in our seas weighing two hun-
dred pounds, and it is asserted that one was caught
in the AYest Indies which measured twenty-five feet
in length, and thirteen in breadth. The snout is
sharp, elongated, and conical, the sides not being
parallel; the whole of the surface more or less granu-
lated ; the tail with one or three rows of spines ;
the colour grey beneath, with black spots. Besides
possessing the ventral appendages, the males have
several rows of sharp hooked spines toward the sides
of the pectorals. The teeth are sharp in both sexes
when adult, but the points are usually most deve •
loped in the males. Various names have been be«
stowed on this fish in difi'erent localities ; the females
are often called Maids. They generate in March and
April, at which time, according to Peimant, they
swim near the surface of the water, several of the
males pursuing one female. The females cast their
purses in May and continue doing so till September.
In October they are poor and thin, but they begin
to improve in November and grow gradually better
till May, when they are in the highest perfection.
They are very voracious, feeding on other fish and
■^rustacea, and they do not themselves seem to be
iiuch preyed on by the other inhabitants of the deep.
■ In the Firth of Forth" says Dr. Parnell " these
ashes are met with in great numbers, particularly in
328 CHONDROPTERYGII. HAY FAMILY.
the neighbourhood of the Bass and IMay, where they
are taken in nets, and are often found on lines set
in deep water for cod. In the spring months, the
Edinburgh market has a daily supply, and so great
is the demand, that no less than a dozen cart loads
are sold during the week. Some persons cook them
when newly caught, others dress them in the salted
condition, while others again allow them to hang in
the open air for weeks, until they have acquired a
green putrescent appearance, and in this state they
are considered a luxury. The pectoral fins are the
parts generally made use of as food, and when cut
in a peculiar form are sold under the name of
Crimped-skate, which is esteemed a delicate mor-
sel/' *
(Sp. 238.) R. marginata. Bordered Ray. This
species is so designated on account of having a broad
dusky border on the under side, the other parts of
the same surface being white. The skin is smooth,
and the snout moderately lengthened, the lateral
margins for a small space near the tip nearly paral-
lel. It was first described by Lacepede, and in this
country specimens have been found at Liverpool,
Brighton, "Weymouth, and Lyme-Regis. Although
frequent in the Mediterranean, its habits are little
known, and it never seems to reach a large size.
(Sp. 239.) R. mkrocellata. Small-eyed Ray.
The characters presented by this species are very
strongly marked, but it is extJ«emely rare, and we
know but little of its habits. All the information
* Fishes of the Firth of Forth, p. 426.
OEN RAIA. HOMELYN RAY. 329
published regarding it has been supplied by Colonel
Montagu and Mr. CJouch ; a notice of a specimen
taken in Dublin Bay has likewise been given by
Mr. M'Coy in the sixth volume of the Annals of
Nat. Hist. The extreme minuteness of the eye, the
surface beautifully rayed with white lines, the rough-
ness of the skin, and the caudal row of spines con-
tinued along the dorsal ridge as far as the head, are
some of its most striking distinctions. None of the
specimens hitherto obtained have been of large size,
the largest not exceeding thirty-three inches and a
half in length. The outline somewhat resembles
that of the Thornback (R. clavata)^ the snout is
short and rather obtuse, and the skin rough with
minute spines. Mr. Couch's specimen was caught
in the end of January 1835, at which time it con-
tained numerous eggs, some of which had attained
their full growth. Montagu says that it seems to
be confounded with R. chagrinea, both being indis-
criminately called Dun-coio by the fishermen in the
west of England. Continental ichthyologists do not
appear to be acquainted with it.
(Sp. 240.) R. miraletus. Homelyn or Spotted
Ray. The great variety in colour and markings to
which this species is subject, has led to great con-
fusion in its synonomy, although its essential cha-
racters of distinction are sujSiciently conspicuous.
The snout is formed nearly as in R. microcellata ;
eyes of moderate size ; the slcin perfectly smooth
both above and below, excepting along the anterior
part of the pectorals which is somewhat rough;
830 CHONDROPTERYGII. RAY FAMILY.
there are two strong spines in the corner of each eye,
and an interrupted series down the back. The
colour of the surface is brown or reddish brown,
marked all over with distinct roundish dusky spots;
and frequently there is a large ocellated spot on
each side of the pectorals towards the centre of the
disk. The dusky spots are sometimes placed pretty
closely, at other times are thinly scattered, and Mr.
Yarrell has seen specimens in which all traces of
them had disappeared. This fish is most frequent
along the southern coasts of England, and is perhaps,
next to the Thornback, the most common of the
Rays in the London market. On the east coast of
Scotland it is rarely met with. Seldom more than
six or eight examples arc observed in the Edinburgh
market during the season, the largest scarcely ever
exceeding the length of twenty inches, but on the
English coast they are frequently found of three
feet in length. The synonyms appended to the
specific character in the Synopsis, will show what
difficulties naturalists have experienced in identify-
ing this species.
(Sp. 241.) B. spinosa. Sandy Ray. This species
was first described by Mr. Couch in the Magazine
of Nat. Hist, (vol. ii. of the New Series), who states
that it was known to the fishermen by the name of
Sandy Ray. Mr. Yarrell has no doubt of its being-
identical with the Rata radula of continental authors,
and therefore with the R. spinosa of Rondelet. " It
bears but a distant resemblance to the K. maculata
or Homelyn,*' says Mr. Couch " either in appear-
GEN. RAIA. SHAGREEN RAY. 331
ance or value ; for ^vliile the Homelyn is esteemed
as food, either fresh or salted, this is thought wor-
thy only to bait the crab-pot, or, just as frequently,
to be thrown aside for manure. It is of frequent
occurrence in moderately deep water, from spring to
the end of autumn. In winter, however, it is not
often seen, chiefly, perhaps, because at that season
the boat* do not venture quite so far from land;
but, perhaps, also, from the fish having changed its
quarters. It seems to be an indiscriminate feeder,
living on small fishes, and difl^erent kinds of Crus-
tacea." * It has been found in Dublin Bay, as well
as in other parts of the north of Ireland.
(Sp. 242.) B. chagrinea. The Shagreen Ray.
Mr. Yarrell notices this fish under the name of B.
fullo?iica, under the idea that it is the species so
named by Linneeus and Rondelet, a point which it
is almost impossible to determine with certaint}-. It
was described by Montagu in the second volume of
the "Wernerian Memoirs, as the Shagreen Ray, a
name since adopted by most authors. The snout is
rather long and sharp, the whole surface rough with
minute shagreen-like tubercles, similar to the skin
of the Dog fish ; tail with only two rows of spines,
there being none on the central ridge ; colour beneath
white. It has been taken on the Devonshire coast,
at Scarborough (where it is called the French Ray),
and on several of the Irish coasts. It appears to be
nowhere so plentiful as».in the Firth of Fortb, where,
as we are informed by Dr. Parnell, it is occasionally
* Apad Yarrell's Brit. Fishes, vol. ii '57 5.
332 CHONDROPTERYGII. RAY FAMILY.
taken in skate-nets set in deep water, more especi-
ally in tlie months of May and June, when a few
may be seen in the Edinburgh market along with
grey-skate and thornbacks. It is known to fisher-
men under the name of rough-flapper^ and its flesh
is considered inferior as food to that of the other
species of skate, it being soft and dry. It feeds on
small star-fish and crustaceous animals in general.
(Sp. 243.) R. damia. The Thornback. One of
the best known fishes of this tribe, as it is generally
dispersed throughout the British seas, and almost
everywhere captured in large numbers. There is no
chance of it being confounded with any of the spe-
cies already noticed, as it is at once known by being
studded, at intervals, all over the surface, with oval
or rounded tubercles which form the base of a strong
a
curved spine. The tail is armed with from one to
five rows of such tubercular spines, and a single row
runs up the dorsal ridge. Varieties occur in which
there are two rows of spines on the back, and no
fewer than seven rows on the tail. These spines
exist on the under side as well as the upper, but in
fewer numbers, and are chiefly observed in old fish.
The flesh of the Thornback is held in good estima-
tion ; it is in best condition for the table in Novem-
ber. The fish, however, is obtained in greatest plenty
during spring and summer, when it frequents the
shallower waters for the purpose of ejecting its ova.
Flounders appear to be its favourite prey ; also her-
ring and sand-eels ; occasionally it feeds on crabs.
Young individuals, that is, before they arrive at the
.\Ti; r,\
■\\F. SX.VLiTLy T.AY. 2. THE SITING RAY.
GEN. RATA. STARRY RAY. 333
age of propagation, are called maidens or maiden-
skates^ and while in that condition the flesh is re-
garded as more delicate than in adult specimens.
As a general rule, the teeth of mature males are
angular, and blunt in the other sex; but to this
there are occasional exceptions, the teeth appearing
equally blunt in both. The Cwcierian Ray of La-
cepede, which has the dorsal fin on the middle of
the back, and of which an example was found by
Dr. Neill in the Firth of Forth in 1808, is now re-
garded by most authors as a variety of the Thorn-
back.
(Sp. 244.) R. radiata. Starry Ray. This Ray
resembles the Thornback in the nature of its arma-
ture, but it is very dissimilar in other respects.
The head is very obtuse, and there is scarcely any
sinuosity between the front of the head and the
widest part of the pectoral fin. The spines are
large, and most of them rest on broad oval bases,
having a radiated appearance ; there are three regu-
lar series on the tail, running up the back nearly to
the head. The under side is perfectly smooth, with-
out any vestiges of spines, and of a uniform white
colour. It is, perhaps, the smallest of the British
Rays, measuring about eighteen or nineteen inches
in length, and twelve or thirteen in breadth. It
was first figured and described by Donovan (British
Fishes, pi. 114) from a specimen obtained on the
north coast; and judging from the localities that
have been given, it appears to be a northern species.
It has been taken in Berwick Bay, and not unfre-
334: CHONDROPTERYGII. RAY FAMILY.
qiiently in the Firth of Forth, as Dr. Parnell assert?
that two or three specimens can be obtained nearl;y
e^ery week in the Edinburgh market, during the
months of April and May. The quahties of the
flesh are not considered inferior to those of the
maiden-skate.
Gen. CXIX. Trygox. — To the general aspect of
the family of the Rays, this genus adds some pecu-
liar characters which render it at once distinguish-
able. The tail is long, tapering gradually to a point,
and without fins ; and it is armed towards its origin
with a long sharp spine, sharply serrated on both
edges. Two other British Rays are provided with
an appendage of this nature, but they are so diffe-
rent in other particulars as to be referred to separate
genera. The three might be combined into a sepa-
rate sub-family.
(Sp. 245.) T.pastinctcea. Sting Ray or Common
Trygon. This is the only sting ray found in this
country in any quantity, and it was known as an
inhabitant of our coasts to the earliest British natu-
ralists. At present it is of most frequent occurrence
on the southern coast, but it has been found as far
north as the Firth of Forth, where a single speci-
men was captured in the salmon-nets above Queens-
ferry in the month of August, and it was the only
example the fishermen had ever seen. Almost all
the European seas, and every part of the Atlantic,
afford it in some plenty, and it is a common fish in
the ^lediterranean. ]\Ir. Couch, with his uf?ual zeal
iind discriminating observation, has watched its
The Eagle Rcuf
GEN. MYLTOBATIS. EAGLE RAY. 335
habits, and states that it keeps on the sandy ground
it no great distance from land, and in summer
wanders into shalh)w water. It scarcely ever takes
a bait. It defends itself by twisting its long slender
tail round the object of attack and tears the surface
^^-ith the serrated spine, lacerating it in a manner
calculated to produce violent inflammation.* For-
merly this weapon was considered to be of a very
formidable character, as it was thought to possess
poisonous qualities ; this, however, has been com-
pletely disproved. It appears to be deciduous at
certain intervals (perhaps annually) and to be re-
placed by another. These spines are sometimes
used as a point to arrows and spears, for which they
are well fitted. The flesh of the sting ray is scarcely
fit to be used for food.
Gen. CXX. Myliobatis. — The fishes of this
genus have obtained the name of Myliobatis (from
fivXri a mill and ^arig a skate) on account of the
form of their teeth, and that of sea-eagles from the
wing-like expansion of the pectorals. Some of the
species attain to very large dimensions, sometimes
weighing no less than eight hundred pounds.
(Sp. 246.) M. aquila. Eagle, or Whip Ray.
Great doubts existed up to a recent period as to the
propriety of admitting this curious fish into our
British lists, because the only pretext for so doing
was that the tail of a fish had been examined by
Pennant, and referred by him to this species, al-
though; as Mr. Jenyns remarks, it is equally pio-
* Yarrell's Brit. Fishes, vol. ii. 589.
S36 CHONDROPTERYGII. RAY FAMILY.
bable it may have belonged to tbe genus next to hi
noticed. The discovery, however, by Dr. Johnson,
of a fresh and entire specimen on the shore at Spit-
tal, near Berwick, has removed all doubt on this
point. It was a small specimen, thirteen inches
long and twenty-one broad, the tail twenty-one
inches and a half in length. The synoptical charac-
ters given on a future page will convey a sufficient
notion of its appearance and peculiarities. It is ex-
tensively distributed, and examples have been found
measuring fifteen feet in length and weighing three
hundred pounds. It swims pretty rapidly with a
kind of sailing motion and little action of the pec-
toral fins, and, when taken, vibrates its tail violently ;
the first care of the fishermen is, therefore, to cut
off the caudal spine, which in a specimen approach-
ing the dimensions given above, is a very formidable
implement.
Gen CXXI. Cephaloptera. — The most con-
spicuous mark of diiference between this and the
othef spiny-tailed rays, is in the form of the head,
which is truncated anteriorly, and the pectorals, in-
stead of embracing it, are each prolonged consider-
ably in front, so as to present the appearance of two
horns. The sjDecies are very remarkable in other
respects, especially for the enormous dimensions
they sometimes attain. The Baiiksian Ray (belong-
ing to this genus) is said to have been found of such
weight that seven yoke of oxen were required to
djaw it ashore. Voyagers speak of having seen
fishes of this genus swimming about their vessels,
GEN. CEPHALOPTERA. HORNED RAY. 337
upwards of twenty feet long ; and in other cases
they are said to have appeared hirger than the ves-
sel itself. " Col. Hamilton Smith once witnessed the
destruction of a soldier by one of these cephaloptera,
off Trinidad. It was supjDosed that the soldier, being
a good swimmer, was attempting to desert from the
ship, which lay at anchor in the entrance of the
Bocco del Toro. The circmnstance occurred soon
after day-light, and the man, being alarmed by the
call of a sailor from the main cross-trees, endea-
voured to return to the vessel, but the monster
threw one of his fins over him and carried him
down." *
(Sp. 247.) C. giorna. Horned Ray. In 1835,
Mr. Thompson communicated to the Zoological
Society an account of a fish supposed to be this
species, of which a single specimen was found on
the southern coast of Ireland. It was rather im-
perfect, so that its identity with the C giorna of
Risso is not altogether certain. It measured only
forty-five inches in breadth. In the Mediterranean
Cuvier states that it is of gigantic dimensions.
* Griffiths' Cuvier, vol. x. p. 654.
338
XXX. FAMILY OF THE LAMPREYS.
PTEROMYZID^.
Bfipresentatives in British Fauna. — Gen. 4, Sp. 0.
6kn. 122. Pteromyzon, Sp. 248, P. marinus. The Lamprey,
249. P.jiuviatilis. River do.
250. P. Planeri. Planer's do.
123. Ammoc(Etes. . 2ol.A.h-anchialis.'Pnde, or MulL
do.
124.Gastrobranchus.2o2. G. c^crz^. . Myxine, or Glit
tinous Hag.
125. A.MPHioxus. . 253.A.Ianceolatus.Laucelot,
This group forms Ciivier's second family of Clion-
dropterygian or cartilaginous fishes with fixed bran-
chiae. The species resemble eels in the elongated
and rounded shape of the body, and the resemblance
also holds in relation to some of their habits. la
Mie typical species the branchial cells and gills
within them are situated along the side of the neck,
and there are seven apertures leading to them by
which the water is admitted and expelled. The
mouth is circular, armed with hard tooth-like pro-
cesses, and provided with a flexible lip. This mouth,
readily admits of being employed as a sucker, and
as the species are destitute of a swimming-bladder,
as well as pectoral and ventral fins, and are there-
fore imperfectly fitted for swimming, they often fix
themselves by means of it to stones, and thus relievo
' r--(
^^:%
4a
■#.1
\|;^^'
GEN. PTER0MY20N. LAMPREY. 339
themselves from the exertion necessary to prevent
them being carried down by the current. To this
habit the name of Lamprey is supposed to refer, its
probable derivation being from lamhendo petras ;
and it corresponds to the term Pteromyzon, which is
composed of two Greek words of nearly the same
import. With the exception of the two first spe-
cies noticed below, they are small fishes of no com-
mercial importance ; but they are full of interest to
the naturalist, as occupying the low^est place in the
scale of organization, not only of their own class^
but, perhaps, of all vertebrate animals, and showing
the gradual approaches which one class of animals
make to another.
Gen. CXXII. Pteromyzon. — The circular mouth
and seven apertures in the side of the neck, are two
characters sufficiently distinctive of this genus. The
fin, which runs along the posterior portion of the
back and tail, can scarcely be regarded as a true fin,
as it is merely a fold of the skin, and quite destitute
of rays.
(Sp. 148.) P. marinus. The Lamprey. This,
the most conspicuous and best known member of
the family, bears some resemblance in its genera\
appearance to the Mura?na formerly noticed. It
measures from two to three feet ; the body thick
and cylindrical ; the colour yellowish brown or
tinged with green, and marbled with dusky. It is
frequently found in all the principal rivers of the
three kingdoms, being particularly abundant in the
Severn, and has a very wide range throughout Eu-
340 CHONDROPTERYGII. LAMPREYS.
rope and North America, It is a migratory fish,
residing; in the ocean clnrino-the winter months, and
ascending rivers in spring. It is oviparous, and the
roe is shed shortly after it enters the fresh Avater.
A shallow bed is formed by removing the stones,
which the fish accomplishes by fixing its snctorial
month to them and drawing them aside, and while
thus employed they are usually in pairs. They
feed on almost any animal matter that falls in their
way ; and occasionally attack other fishes, adhering
to them by the suctorial mouth, and eating into the
flesh. Its motion in swimminor is undnlatino- like
that of a serpent, but the action is horizontal, not
vertical. The Lamprey, as is well known, was
formerly much prized for the table ; but its reputa-
tion in this country has greatly declined, although
it is still in high repute in many parts of the Con-
tinent. It is in greatest perfection in the month of
May. In Scotland it shares in the dislike which is
entertained towards all eel or serpent-like fishes,
and is never brought to market.
(Sp. 140 ) P. fluv'iatilis. River Lamprey, or
Lampern. This is likewise a common fish, especi
ally in the English rivers, more particularly thu
Thames, Severn, and Dee, but it is not so frequent
in Scotland and Ireland, although there also it is not
rare in certain rivers. It is not quite certain whether
it is migratory, like its congener above noticed ;
the fact, at all events, is unquestionable, that ex-
amples may be found in fresh water all the year.
The spawning season is in May, one spawning-bed
GEN. PTEROMYZON, PLANER's LAMPERN. 341
being generally occupied by a single pair of fish ;
at other times numbers of both sexes are seen to
frequent a general spawning-bed. It seldom much,
exceeds a foot in length. It formerly enjoyed the
same reputation as P. marlnus for its edible quali-
ties ; and it was much used, as we believe it still i^
as a bait for catching other fishes. Pennant saya
that above 450,000 have been sold in a season at
forty shillings per thousand, to the Dutch, who use
them as bait lor cod; and Mr. Yarrell informs us
that formerly the Thames alone supplied from one
million to twelve hundred thousand Lamperns an-
nually. From their tenacity of life, they admit of
long i^reservation, and the Dutch use them in fish-
ing for turbot.
(Sp. 150.) P. Planeri. Planer's Lampern. lu
external appearance this species resembles the last,
but on a close examination the difi'erences are soon.
observed. The fins are contiguous in P. Planeri^
and in the other species widely apart ; and in the
former the circular lip is furnished with numerous
papillae, forming a thickly set fringe, from which
structure Mr. Yarrell has named it the Fringed-
lipped liampem. It was named by Bloch after his
friend Planer, a professor at Erfort, but Mr. Jenyns
is of opinion that the British fish is not the same as
the P. Planeri of Bloch and Blainville, although it
is obviously identical with the species so named by
Cuvier and Nilsson. In its colour and habits it does
not difi^'er much from P.fiunatUis. Both it and the
species just named are often in Scotland called nina*
342 CHONDROPTERYGII. LAMPREYS.
eyed eels. Dr. Parnell, Sir "William Jardine, and
Dr. Johnson have found it in different Scottish
livers ; Mr. Yarrell in many of those of England,
and Mr. Thompson in those of Ireland.
Gen. CXXIII. Ammoccetes. — Of this generic
group, established by Dumeril, Cuvier remarks that
the species have all the parts which ought to con-
stitute the skeleton so soft and membranous, that
they may be considered as having no bones what-
ever. Their general form, and the exterior aper-
tures of the branchise, are the same as in the
lampreys, but their fleshy lip is only semicircular,
and merely covers the upper part of the mouth ;
they cannot, therefore, fix themselves to objects
like the lampreys, properly so called. No teeth are
perceptible, but the aperture of the mouth is fur-
nished with a series of small branched cirri.
(Sp. 251.) A. Iranchialis. Pride, or Mud Lam-
prey. A small fish from six to eight inches in
length, and about the thickness of a swan's quill.
It buries itself in the mud, and is not rare in such
of the English rivers as have a muddy bottom. It
has also been observed in the Forth and Tweed, as
well as in some of the Irish rivers. The origin of
the English name will be seen from the following
extract from Blount's Tenures, as given by Mr. Yar-
rell in the Appendix to the second volume of his
British Fishes, " Rodeley^ County of Gloucester. —
Certain tenants of the manor of Rodeley pay, to this
day, to the lord thereof, a rent called Pridgavel, in
duty and acknowledgment to him for their liberty
GEN. GASTROBRANCHUS. THE MYXINE. 343
and privilege of fishing for lampreys in the river
Severn. Pridgavel : Prid, for brevity, being the
latter syllable of Lamprid, as this fish was anciently
called ; and gavel, a rent or tribute."
Gen. CXXIV. Gastrobranchus. — Branchial
apertures two in number, and placed beneath, near
the commencement of the belly; mouth with a
single hook-like tooth ; tongue with two rows of
teeth on each side.
(Sp. 252.) G. ccecus. Myxine, or Glutinous Hag.
This very singular fish has almost the appearance
of a worm, and indeed it was actually placed by
Linnaeus in his class Vermes. It is destitute of
eyes ; the mouth is surrounded v^th cirri, and the
dorsal fin is narrow and linear. Many parts of its
structure very strikingly indicate its relation to the
cephalopods of the class Mollusca. What corre-
sponds to the vertebral column is merely a carti-
laginous tube, the most rudimentary condition in
which that part could exist ; indeed it can with no
propriety be called a portion of a bony skeleton,
but merely its representative. With regard to its
habits ; it is said to enter the mouths of other fish
and completely devour the whole except the skiu
and bones. " It is considered by some that it ob-
tains access to the interior of the body of the fish
by passing in at the anal aperture ; others endea-
vour to account for its being in the belly of a vora-
cious fish by supposing it had been swallowed;
while many experienced fishermen still repeat their
belief that the Myxine enters the mouth of the cod-
344 CHONDROPTERYGII. LAMPREYS.
fish while it is hanging on the line. It is conjec-
tured that it does not fasten upon any fish unless it
be either dt;ad or entangled on a hook ; but how a
fish that is blind is able to find its way to a particu-
lar aperture, is a matter not easily explained. Tha
eight barbules or cirri about the mouth are, there is
no doubt, delicate organs of touch, by which it ob-
tains cognizance of the nature and quality of the
substances with which they are in contact ; and its
single hooked tooth upon the palate enables it to re-
tain its hold till the double row of lingual teeth are
brought into action to aid the desire to obtain food."*
The Myxine is not very rare, and probably would
be found on most of our coasts if carefully looked
after. Dr. Johnson informs Mr. Yarrell that it is
not uncommon at Berwick ; Mr. Thompson finds it
at Belfast, and it is of frequent occurrence on the
eastern coast of England.
Gen. CXXY. Amphioxus. — The only known
British species of this genus has of late attracted a
good deal of attention on account of the many ano-
malies it presents, especially when regarded, as it
must necessarily be, as a vertebrate animal. It is
named
(Sp. 253.) A. lanceolatus. The Lancelot. It has
occurred several times in the British seas, and is not
unknown on the Continent, having been found on
the coasts of Norway and Sweden, and also in the
Mediterranean. A second species has recently been
discovered oif Algiers by Mr. Wilde, which, from
* Yarrell 's British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 614.
GEN. AMPHIOXUS. LANCELOT. 345
possessing a circular mouthy '^pmonstrates the accu-
racy of those authors' views Avho associated the
Lancelot with the Pteromyzidee, a position which
many were of opinion its characters did not warrant.
The peculiarities of this singular fish having he?n
described at some length in the Introduction to our
first volume on British Fishes, and these being
afterwards further noticed in our Synopsis, it is un-
necessary to recapitulate them in this place.
iSYKOPSIS
OF THE
FAMILIES. GENERA, AND SPECIES
OF
BRITISH FISHES.
FIRST SERIES. OSSEOUS FISHES, OR SUCH AS
HAYE A BONY SKELETON.
FIRST SUBDIVISION. ACANTHOPTERYGII ; FISHES
WITH SOME OF THEIR FIN-RAYS SPINOUS.
Fam, I. PercidcB. Fam. of Perches. Body oUong, covered
ioith large conspicuous scales, which are generally rough with
Miated margins; operculum and preoperciduni denticulated or
spinous; both jaws, roma', and almost always the palatine 6(WJ€S,
provided with teeth.
Gen. I. Perca. Two dorsals, the first with spinous rays,
those of the second flexible ; preoperculum notched below, ser-
rated on the posterior edge, operculum terminating behind in a
flattened point ; tongue smooth ; branchiostegous rays seven ;
scales adherent.
Sp. 1. P.Jluviatilis. The Perch. Back dusky green, sides
with from 5 to 7 dusky bands ; abdomen white, tinged with
red ; dorsal and pectoral fins dusky, tinged with red ; ven-
trals scarlet, then- position under the pectorals. Number
348 SYNOPSIS.
of fin-rays, D. 15, 1 + 13 : P. 14 : V. 1 +5 : A. 2 + 8 : C.ir.
— Linn. Don. Brit. Fish., vol. iii. pi. 52 ; Penn. Brit. Zool.,
vol. iii. p. 254, pi. 43 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., vol. i. p. 1. *
Gen. IL Labrax. Two dorsals, as in Perca; preopereulum
covered ■uith scales, and terminating behind in two spines ;
operculam terminating behind in two points ; tongue rough
■vvith teeth.
Sp. 2. L. lupus. Basse, or Sea Perch. Form more elongated
than that of the Perch, the back not so much elevated ;
first ray of second dorsal spinous. Number of fin-rays,
D. 9, H-12 : P. 16 : V. 1—5 : A. 3-Hll : C. 17. Back
and sides dull gray, belly white, operculum with a dusky
spot ; ventrals white. — Cuv. & Val, Hist. Nat. des Poiss.y
t. ii. p. 56, pi. 11. Perca labrax, Linn. Don. Brit. Fish., ii.
pi. 43 ; P&iw,. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 257, pi. 49 ; Jenyn's Brit,
Vert., p. 331 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 8.
Gen. III. Serranus. A single elongated dorsal, the ante-
rior half with spinous rays ; operculum serrated, and having
one or more flattened points beliind ; teeth in both jaws, on
the palatine bones and vomer, some elongated sharp teeth
among the smaller ones.
Sp. 3. S. cdbrilla. Smooth Serranus. Body deep and com-
pressed ; jaws without scales ; the dorsal fin commencing
opposite the ventrals. Number of fin-rays, D. 10-f 14 :
P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3-1-8 : C. 17. Coloiu: of the back
brown, occasionally with bars running round the belly ;
sides yellow, reddish, or safiron-coloured, with two irregu«
lar whitish lines passing along from the head to the tail,
and another, still more irregular, on the belly ; oi^erculum
with oblique blue stripes ; fins longitudinally streaked
with red and yellow ; pectorals wholly yellow. — Cuv. ^
Vol., t. ii. p. 223, pi. 29. Perca cabrilla, Linn. Serranus
channus. Couch, Mctg. Nat. Hist., v. p. 19, fig. 6; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., I p. 11.
* Tlie Second Edition of YarrelFs British Fishes is alwayft
■quoted, unless otherwise expressed.
SYNOPSIS. 349
'8p. 4. S. gigas. Dusky Serranus. Lower jaw covered with
small scales ; tail rounded. Fin-rays, D. 1 1 + 16 : P. 17 :
V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 8 : C. 1 5. Upper parts reddish- brown,
gUl-covers with two slightly marked lines running obliquely
downwards, one on each plate. — Cuv. <£; Vol., t. ii. p. 270,
pi. 33. P. gigas, Gmel., lAnn. Perca robusta, Gouch^ in
Loud. Mag. of Nat. Hist., v, p. 21, fig. 7. Dusky Serra-
nus, Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 14.
Gen. IV. AcERiNA. A single elongated dorsal, a portion of
the hinder part without spinous rays ; head without scales ;
teeth uniform ; operculum ending in a single point.
Sp. 5. A. vulgaris. The RuflPe, or Pope. Head without
scales, and pitted with numerous excavations ; spines of
the anterior portion of the dorsal fin very high, rising alcove
the connecting membrane ; caudal deeply forked. Number
of rays, D. 14-1-12 : P. 13 : V. l-f-5 : A. 2-1-5 : C. 17.
Back and sides light olive, passing into silvery white on
the belly ; pectoral, ventral, and anal fins, pale brown. —
Ctiv. tfc Val., iii, p. 4. pi. 41 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., 1. p. 17.
P. cemua, Linn., Don. Bnt. Fi^., ii. pi. 39. Cemua flu-
viatilis, Flem. Brit. An., p. 212.
Gen. V. PoLYPRiON. A single elongated dorsal fin, the hin-
der portion of it at the base, as well as the base of the other
fins, covered with small scales ; spines on the anterior part of
the dorsal and ventral serrated ; all the scales serrated on the
free margin ; a short semicircular row of spines over the eye,
over the operculum, and over the origin of the pectoral fin.
Sp. 6. P. cernixim. Upper parts of the body dark purplish
brown, under parts white slightly glossed with silvery,
outer margin of the tail nearly white. Number of fin-rays,
D. 11 + 1? : P. 16 : V. 1—5 : A. 3-H9 : C. \1. — Cuv.&
Val., iii. V. 21, pi. 42. Amphiprion Americanus, Schnei-
der, Syst. ich.y p. 205. Serranus Couchii, Yarr. Brit.
Fish., i. p. "2 (1st. ed.).
Gen. VI. Tr-<winus. Head and body compressed, the
latter elongated ; two spinous dorsals, the first very short, the
second very long ; ventrals jugular, or placed before the pecto-
350 SYNOPSIS.
rals ; branchiostegous rays 6 ; teeth in both iaws. on th« <Tont
of the vomer and palatine bones ; operculum wltn a Jong SDine.
Sp. 7. T. Draco. Great Weever. Body ^loneate<l: two
spines before each eye ; second dorsal with about thirty
rays ; lower jaw ascending. Fin-rays, D. f^ — 30 : P. \.^ :
V. 1 + 5 : A. l + J^'l : C. 14. — Linn.^ Jenyns' Brit. V^^t.^
p. 335 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 24. T. major, Penn. Brit.
Zool, iii. p. 229, pi. 33.
Sp. 8. T. vipera. Little "Weever. Body comparatively short ,
second dorsal with twenty-four rays ; lower jaw nearly
vertical; cheeks without scales. Fin- rays, D. 6-^-23 or
24 : P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 1—24 : C. \\.~Cuv. ^ Val.y
iii. p. 254 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 29. T. draco,, Common
Weever, Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 226, pi. 32 ; Don. Brit.
Fish., pi. 23.
Gen. VII. MuLLus. Two dorsals widely separated ; ven-
trals rather behind the pectorals ; profile of the head oblique,
approaching to vertical ; chin with two long barbules ; oper-
culum without a spine, and the upper jaw without teeth.
Sp. 9. M. harhatus. Red Surmullet. Profile of the head
more nearly approaching to vertical than in M. swrmuletus;
colour uniform, rather deep red, without longitudinal yel-
low lines, under side silvery, fins yellow. — Linn., Block. ^
Jenyns, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 271. Plain Red Mullet,
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 36. Rouget, ou Rouget-Barbet,
Cm. cfc Val., iii. p. 325, pi. 70.
Sp. 10. M. Siirmuletus. Striped Surmullet. Back and sides
vermilion-red, with longitudinal lines of golden-yeUow,
belly white tinged with rose-colour, fins pale red. Num-
ber of fin-rays, D. 7—1 + 8 : P. 17 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 2 + 6 :
C. IB.—Zinn., Don. Brit. Fish., i. pi. 12. Striped Red
Mullet, Yarr. Brit. Fish.^ i. 31.
¥a.u. 11. Buccce Loricatce. Fam. of Mailed Cheeks. Tnfror
orhitals extending more or less over the cheeks, and articulating
'behind with the preoperculmn ; head commonly armed with spinal
jrrocesses; pectorals large.
Gen. VIII. Trigla. Head covered with bony plates, and
SYNOPSIS. 351
n^ariy of a square form ; operciilum, and bones of the shoulder,
armed^ witn spmes ; body covered with scales ; dorsals two j
tnree aetacned rays beneath each pectoral fin ; branchiostegous
rays seven ; teeth small and velvet-like on both jaws and oa
tne fix)nt of the vomer.
Sp. il. T. cuculm. Red Gurnard. Lateral line crossed
tnrougnout its length by lines not reaching below the
middle of the sides ; colour bright red, the sides and belly
silvery white. Number of fin-rays, D. 9 — 18 : P. 10—3 :
V. 1 + 6 : A. 16 : C. 11.— Z?«»., Cuv. <fc Val, iv. p. 26;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 38. T, pini, Bloch, pt. xi. pi. 355.
T. lineata, Montagu, Mem. Weiin Soc. ii,, pt. ii. p. 460.
ap. 12, T. lineata. French or Rock Gurnard. Lateral line
crossed by lines which encircle the whole body ; profile
nearly vertical ; body and fins red, the latter spotted and
sometimes edged with a darker colour; pectorals long,
tipped with blue, and marked with four rows of large
dark spots. Fin-rays, D. 10— 16 : P. 10—3 : Y. 1 + 5 :
A. 13 : C. 11. — Linn., Cuv. ^ Vol., iv. p. 34; Jefnyn^
Brit. Vert., p. 339 ; Tair. Brit. Fish., i. p. 45. T. Adri-
atica, Gmelin, Flem. Brit. An. Streaked Gurnard, Pemi,
Brit. Zool., iii. p. 377, pi. 66 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. iv.
Bp. 1 3. T. hh-nndo. Sappharine Gurnard. Pectorals very
large, reaching beyond the second ray of the anal ; sides
smooth, without lines or furrows ; body brownish red ;
pectorals bluish green on the inner side, edged and spotted
with bright blue. Fin-rays, D. 9— 16 : P. 1 1-^3 : V. 1 + 5 :
A. 15 : C. W.— Linn., Perm. Bnt. Zool, iii. p. 316, pi. 40 ;
Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 47. T. lasvis, Montagu, Mem,
Wei-n. Soc, ii. p. 2, p. 455 ; Flem. Bnt. An.
Sp. Ii. T. poeciloptera. Little Gurnard. Plates of the head
terminating behind in strong spines, colour reddish brown,
belly silvery, sides tinged with golden- yellow ; pectoral
fins dark-coloured on the inner side, and marked with nu-
merous small milk-white spots. — Cuv. S[ VaL, iv. p. 34.
Little Gurnard, Thomp. Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837, p. 61 j
Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 'J9.
S53 SYNOPSIS.
Sd, 1 5. T. lyra. The Piper. Head large, the snout divided
into twodentated processes; scapular spines extending half-
way down the pectorals, the latter reaching beyond the
ventrals ; lateral line smooth ; body tapering rapidly to
the tail ; colour brilliant red, belly white. Fin-rays,
D. 9—16 : P. 11—3 : V. 1+5 : A. 16 : C. U.—Lirm.,
Cv/v. cfc Val, iv. p. 55 ; Bon. Brit. Fish., pi. 118.
Sp. 16. T. gunia^dvs. Grey Gurnard. Pectoral and ventral
fins of equal length, not reaching to the first ray of the
anal ; lateral line crenated ; first three rays of the first
dorsal granulated ; colour, grey above, clouded with brown
and spotted with black and yellowish white, silvery be-
neath. Fin-rays, D. 8—20 : P. 10—3 : V. 1 +5 : A. 20 :
C. 11. — Lirm., Cuv. c& Val., iv. p. 45 ; Yarr, Brit. Fish. ^
i. 53. Grey Gurnard, Pemn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 371, pi. Q5 ;
Don. Brit. Fish,, pi. 30.
Sp. 1 7. T. Blochii. Bloch's Gurnard, First dorsal fin with
a black spot ; lateral line and ridge of the back serrated ;
the three first rays of the first dorsal without granulations.
Fin-rays, D. 8—19 : P. 11—3 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 17 : C. 11.
— Yar)'. Brit. Fish., i. 56. T. cuculus, Bhch., Cv/v. ^
Val, iv., p. 67. Red Gurnard, Perni. Brit. Zool., iiL
p. 278, pi. 57.
Sp. 18. T. lucema. Shining Gurnard. Fu'st dorsal -wdth
the second ray very much elongated ; lateral line com-
posed of a series of semicircular plates radiated on their
free border ; snout dentated ; colour rose-red, under parts
dirty white, pectorals deep blue. Fin-rays, D. 9 — 18 :
P. 10—3 : V. 6 : A. 17 : C. U.—Cttv. <Sc Val, iv. p. 72 '
Pamell, in Mag. Zool. and Bat., vol. i. p. 526 ; Yar^
Brit. Fish., i. 63.
Gen. IX. Peristedion. Body covered with large hexagonal
scales, forming longitudinal ridges ; snout divided into two
points ; mouth without teeth.
Sp. 19. P. malarmat. Mailed Gurnard. Body octagonal ;
first dorsal with seven rays, five or six of them ending in
l.'tig filaments ; nasal bone very long ; tail lunate ; colour
SYNOPSIS. 353
unifonn scarlet, shading into pale flesh-colour on tic ab-
domen ; dorsal fins cnmson, the others pale grey. Fin-
rays, D. 7, 19 : P. 12, 2 : V. 1 +5 : A. 18 : C. 11.— Cm
& Val, iv. p. 101. INIailed Gurnard, Mag. Nat. Hist., i.
N. 8, p. 17; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 67. Trigla catar
phracta, Bloch, pt. x. pi. 349.
Gen. X. CoTTUs. Head broad and depressed, generally
armed with spines and tubercles ; two dorsals ; body without
scales ; teeth in front of the vomer, but none on the palatines ;
branchiostegous rays six.
Sp. 20. C. gobio. River Bull-head. Head nearly one-third
of the whole length, and as broad as long, the surface
nearly smooth ; preopereulum with a single curved spine
at its posterior angle ; operculum terminating behind in a
blunt point ; second dorsal twice as high, and nearly three
times as long as the first, the two connected by an inter-
vening membrane ; colour brownish-grey, sides lighter,
and slightly spotted ; fins barred and spotted with brown.
Fin-rays, D. 6 to 9—17 or 18 : P. 15 : V. 3 : A. 13 :
C. 11. — Linn. Cuv. ^ Val., iv. p. 145. River Bull-head,
Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 291, pi. 43 ; Don. Brit. Fish.,
pi. 80 ; Yair. Brit. Fish., i. 71.
Sp. 21. C. scorjoius. Sea Scorpion, or Sliort-spined Cottus.
Preopereulum with three spines, the longest not extending
beyond the operculum ; two spines before the eyes ; colour
reddish grey mottled with purple-brown, the tint varying
considerably. Fin-rays, D. 8 or 9—14 : P. 17 : V. H- 3 :
A. 11 : C. \2.—Cuv. & Val, iv. p. 160 ; Jenyns' Bi-it.
Ve7i., p. 344 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 75.
Sp. 22. C. hubalis. Long-spined Cottus, or Father-lasher.
Preoperculxmi with four spines, the longest extending be-
yond the operculum ; two spines before the eyes ; lateral
line rough. Fin-rays, D. 8—12 : P. 16 : V. H-3 , A. 9 :
C. 10. Colom-s nearly the same as in C. scorpius. — Gun;.
S[ Vol., t. iv. p, 165, pi. 78. Cottus scorpius. Father-
lasher, Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 294, pi. 44 ; Don. BriU
Fish., pi. 35.
Z
354 SYNOPSIS.
Sp. 23. C. guadricomis. Four-homed Cottus. . Occiput with
focr rough tubercles or horns, two near the eyes and two
on the nape ; preoperculum with three spines ; colour of
the head brown, tinged with red on the gill-covers ; back
brown, sides yellow, belly greyish- white ; fins mottled
with brown. Fin-rays, D. 8—14 : P. 17 : V. 1 -|-3 : A. 15:
C. n.—Liiiti., Cuv. & Vol., iv. p. 168; Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
i. p. 83.
Gen. XI. AsPiDOPHORUS. Body mailed with angular plates
which render it octagonal ; head thick, flat below, the snout
with recurved spines ; two distinct dorsal fins ; vomer and
palatines without teeth.
Sp. 24. A. EuropcBus. Armed Bull-head, or Pogge. Upper
jaw rather longest, chin and branchiostegous membrane
furnished with many thread-like filaments ; snout with
four recurved spines ; preoperculum with a large spine ;
operculum unarmed ; body octagonal from the vent (which
is under the middle of the pectorals) to the termination
of the second dorsal, beyond that hexagonal ; caudal
rounded : brown above, white beneath, marked with dusky,
which assumes the appearance of four indistinct bands ;
pectoral with a dusky bar across the centre ; tail brown.
Fin-rays, D. 5—7 : P. 15 : V. 1-1-2 : A. 7 : C. 11.— Cuv,
^ VaL, iv. p. 201 ; Yarr. Brit. Fi:<h., i. 85. Asphido-
phorus cataphractus, Jenyns' Brit. Vert., p. 346. Cata-
phractus Schoneveldii, Flem. Brit. An.
Gen. XII. Sebastes. Body and head completely covered
with scales ; dorsal single, the anterior part spinous, the poste-
rior with flexible rays ; lower rays of the pectorals simple ; pre-
operculum and operculum ending in three or more spines :
teeth velvet-like, placed on both jaws, the vomer, and palatina
l)ones.
Sp. 25. S. Noroegicm. Bergylt, or Norway Haddock. Ge-
neral form resembles that of the Perch ; under jaw longest ;
colour of the back dark red, becoming lighter on the sides,
and silvery white, slightly glossed with red, on the belly ;
fins red. Fin-rays, 15-|-15 : P. 19 : V. l-f-S : A. 3 + 8 :
SYNOPSIS. 355
C. U.—Cuv. 4- Val, iv. p. 327, pi. 87 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish.y
i. p. 87. Perca marina, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 349,
pi. 59. Scorpsena Non-egica, Northern Sebastes, Jenyns''
Brit. Vert., p. 347.
Gen. XIII. Gasterosteus. Head smooth ; one dorsal fin,
the place of the first dorsal being occupied with from three to
fifteen spines ; ventral fin reduced to a single spiniform ray :
body without scales, the sides protected by transverse plates,
abdomen likewise defended by a triangular plate ; teeth in both
jaws, none on the vomer or palatines.
Sp. 26. G. trachurv.s. Rough-tailed Three-spined Stickle-
back. Dorsal spines three, the central one longest ; lateral
plates extending to the base of the tail ; ventral spine tri-
angular at the base ; tail with a shght ridge on each side*
Fm-rays, D. iii 9 : P. 10 : V. 1 : A. 1 + 8 : C. 12.— Cuv.
^ Val, iv. p. 481, pi. 98, fig. 1 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 90.
G. aculeatus, Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 1 1. Three-spined Stickle-
back, Jenyns"" Brit. Vert., p. 348.
Sp. 27. Q. seraiarmatus. Half-armed Stickleback. Dorsal
spines three, lateral plates not extending beyond the ^line
of the vent. Fin-rays, D. iii+ 10 : P. 10 : A. 1 + 9 : C. 12.
Cuv. <b Val, iv. p. 493 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 94.
Sp. 28. G. leiurus. Smooth-tailed Stickleback. Dorsal spines
as in the two last species ; lateral plates not extending
beyond the second dorsal spine, the side beyond that
smooth and soft. Fin-rays, D. iii. -f 10 : P. 1 1 : A. 1 -f 8 :
C. \-2.—Cm. cfc Val, iv. p. 481, pi. 98, fig. 4 ; Tarr. Brit.
Fish., i. 95.
Sp. 29. G. hrachycentrus. Short-spined Stickleback. Lateral
plates as in G. leiurus; dorsal spines three, very short.
Fin-rays, D. iii -f- 13 : P. 10 : A. 1 + 9 : C. \2.—Cuv. ^
Val, iv. p. 499, pi. 98, fig. 2.
Superior in size to L. leiurus, and the vertebras more
numerous.
Sp. 30. G. spinulosfVLS. Four-spined Stickleback. Dorsal spines
four; a single lateral plate behind the pectoral fin. Fin-
rays, D. iv+8 ; P. 9 : V. 1 : A. 1 + 8 : C. 12.~ Farr.
356 SYNOPSIS.
Brit. Fish., i. p. 97 ; Jenym' Brit. Vert., p. 350 ; Hdin,
New Phil. Jmrn., April 1831, p. 386.
Sp. 31. Q. pungitius. Ten-spined Stickleback. Sides with-
out plates ; dorsal spines nine or ten. Fin-rays, D. ix+ 10 :
P. 1 1 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 1 + 9 : C. \%—Linn., Cuv. ^ Vol., iv.
p. 506 ; Perm. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 335, pi. 61 ; Don. Brit.
Fish., pi. 32; Jenyns' Brii. Vert., p. 350; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., i. p. 99.
Sp. 32. ;S^, spinachia. Fifteen-spined Stickleback. Dorsal
spines fifteen ; body much elongated, lateral line armed
with large pointed imbricated scales, which render the
posterior half of the body quadrangular, the anterior part
pentagonal ; snout very much produced, the under jaw
longest ; colour of the upper parts greenish brown, sides
yellowish, belly silvery white. Fin-rays, D. xv+ 6 : P. 1 0 :
V.2 : A. 1—7 : C. \2.—Linn., Cuv. ^ Val, iv, p. 509;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. "p. 101. Spinachia vulgaris, Flem.
Brit. An.,^. 219.
Obs. This species differs in many respects from the
other Gasterostei, and has therefore been regarded by
several authors as a separate subgenus, a rank to which it
seems fully entitled.
Fam. III. SciENTD^. Fam. of the Maigres. Preoperciilum
denticulated, operculum with spines, body and head aitirely
covered with scales; mouth slightly protractile; no teeth on the
«?(?9ier or palatines.
CrEN. XIV, Sci^NA. Operculum ending in one or more
spines ; dorsals two, the second long ; branchiostegous mem-
brane with seven rays; a row of pointed teeth in each jaw;
•hiu without a barbule.
Sp. 33. >S'. aquila. The Maigre. Of a uniform silvery grey,
inclining to brown on the back and to white on the belly ;
first dorsal, pectorals, and ventrals, red ; first dorsal with
the third spine very long. Fin-rays, D. 9 — 1 -|-27 : P. 16 :
V. 1 + 5 : A. 1 + 8 : C, 17.— Cuv. ^ Val, t. v. p. 28,
pi. 100 ; Jenyns' Bnt. Vert., p. 352 ; Yarr. Brii. Fish.,
i. p. 104. Umbra Rondeletii, Willugh.
SYNOPSIS. 357
Gen. XV. Umbrina. Chin with a barbule ; spines of the
;»nal fin strong and sharp ; teeth small and numerous.
Sp. 34. U. vulgaris. Yellowish, traversed obliquely with
bands of silver and blue ; belly white ; pectoral and ven-
tral fins nearly black, anal red ; upper jaw longest ; oper-
culum ending in a spine and a flattened point. Fin-rays,
D. 10—22 : P. 17 : V. 1 + 6 : A. 2 + 7 : C. n. — Cuv. <|-
Val., V. p. 171 ; Yair. Bnt. Fish., i. p. 109. Scisena cir-
rosa, Linn.
Fam. IV. Sparidce. Fam. of Sea-hream. Operculum and
p'eoperculum without dentiadations or spines; hody oval, covo'ed
with large scales; fins without scales at the hcLse; palate with-
out teeth.
Gen. XVI. Chrysophrys. Cheeks and operculum scaly ;
dorsal single, long; from four to six conical incisors in each
jaw; molars large, in three or more rows; branchiostegous
rays six.
Sp. 35. C. auratus. Gilt-head. Body deepest at the com-
mencement of the dorsal fin ; lowest jaw rather shortest ;
pectorals long and pointed, caudal somewhat forked ; a
semilunar spot of a bright gold colour over the eye, and a
violet patch on the operculum ; back sihery grey, sides
with longitudinal stripes of golden-yellow; belly glossy
silver, fins greyish blue. Fin-rays, D. 1 1 + 1 3 : P. 16:
V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 11 : C. \1. — Cuv. f Val, vi. p. 84,
pi. 145; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 111. Sparvs aiirata,
Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 327.
Gen. XVII. Pagrus. From four to six conical incisors in
front, with smaller conical teeth behind them, — each side of
both jaws with two rows of rounded molar teeth.
Sp. 36. P. vulgaris. Braize, or Becker. Body very convex
above and rather slender at the tail ; first twelve rays of
the dorsal spinous ; pectoral fin very long, reaching beyond
the vent ; tail forked ; colour of the upper parts bluish
silver, belly and lower fins tinged with vermilion ; dorsal
and caudal fins rose-red ; no semilunar mark between the
eyes, and no dark patch on the shoulder. Fin-rays,
358 SYNOPSIS.
D. 12—10 : P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 9 : C. 17.— Cm. ^
Val., vi. p. 142, pi. 148 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 116. Spa-
rus pagTus, Linn., Jenym' Brit. Vert, 354.
Gen. XVIII. Pagellus. Front teeth slender and conical,
molars rounded and of smaller size than in the two preceding
genera ; a single dorsal fin, pectorals rather long.
Sp. 37. P. erythrinm. Spanish Sea-bream. Carmine-red on
the upper parts, sides rose-colour, belly almost silvery
white ; first soft rays of the dorsal fin rather longer than
the last spiny ray ; tail slender and deeply forked. Fin-
rays, D. 12+10 : P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3+8 : C. 17.—
Cuv. ^ Vol., iv. p. 169, pi. 150; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i,
p. 120. Sparus erythrinus, Linn., Jenyns'' Brit. Vert.
p. 355.
Sp. 38. P. acarne. Axillary Bream. Head large, the frontal
outline much rounded ; colour pale red, glossed with sil-
very ; at the upper part of the base of the pectorals a dark
violet-coloured spot ; tail forked, but not deeply ; pectorals
and ventrals commencing on the same line. Fin- rays,
D. 12 + 11 : P. 16 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3+10 : C. 17.— Cwv.cfe
Vol., vi. p. 151 ; ParQiell, 3fem. Wern. Soc.,\o\. vii. p. 204.
Sp. 39. P. centrodontv.s. Common Sea-bream. Colour red-
dish, tinged with gxey, sides light golden-grey with faint
longitudinal bands, belly white ; above the base of the
pectoral, at the origin of the lateral line, a conspicuous
dark patch (wanting in young fish of the first year). Fin-
rays, D. 12+13 : P. 17*: V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 12 : C. 17.-^
Cuv. & Vat, vi. p. 180 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 123. Red
Gilt-head, Pe)m. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 329. Lunulated Gilt-
head, Don. Brit. Fish, pi. 89.
Gen. XIX. Dentex. Teeth arranged for the most part in
a single row, and simply conical, some of the anterior (usually
four above and four below) elongated and hook-shaped ; cheeks
scaly ; dorsal single ; body deep and compressed ; branchios-
tegous rays six.
Sp, 40. Z>. vulgaris. Four-toothed Spanis. Upper parts
brownish red, with a few darker spots ; sides light yellow ;.
SYNOPSIS. 359
telly nearly white ; fins reddish bro\ni, the upper ones
set, as it -vrere, in a groove ; pectorals long and narrow ;
ventrals triangular ; caudal forked. Fin-rays, D. 11 + 11 :
P. 14 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 7 : C. U.—Cm: <^- VaL, vi. p. 220,
pi. 153 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 127. Sparus dentex, Linn.
Toothed Gilt-head, Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 331. Four-
toothed Sparus, Do7i. Brit. Fish., pi. 73.
Gen. XX. Cantharus. All the teeth small and card-like,
those of the outer row more robust than the others ; mouth
lather small ; cheeks scaly : dorsal fin single ; branchiostegous
Bys six.
Sp. 41. C. griseus. Black Bream. Dorsal outline very con-
vex ; spinous portion of the dorsal fin twice the length of
the soft part ; pectorals narrow and pointed, reaching to
the vent ; tail forked ; colour bluish or lead-grey, marked
with alternate dark and light stripes ; lateral line dark ;
dorsal fin pale brown, lodged in a groove ; each side of the
nape with a faint golden lunulated mark. Fin-rays,
D. 11 + 12 : P. 16 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3+10 : C. i1.—Cuv.
^ Vol., vi. p. 333 ; Yair. Brit. Fish., i. p. 130. Sparus
lineatus, Mont. Mem. Wem. Soc, ii. p. 451, pi. 23. Spa-
rus vetula, Couch, Trans. Linn. Soc, xiv. p. 79. Pagrus
lineatus, Flan. Frit. An., p. 211.
Fam. Y. Sqiiammipmnce. Scaly-finned Family. Doj'sal and
anal fins almost entirely covered with scales; body deep and very
rmich compressed.
Gen. XXI. Brama. Teeth fine and card-like, placed on
both jaws, as weU as on the palatine bones ; dorsal single, and
as well as the anal, long ; branchiostegous rays seven.
Sp. 42. F. Raii. Ray's Bream. Body rery deep at the
commencement of the dorsal fin, becoming very slender at
the taU ; snout very obtuse ; mouth oblique ; dorsal sub-
falcate, the anal resembling it in form ; caudal large and
crescent-shaped ; ventrals very small : colour dull silvery,
tinged with brown on the back ; pectorals and ventrals
yellowish. Fin-rays, D. 34 : P. 19 : V. 1 +5 : A. 2 + 28 :
C. \1.—Cm'. <L' Yal, vii. p. 210, pi. 190; Yarr. Frit.
360 SYNOPSIS.
Fish., i. p. 133. Rayan Gilt-head, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 330.
Fam. VI. Scomhendce. Mackerel Family. Vertical fins with-
out scales; body smooth, the scales being small, adpressed, and
entire; operculum and jyreoperculum without spines or denticu-
lations.
Gen. XXII. Scomber. Body fusiform ; dorsals two, widely
separated, the space between the hinder dorsal and the base of
the tail, and the corresponding space behind the anal, occupied
by finlets ; sides of the tail with two small cutaneous ridges.
Sp. 43. S. Scomber. The Mackerel. Head conical, the imder
jaw rather longest ; first dorsal triangular, with 12 rays,
second widely distant from it and only half as high ; fin-
lets five both above and below, tail deeply forked. Fin-
rays, D. 10— 13— V : P. 13 : V. 6 : A. 11— v : C. 22.
Back and sides green varied with blue, and dark transverse
bands, belly silvery white ; ventrals and anal fins tinged
with red. — Limi. S. seombrus, Cuv. <|- Fa7., viii. p. 6;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 137. Common Mackerel, Peftm.
Brit. Zool., iii. p. 357, pi. 62.
Sp. 44. S. colias. Spanish Mackerel. First dorsal with
seven rays ; finlets six both above and below ; colour dark
blue on the back, striped nearly as in S. scomber, sides and
belly thickly covered with small dusky spots. — Cuv. &
Val, \-iii. p. 29, pi. 209; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 148.
S. maculatus, Couch, Mag. Nat. Hist., v. p. 22, fig. 8.
Gex. 23. Thynnus. First dorsal elongated and nearly reach-
ing to the second, the space between the latter and the base of
the tail, and the corresy)onding space behind the anal, occupied
by finlets ; anterior part of the thorax surrounded with a series
3f large scales, forming a corselet ; tail with an angulated keel
on each side between two small cutaneous ridges.
Sp. 45. T. vulgaris. The Tunny. Shape similar to that of
the mackerel, but the body more rounded ; dorsal fin gra-
dually decreasing in height to the hinder extremity, which
is very little in advance of the hinder dorsal ; finlets nine ;
pectorals subfalcate ; tail crescent-shaped ; upper parts very
SYNOPSIS. 361
dark blue ; sides of the head white ; belly greyish white,
with silvery spots ; first dorsal, pectorals, and ventrals,
black; second dorsal and anal nearly flesh-colour. Fin-
rays, D. 14— 1 + 13— viii : P. 31 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 2+12—
viii : C. 17 to \9.—Cuv. & Vol., viii. p. 58, pi. 210 ; Tarr.
Brit. Fish., i. p. 151. Scomber Thynnus, Linn.
Sp. 4:6. T. pelamys. Striped Tunny, or Bonito. Under jaw
slightly projecting ; teeth few and small ; pectoral pointed,
subtriangular ; finlets eight above, seven below ; tail slight-
ly crescent-shaped ; colour steel-blue, sides dusky, belly
whitish ; sides of the abdomen with four longitudinal
dusky bands. — Cuv. ^ Val., viii. p. 113, pi. 214; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., i. p. 157. Scomber pelamys, Linn.
Gen. XXIV. Auxis. Dorsal fins widely apart, as in Scom-
ber; in other respects nearly as Thynmis.
Sp. 47. .4. vulgaris. The Plain Bonito. First dorsal, ven-
tral, and pectoral fins originating nearly at the same dis-
tance from the head ; thorax with a broad scaly corselet
terminating behind in four triangular points ; rest of the
body smooth ; upper side of the tail with eight, under side
with seven, finlets ; tail narrow and lunate ; back mottled
with two shades of indigo-blue, belly sUvery white. — Cuv.
^ Vol., viii. p. 139; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 160. Scomber
Rochei, Risso, Ich., p. 165, sp. 3.
Gen. 25. Xiphias. Dorsal fin single and elongated, ven-
trals wanting ; upper jaw excessively prolonged into a sword-
like blade ; sides of the tail strongly carinated, mouth without
teeth.
Sp. 48. X. gladius. Sword-fish. Sword terminating in a
point, the edges sharp and denticulated ; under jaw like-
wise pointed ; dorsal, in young fish, extending to within
a short distance of the caudal, but usually interrupted and
torn in adults ; caudal crescent-shaped ; pectoral inserted
low down, subfalcate. Fin-rays, D. 3 + 40 : P. 16 : A. 2 +
15 : C. 17. Upper parts obscure dusky blue ; under, sil-
very white, — very young fish have the body covered with
small tubercles. — Linn., Cuv. cfc 7a?., viii. p. 255 ; pi. 255,
362 SYNOPSIS.
256 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 164; Penn. Brit. Zool, nu
p. 216, pi. 30.
Gen. XXVI. Naucbates. Body thick and covered with small
scales ; dorsal single and elongated, and both it and the anal
with free spinous rays placed in advance of them ; sides of the
tail keeled ; jaws equal.
Sp. 49. N. ductor. Pilot-fish. Snout somewhat rounded,
lower jaw slightly projecting; teeth very small and nu-
merous, a single strong tooth in front of the vomer and
another on the tongue ; dorsal and anal fins ending on the
same line ; caudal acutely forked ; colour greyish blue,
glossed with silver, with five broad, regular, dark bands
round the body ; pectoral fins clouded with white and
blue, ventral dnsky.—Cuv, & Yal., viii. p. 312, pi. 232 ;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 170. Gasterosteus ductor, Lirm.
Centronotus ductor, Jenyns' Brit. Vert., p. 365.
Gen. XXVII. Caranx. Body covered with small scales,
the lateral line cuirassed with large imbricated scales, forming an
elevated ridge, especially in the posterior portion ; dorsals two,
distinct, the anterior having a reclined spine in front of it ; free
spines before the anal.
Sp. 50. C. trachurus. The Scad, or Horse-Mackerel. Lower
jaw projecting considerably beyond the upper ; lateral line
parallel with the back till opposite the commencement of
the second dorsal, where it bends obliquely downwai'ds ;
second dorsal and anal fins nearly of equal length and the
same shape, in front of the latter two sharp spines united
by a membrane, caudal deeply forked ; colour leaden-grey
variegated with blue and gi-een, silvery beneath ; opercu-
lum with a black spot. — Lacepede, Cuv. ^ Vol., ix. p. 11,
pi. 246. Scomber trachurus, Linn. Scad, Pmn. Brit.
Zool., iii. p. 363, pi. 62; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 3.
Gen. XXVIII. Centrolophus. Dorsal fin single and elon»
gated, commencing on a line -vv^th the pectoral, anal fin half as
long as the dorsal ; teeth small and numerous, the palate with-
out teeth ; tail not keeled,
Sp. 51, C. pompiliis. Black fish. Body compressed, the
SYNOPSIS. 363
dorsal fin placed on a thin ridge ; spiny rays of the dorsal
scarcely distinguishable from the other ; ventrals very
small ; lateral line curved over the pectorals ; colour wholly
black, the belly lighter. Fin-rays, D. 38 : P. 20 : V. 1 + 5 :
A. 22 : C. 17.— Cuv. <|- Val, ix. p. 254, pi. 269. Holo-
centrus niger, Lacepede. Centrolophus niger, Black Perch,
Pern?. Brit. Zool., iii, p. 351.
Gen. XXIX. Zeus. Body oval, compressed, without scales ;
mouth very protractile ; dorsals separated by a deep notch, the
spines of the anterior portion ending in long filaments ; bran-
chiostegous rays seven.
Sp. 52. Z. faher. The Dory. Greatest depth half the entire
length ; tail suddenly contracting before the caudal ; head
very large, one-third of the entire length ; spines of the
anterior division of *the dorsal very high, the filaments
much longer than the spines ; pectorals small and rounded ;
ventrals large ; caudal rounded at the extremity ; colour
yellowish, tinged with olive and leaden grey, with various
coloured reflections ; middle of each side with a conspicu -
ous black spot of an oval shape. — Linn., Cuv. ^ Vol., x.
p. 6 ; Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 29 G, pi. 45.
Gen. XXX. Capros. Body covered with rough scales ;
spinous portion of the dorsal without filaments ; no spines at
the base of the dorsal and anal fins ; branchiostegous rays six.
Sp. 53. C. aper. Boar-fish. Body short and oval, mouth
more protractile than in Zeus ; eyes very large ; pectoral
pretty long and angular, ventral with one strong spine, the
other rays flexible and branched ; tail very narrow, the
caudal rounded at the extremity. Fin-rays, D. 9, 24 :
P. 14 : V. l-f5 : A. 3-1-24 : C. \Z— Lacepede, Cuv. .^
Val, X. p. 30, pi. 281. Zeus asper, Linn., Jmyns" Brit.
VeH., p. 368.
Gen. XXXI. Lampris. Body oval and much compressed;
dorsal single, elongated, and deeply falcate ; teeth wanting ;
sides of the tail carinated ; branchiostegous rays seven.
Sp. 54. L. guttatus. Opah, or King-fish. Back and sides
green with purple and gold reflections; under side yel-
-364 SYNOPSIS.
lowish-green, the whole surface with pretty large distinct
yellowish- white spots ; fins bright red. Fin-rays, D. 2 4-
52 : P. 28 : V. 1 +9 : A. 1 + 25 : C. 30. Cuv. ^ Val,
X. p. 39, pi. 282 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 194. Zeus luna,
Gmel., Linn. The opah, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 299,
pi. 46 ; Bon. Brit. Fish., pi. 97.
Fam. VII. Tcmioidce. Fam. of Riband-shaped Fishes. Body
-excessively elongated, narrow, and very much compressed; scales
very small or wanting.
Gen. XXXII, Lepidopus. Head elongated and pointed,
the lower jaw projecting, teeth in a single row in each jaw, cut-
ting and pointed; dorsal extending the whole length of the
body; ventrals reduced to two scales; branchiostegous rays
€ight.
Sp. 55. L. argyreiis. Scabbard-fish. Body ensiform, cari-
nated above and below ; dorsal fin commencing at the
nape, the rays simple and flexible ; pectorals rather long ;
tail distinct, and forked ; skin quite destitute of scales, the
colovur like burnished silver, slightly glossed with blue.
Fin-rays, D. 105 : P. 12 : A. 17 : C. 17.— Cuv. tSh Fa?.,
viii. p. 223, pi. 223; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 198. Xipho-
theca tetradens, Mo?it. Mem. Wern. Soc, i. p. 81, and
623, pi. 2 and 3. Scabbard-fish, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 210.
Gen. XXXIII. Trichiurus. Ventrals and caudal wanting ;
the tail produced into a long tapermg compressed filament ;
branchiostegous rays seven.
Sp. 5Q. T. lejyturus. Silvery Hair-tail. Body ensiform, be-
ginning about the middle to taper gradually to the tip of
the tail ; a single row of teeth on each side of each jaw ;
vomer without teeth, palatine bones each with a row of
very minute teeth : pectoral fin small, no vestige of ven-
trals nor any scale in their place ; skin covered with a sil-
very film ; the colour of the whole silvery, except the fins,
which are greyish- yellow ; edge of the dorsal speckled
with black. — Lirm., Cuv. ^ Val., viii. p. 237 r Yarr. Brit.
Fish., i. p. 204.
SYNOPSIS. 365
Gen. XXXIV. Trachypterus. Body long and compressed ;
dorsal fin extending the whole length of the back, the anterior
rays elongated ; anal wanting ; caudal rising obliquely from the
extremity of the tail ; lateral line with a row of scales ; bran-
chiostegous rays six.
Sp. 57. T. Bogmarus. Deal-fish, or Vaagmaer. Body silvery
white ; head dark grey, and two remote rounded spots of
the same colour on each side ; dorsal and caudal fins light
red ; lateral line below the middle throughout the greatest
part of its course, and covered with a series of oblong
scales, from each of which springs a small spine directed
forwards, — Cuv. <h Veil, x. p. 346 ; Yarr. Bnt. Fish., i.
210. Gymnetrus arcticus, Cuv. Beg. Aoi., Flem. Mag.
Nat. Hist., iv. p. 215, fig. 34.
Gen. XXXV. Gymnetrus. Dorsal extending the whole
length of the back ; anal wanting ; ventrals consisting each of a
single ray, long and filiform, and dilated at the tip.
Sp. 58. G.Hawkenii. Hawkens' Gymnetrus. Front and mouth
nearly vertical ; back and belly dusky green, sides whitish,
varied with darker shades ; fins crimson. Block, pt. xii.
pi. 423 ; Cuv. ^ Val, x. p. 372 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 221.
Gen. XXXVI. Cepola. Body elongated and somewhat
compressed, gradually tapering from the vent to the hinder ex-
tremity ; dorsal the whole length of the back, anal nearly the
whole length of the belly, and both united to the caudal ; head
rounded, gape oblique ; branchiostegous rays six.
Sp. 59. C. ruhescens. Colour carmine or pale red, the upper
parts darkest, the sides with silvery undulating transverse
lines ; ventrals nearly white ; caudal ending in a point. —
Linn., Cm. & Val, x. p. 388. Red Band-fish, Peim. Brit.
Zool, iii. p. 285; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 105; Yatr. Brit,
Fish., i. 224.
Fam. Ylll. MiigilidcB. Mullet Famihj. Body suh- cylindrical
covered with large scales; two dorsals, widely separate, the fir A
with only four spiny rays; ventrals attached a little hehind th.
pectorals; loiver jaw with an eminence in the middle fitting into
a corresponding hollow in the upper; teeth very minute.
366 SYNOPSIS.
Gen. XXXVII. Atherina. Ventrals placed far behind the
pectorals, sides with a broad longitudinal band.
Sp. 60. A. presbyter. Atherine, or Sand-smelt. Snout short,
lower jaw projecting beyond the upper, and ascending
obliquely ; first dorsal commencing a little before th*
middle ; caudal deeply forked. Fin- rays, 1st D. 8 :
2d D. 1 + 12 : P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 1 + 14 : C. 17. Back
greyish white, freckled with black ; each side with a silver
band, having a narrow purplish line above it ; dorsal ridge
with an interrupted yellowish line ; belly white, fins
speckled with black. — Oiw. da Val, x. p. 439 ; TaiT.
Brit. Fish., i. 229. Atherina hepsetus, Femi. BriU Zool.f
iii. p. 434, pi. 76.
Gen. XXXVIII. Mugil. Ventrals placed behind the pec-
torals, but not so far as in Atherina ; sides without a silver
band.
Sp. 61. M. capita. Grey Mullet. Dorsal fin commencing
nearly on a line dividing the distance between the origin
of the ventral and anal fins ; second dorsal a little behind,
and terminating on the same line as the anal ; caudal
forked ; scale above the pectoral short and obtuse ; skin
at the margin of the orbit not advancing upon the eye.
Fm-rays, D. 4, 1 + 8 : P. 17 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 9 : C. 13.
Back dusky blue, sides and belly silvery, marked with
longitudinal dark lines. — Cuv. ^ Vol., xi., p. 36 ; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., i. 234. Mugil cephalus. Grey Mullet, Pemi.
Brit. Zool, iii. p. 436, pi. 77 ; Do7i. Brii. Fish., pi. 15,
Sp. 62. M. chelo. Thick-lipped Grey ]\Iullet. Lips very large
and fleshy, the margins ciliated ; base of the last ray of the
first dorsal half-way between the point of the snout and
the base of the middle caudal ray ; taU broad and concave
at the extremity ; head and back greenish ; other parts
silvery, the sides with six or seven parallel greenish lines.
Fin-rays, D. 4, 9 : P. 14 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 8 : C. 16.—
Cuv. <b Vol., xi. p. 50 ; Yarr Brit. Fish., i. 241.
Sp. 63. M. curtus. Short Grey Mullet. Body very short,
deeper in proportion than that of M. capito; head wider
SYNOPSIS. 367
more triangular and pointed, fin-rays longer, ventral fins
placed nearer the pectorals. Fin-rays, D. 4, 1 + 8 : P. 11 :
V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 8 : C. l4c.^Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 245 ;
Cuv. & Vol., 3ci. p. 70.
Fam. IX. Gobioidce. Fain, of Gobies. Dorsal rays slender
mid flexible, the dorsal fin generally single but occasionally double ;
scales small or entirely wanting; body more or less elongated;
tail rounded at the extremity.
Gen. XXXIX. Blennius. Dorsal fin single ; ventrals placed
before the pectorals and much reduced, united at the base ;
teeth on the vomer, and a single row in each jaw ; head with
filamentous appendages.
Sp. 64. B. Montagui. Montagu's Blenny. Frontal line slop-
ing, top of the head with a transverse, fleshy, fimbriated
membrane, nostril with a small bifid appendage ; dorsal
fin extending from the head to the tail, the anterior por-
tion sloping to the 13th ray, the 14th and subsequent rays
elongated ; anal fin broad, extending from the vent to the
tail ; colour of the upper parts olive-green, spotted with
pale blue, shaded to white-. Fin-rays, D. 30 : P. 12 :
V. 2 : A. 18 : C. M.—Cm. tfc Val, xi. p. 277 ; Yarr,
Brit. Fish., i. 249. Blennius galerita, Mont. Mem. Wem.
Soc, i. p. 98, pi. V. fig. 2.
Sp. 65. B. ocellaris. Ocellated Blenny. Head with two fila-
mentous and fimbriated appendages ; dorsal bilobed, the
first ray much the longest ; pectorals large and rounded ;
ventrals with two rays ; colour pale bro\\Ti, with a few
patches of reddish brown, the anterior portion of the dor-
sal marked with a large round black spot. Fin-rays,
D. 26 : P. 12 : V. 2. : A. 17 : C. U.—Bloch, pt. v. pi. 167 ;
Cuv. 4* Val, xi. p. 220 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 253 ; Mont.
Mem. Wem. Soc, ii. p. I -=3, pi. 22.
6p. 66. B. Gattorugine. Gattoruginous Blenny. Head with
two branched filaments ; dorsal very slightly emarginate
in the centre, the hinder part continuous with the caudal ;
ventrals slender, of two rays : colour rufous brown, with
a few darker markings. Fin-rays, D. 33 : P. 1 4 : V. 2 i
SYNOPSIS.
A. 23 : C. U.—Perm. BHt. ZoolAn. p. 278, pi. 39 • Dm.
Brit. Fish., pi. 86 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 256; Cuv. & Vdl.,
xi. p. 200.
Sp. 67. B. Tarrellii. Yarrell's Blenny. Head with four
filamentous appendages, one pair shorter than the other,
dorsal without any emargination in the centre, and conti-
nuous with the caudal ; anal fin half the length of the body,
pectorals with three rays ; colour pale bro"mi, mottled -with
dark brown.
Gen. XL. Pholis. Head without filaments or crest ; in
yther respects ne^ly as Blennius.
Sp. 68. P. Icevis. Shan, or Shanny. Head rounded over the
eyes, then descending in an oblique line to the nose ; dor-
sal fin distinctly notched in the middle and not united
behind to the caudal ; pectoral fin very large ; ventrals
consisting of two rays ; last ray of the anal attached to the
caudal. Fin-rays, D. 31 : P. 13 : V. 7. : A. 1 9 : C. 11 . Sur-
face marbled and variegated with dusky or reddish brown
sometimes of a uniform dusky colour. — Flem. Brit. An.t
p. 207 ; Cuv. ^ Val., xi. 269. Blennius phoUs, Linn.*
Yarr. Bnt. Fish., i. 260.
Gen. XLI. Gunellus. Body lengthened and compressed,
head small and obtuse ; scales minute, the surface covered with
an unctuous secretion : dorsal fin extending the whole length
of the back, all the rays simple and without articulation ; ven-
trals reduced almost to a single ray.
Sp. 69. G. vulgaris. Spotted Gunnel, or Butter-fish. Dorsal
fin low, and extending nearly from the line of the origin of
the pectoral fins to the tail, where it unites with the cau-
dal ; anal also united to the caudal ; pectoral fin small and
oval, the ventrals appearing like a spine : colotu- a mixture
of purple, brown, and yelloTv-ish brown, a series of dark
oceUated spots along the back, which extend partly on
to the dorsal fin. Fin-rays, D. 78 : P. 11 : V. 1-f 1 :
A.2 + 43 : C. 15.— Flem. BHt. An., p. 207; Cuv. <§• Val,
xi. p. 419. Blennius gunellus, Linn. Spotted Blenny,
Perm. Brit. -Zool.y iii. p. 282, pi. 60; Dm. Brit Fish..
SYNOPSIS. 369
pi. 27. Mura3noides guttata, Lacep , Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
i. p. 269.
Gen. XLII. Zoarchus. Body elongated and anguilliform ;
anterior portion of the dorsal and anal fins without spiny rays ;
dorsal, anal, and caudal fins united ; ventrals of three rays,
placed before the pectorals ; teeth conical, placed in a single
row.
Sp, 70. 2. viviparus. Viviparous Blenny. Body compressed
and tapering behind ; head small and blunt anteriorly ;
skin smooth and naked, covered with an unctuous secre-
tion ; dorsal fin even in the outline till just before its union
with the caudal, wiien it becomes suddenly depressed;
caudal rounded ; colour pale brown, the upper parts mot-
tled with darker brown. — Cuv. d& Val., xi. p, 454 ; Tan\
Brit. Fish., i. p. 273. Blennius vi\7iparus, Bloch, pt. 11,
pi. 72 ; Penn. Bnt. Zool, iii. p. 283, pi. 61 ; Don. Brit.
Fish., pi. 34.
Gen. XLIII. Anarrhichas. Body smooth and elongated;
dorsal the whole length of the back, composed entirely of sim-
ple rays, and not united to the caudal ; ventrals wanting ; teeth
in front long, powerful, and cutting, the others truncated or re-
sembling large bony tubercles ; branchiostegous rays six.
Sp. 71. .4. lupus. Wolf-fish. Head flattened a little on the
crown, the nose rounded and blunt ; mouth large ; dorsal
fin extending from tlie nape of the neck almost to the tail ;
pectoral fins broad and rather long ; anal fin half the length
of the body ; tail rounded ; colour of the upper parts dark
brownish grey, with vertical bands and spots of a deeper
hue. — Linn., Cuv. ^ Val., xi. p. 473. Wolf-fish, Pemi.
Brit. Zool, iii. p. 201, pi. 27.
Gen. XLIV. Gobi us. Dorsals two, ventrals thoracic, joined
together under the thorax, and forming a hollow disc ; body
covered with scales, the free edges of which are ciliated ; bran-
chiostegous rays five.
Sp. 72. G. niger. Black Goby. Dorsal fins contiguous, the
first with six rays, the second with all the rays of equal
height ; lower jaw rather longest; anal nearly correspond-
370 SYNOPSIS.
ing to the second dorsal ; caudal rounded ; colour deep
olive-brown, with dusky spots and streaks, dorsals varie-
gated with whitish. Fin-rays, D. 6, 17 : P. 17 : V. 12 :
A. 12 : C. 15. — Linn., Ouv. <£- VaL, xii. p. 9; Yarr.Brit.
Fish., i. 281.
Sp. 73. G. Rivthensparri. Double-spotted Goby. Dorsals
more widely apart than in G. niger, the first with seven
rays, the rays of all the fins slender and flexible ; colour
broA\Ti, the under parts pale bro-mi, approaching to white ;
beneath the commencement of the first dorsal, a conspi-
cuous black spot, and another at the base of the caudal
fin. Fin-rays, D. 7, 12 : P. 15 : V. 12 : A. 12 : C. 1 1.—
Cuv. cfc VaL, xii. p. 36 ; YmT. Brit. Fish., i. 285. G. bi-
pnnctatus, Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 255, (1st. ed.) ; Jenyns*
Brit. Vert., p. 386.
Sp. 74. G. minutics. Freckled or Spotted Goby. Dorsal fins
more remote than in either of the two preceding species,
first dorsal with six rays ; tail rounded at the extremity •
colour pale yellowish white, freckled with ferruginous, tail
barred with the latter colour. Fin- rays, D. 6, 12 : P. 20 :
V. 12 : A. 13 : C. 12.— Cuv. ^ VaL, xii. 29 ; Yarr.Brit,
Fish., i. 288. Spotted Goby, Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 290,
pi. 41.
Sp. 75. G. gracilis. Slender Goby. Form more elongated
and slender than that of G. minutus; dorsal fins rather
distant, the anterior with six rays ; rays of the cauda.1
rather long. Fin-rays, D. 6, 12 : P. 21 : V. 12 : A. 12 :
C. 13. Colour as in C. minutiis, but the anals and ven-
trals dusky or blackish. — Jenyns'' Brit. Vert, 290 ; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., i. 290 ; Parnell, Mem. Wern. Soc, vii, p. 245.
Sp. 76. G. unipimctatus. One-spotted Goby. Dorsal fins
remote ; anterior rays of the second dorsal fin longer than
the succeeding ones ; caudal fin even ; first dorsal with six
rays ; a large black spot on the summit of the membrane
between the two last rays of the first dorsal fin. Fin-rays,
D. 6, 11 : P. 16 : V. 10 : A. 11 : C. 15.— Parnell, Mem.
Wern. Soc, vii. p. 243, pi. 29 ; Ta^r. Bnt. Fish., L 282.
SYNOPSIS. 371
"Sp. 77. O. aXbm. WTiite Goby. Dorsal fins remote, the
first with only five rays ; head large, gape wide ; body
transparent and marked with five depressed transversa
lines. Fin-rays, D. 5, 1 3 : P. 16 : V. 13 : A. 13 : C. 12.—
Pai-nell, Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin. xiv. 139; Yarr. BriU
Fish., i. 295.
Gen. XLV. Callionymus. Ventrals jugular, very large, dis-
tinct, and placed before the pectorals, which are smaller ; dor-
sals two, sometimes very high, particularly the first ; head
depressed, eyes approximating ; body without scales ; gill-open-
ing reduced to a small hole on each side of the nape ; bran-
«liiostegous rays six.
Sp. 78. C. lyra. Gemmeous Dragonet. Head broad and
depressed, gape wide ; anterior ray of the first dorsal very
much elongated, reaching beyond the last ray of the second
dorsal ; second dorsal equal in the outline ; all the other
fins very ample, caudal rounded. Fin-rays, D. 4, 9 :
P. 20 : V. 5 : A. 9 : C. 10. Colour yellow, of various
shades, striped and spotted with sapphirine blue. — Linn.,
Cuv.^ Val, xii. 266 ; Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 221, pi. 31 ;
Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 9.
Sp. 79. C. dracuncidns. Sordid Dragonet. Head and body
more depressed that in C. lyi'a; rays of the first dorsal
shorter than those of the second ; colour reddish-brown,
dorsal fins pale brown, without spots, all the under side
white Linn., Cuv. ^ Val., xii. 274 ; Penn. Brit. ZooLy
' iii. p. 224, pi. 33 ; Dm,. Brit. Fi^h., pi. 84.
Fam. X. LojjhidcB. Head very larye-, pectorals elongated,
/arming a kind of arm; skeleton sendcartilaginous ; hody vAthout
scales.
Gen, XLY. Lophius. Body diminishing rapidly from be-
hind the head, which is of enormous size ; ventrals before the
pectorals ; dorsal fins two ; branchial cavities large ; branchio-
stegous rays six.
Sp. 80. L. piscatorius. Fishing Frog, or Angler. Mouth
nearly as wide as the head, lower jaw fringed round the
edge ; teeth numerous, sharp, and incurved ; head with.
372 SYNOPSIS.
three very long filaments, two near the upper lip, one at
the nape ; Fin-rays, D. iii. 12 ; P. 20 : V. 5 : A. 8 : C. 8.
Colour uniform brown, tail darker, under side white. —
Linn., Cuv. ^ VaL, xii. p. 251 ; Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 159, pi. 21; Don. Brit Fish., pi. 101; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., i. 305.
Fam, XL Lahridce. Fum. of Wrasses. Body ohloiig and covered
with larqe scales; dorsal fin single and lengthened, the me^nbrane
tetween the spiny rays pointed and eodending beyond their tips,
giving them a bifid appearance; lipis fleshy, teeth strong and
large.
Gen. XL VI. Labrus. Body oblong-oval ; dorsal extending
nearly the whole length of the back ; lips double ; maxillary
teeth conical, pharyngians cylindrical and blunt ; preoperculum
•without dentations ; cheeks a.id operculum scaly.
Sp. 81. i. bergyUa. Ballan Wrasse. Body thick and mas-
sive, back not much elevated, mouth very protractile, the
lips double ; spinous portion of the dorsal about three-
fourths of the whole, the posterior or soft portion more
than twice the height of the spinous ; anal commencing on
a line with the soft portion of the dorsal and terminating
nearly on the same line with it ; caudal slightly rounded.
Fin-rays, D. 20 + 11 : P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 9 : C. 13.
Colour of the back and sides bluish green, belly paler ; all
the scales margined with red, head and cheeks with reti-
culated orange-red lines, fins with scattered red spots. —
Cv.v. & Yal., xiii. p. 20 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 31L L. ma-
cidatus, Bloch, pt. ix. pi. 294 ; Pe^m. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 334, pi. 55.
Sj). 82. L. Donovani. Donovan's Labrus, or Green- streaked
Wrasse. Body elongated, colour meadow-green, darker on
the back and paler on the belly, striped with longitudinal
yello%vish lines-, fins greenish. Fin-rays, D. 20 + 10 •
P. 14 : V. 8 : A. 3 + 8 : C. 15.— Cuv. ^ VaL, xiii. 39 ;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 315. L. lineatus, Don. Brit. Fish.,
pi. 74.
Sp. 83. L. mdxtus. Cook, or Blue-striped Wrasse. Form
SYNOPSIS. 373
elongated, dorsal extending a little beyond the anal, the
soft portion scarcely higher than the spinous ; branchios-
tegous membrane with five rays : colour of the body and
head yellow or orange-red, running into olivaceous-brown
on the back, the sides striped with blue ; anterior portion
of the dorsal fin blue edged above with orange, the hinder
part orange with blue spots ; all the other fin-rays orange,
tipped with blue. — Cuv. ^ Vol., xiii. p. 43 ; Yair. Brit.
Fish., i. p. 317. L. variegatus, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 337,
pi. 57 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 21.
Sp. 84. L. trimaculatiis. Three-spotted, or Red Wrasse.
Dorsal with the posterior rays rather longer than the
others : colour orange-red, sides lighter, belly pale orange-
yellow ; a patch of deep purple on the front of the dorsal,
two round spots of the same on the back at the base of
the hinder part of the dorsal and another on the fleshy
part of the tail ; alternating with these, four spots of a
delicate rose-colour. — dw. d; Val., xiii. p. 68. L. cameus,
C^iv. Reg. An. L, trimaculatus, Perm. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 336, pi. bQ.
Sp. 85. L. comber. Comber Wrasse. Body slender, jaws
elongated ; tail narrow ; ventrals short ; colour of the back,
fins, and tail, red; belly yellow; sides with a silvery
stripe, beneath and parallel with the lateral line. — Linn.,
Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 342, pi. 5Q ; Yarr. Brit. Fi.<7i., i.
p. 323.
Gen. XLYII. Crenilabrus. Margin of the preoperculum
dentated; teeth conical, a single row in each jaw; lateral line
uninterrupted, in other respects the same as Lahrus.
Sp. 86. C. melops. Gilt-head, or Connor, Mouth large,
teeth prominent ; dorsal and pectoral fins commencing on
the same plane, the flexible rays of the former much
longer than the spinous rays ; pectorals large and rounded;
caudal rounded. Fin-rays, D. 16 + 9 : P. 14 : V. 1 + 5 :
A. 3-f-lO : C. 13. Colour of the head blue, striped and
spotted with reddish orange, body red -u-ith gi-een shades,
fins greenish blue, dorsal and anal fins with a longitudinal
374 SYNOPSIS.
dark stripe. — Cv/v. ^ FaZ., xiii. p, 167 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
i. 325. C. tinea, Eisso, Flem. Brit. An., p. 208. Labrus
tinea, Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 397.
Sp. 87. S. Noo-vegicm. Corkwing. Rather more elongated
than C. melops; colours similar, but paler, a conspicuous
dusky spot on each side of the tail. Fin-rays, D. 16 + 8 :
P. 14 : V. 1—5 : A. 3 + 10 : C. U. — Cuv. <|- Val, xiii.
p. 176; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 328. Labrus Cornubius,
Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 72. L. Cornubicus, Couch, Loudon,
Mag. Nat. Hist, v. p. 17, fig. 4; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert.,
p. 3i)8.
Sp. 88. C. multidentatiis. Corkling. Ascending margin of
the preoperculum very oblique, with a few obsolete in-
dentations about the lower angle ; spinous portion of the
dorsal nearly three-fourths of the whole fin ; soft portion
very little higher than the spinous ; anal rather short, and
terminating a little before the line of the dorsal. Fin-rays,
D. 20 + 10 or 11 : P. 14 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 9 : C. 13.—
Thomp. Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837, p. 56. Labrus pusillus,
Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 392. Turdus minor, Bay, Syn. Pise,
p. 165.
Sp. 89. C. rupestris. Jago's Goldsrnny. Body deep and
bulky ; preoperculum and operculum covered with scales,
the former crenated nearly all along its ascending edge ;
spinous rays shortest at the commencement of the dorsal,
the soft rays longer than the spinous ; tail thick, caudal
fin rounded posteriorly. Fin- rays, D 17 + 9 .: P. 14 :
V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 7 : C. 13. Colour orange above, the body
marked with five indistinct transverse bands ; a black spot
at the base of the tail on the upper side, and a black patch
on the anterior portion of the dorsal. — Selby, Mag. Zool.
^ Bot., i. p. 167, pi. vi. Jago's Goldsinny, Ray's Syn.
Pise, p. 163, t. i. f. 3. Labrus rupestris, Linn.
Gen. XLVIII. Acantholabrus. Outer range of teeth
conical and large, and a second narrow row of small teeth be-
hind them ; anal fin with five or six spines.
Sp. 90. A. Couchii. Couch's Wrasse, or Scale-rayed Wrasse.
SYNOPSIS. 375
Body plump and rounded, rather suddenly contracted on
a line with the termination of the dorsal fin ; the latter
with twenty-one firm and eight soft rays which are longer
than the spinous ; ventral with six spiny rays ; between
each ray of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins tliere is a pro-
cess of imbricated scales : colour light brown, the upper
edge of the tail with a dark spot at the base ; pectorals
yellow and all the other fins edged with that colour. —
Cuv. & Vol., xiii. p. 248 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 337. La-
brus luscus, Couch, Loudon Mag. Nat. HiU. v. p. 18 and
p. 741, fig. 121.
Sp. 91. A. Yarrellii. Yarreirs Wrasse ; the Sea Wife.
Ascending line of the preoperculum very oblique, teeth
rather small and numerous ; soft portion of the dorsal
scarcely higher than the spinous ; colour of the back, neck,
and sides, purplish black, lips and anterior part of the head
flesh colour tinged with purple, fins blue, ventrals tipped
with black. — Cuv. <k Veil, xiii. p. 230 ; Ya7r. Brit. Fish.,
i. p. 339.
Sp. 92. A. exoletus. Small- mouthed Wrasse or Rock Cock.
Mouth comparatively small, teeth flat and even ; the cor-
ners slightly rounded ; dorsal rather low, the hinder por-
tion of the soft part longest ; pectorals subtruncate at
the extremity ; colour of the head and body dark brown,
pale brown beneath. — Cuv. 4 Veil; xiii. p. 247. Labrus
exoletus, Linn. C. microstoma, Thomp. Zool. Proc. 1837,
p. 55 ; Mag. Zool. <^ Bot. ii. p. 446, pi. 14.
Gen. XLIX. Julis. Head smooth, the cheeks and gill-
covers without scales ; anterior spines of the first dorsal elon-
gated ; lateral line bent suddenly downwards when opposite
the end of the dorsal fin.
Sp. 93. /. Mediterranea. Rainbow Wrasse. Body rather
slender and elongated ; lateral line elevated ; back green-
ish blue, sides with a longitudinal orange band, beneath
which are lilac bands on a silvery ground ; head with
changeable reflections ; dorsal fin orange with a large
purple spot on the anterior part. — Rimo, Hint., iii. p. 309.
376 SYNOPSIS.
Labrus Julis, Linn. Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 96 ; Penn. Brit.
ZooL, iii. p. 343.
Fam. XII. FistalaridcB. Fam. of Pipe- mouthed Fishes. Mouth
at the extremity of a long tube; hody compressed, oval, and
covered with scales.
Gen. L. Centriscus. Mouth extremely small, and cleft
obliquely, teeth wanting, dorsal fins two, both placed behind
the middle, ventral fins united,
Sp. 94. C. scolopax. Trumpet-fish, or Sea Snipe. First dor-
sal fin with three or four spinous rays, the first three
times as long as the others, broad, pointed, and serrated
on the sides ; pectoral fin small ; anal fin longer than any
of the other fins ; tail rounded ; back red, sides lighter, fins
greyish white. — Linn., Perm. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 190 j Don,
Brit. Fish., pi. 63,
SECOXD SUBDIYISION OF OSSEOUS FISHES ; MALA-
COPTERYGIl; FISHES WITH SOFT FIMAYS.
ORDER II. MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMINALES ;—
SOFT-FINNED FISHES WITH ABDOMINAL VEN-
TRALS.
Fam. Xni. Cyprinidce. Fam. of Carps. Mouth small, teeth
on the loharynx hut none on the jaws, the latter formed by the
intei'maxillaries ; body not compressed, and the ventral ridge
never serrated ; dorsal single.
Gen. LI. Cypkinus. Dorsal fin elongated, the second ray,
as well as the corresponding one in the anal, forming a serrated
spine : lips simple with or without barbules ; scales large :
branchiostegous rays three.
Sp. 95. C. carpio. Common Carp. Mouth with a barbula
at each comer of the mouth, and a smaller one above on
each side ; first dorsal ray short and bony ; second a ser-
rated spine, third longest ; dorsal and anal fins ending on
SYNOPSIS. 377
the same plane ; tail forked. Fin-rays, D. 22 : P. 17:
V. 9 : A. 8 : C. 19. Colour olive-brown glossed with
golden, belly yellowish- white ; dorsal and caudal fins
dusky, ventrals and anal tinged with red. — Linn., Penn.
Brit. Zool., iii. p. 467, pi. 81 ; Dm. Brit. Fish., pi. 110.
Sp. 9Q. C. carassius. Crucian, or German Carp. Body very-
deep, the back much arched ; head small ; lateral line
straight ; scales large ; caudal slightly emarginate, tho
angles rounded. Fin-rays, D. 20 : P. 14 : V. 9 : A. 8 : C. 19.
Colour of the upper parts rich golden-brown, shading into
light yellowish- brown on the under parts ; fins dark brown.
—Block, pt. i. p. 11; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 355.
Sp. 97. C. gibelio. Prussian or Gibel Carp. Depth of the
body onc-thu'd the entire length ; lateral line bending
slightly downwards ; head rather small, front obtuse ;
caudal fi ; crescent-shaped: upper parts olive-brown, sides
lighter, belly ntarly white, the whole glossed with a me-
tallic lustre : dorsal fin tinged with orange ; pectoral, ven-
tral, and anal fins, orange-red. — Block, pt. i. pi. 1 2. Gibelo
Carp, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 480, pi. 83; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., i. p. 358.
Sp. 98. C. auratus. Gold Carp. Body not so deep as in
the two foregoing species ; head short, eyes large, lateral
line straight and not very remote from the back ; fins very
variable, caudal deeply forked: colour during the first
year nearly black, afterwards mottled Avith silver, which
ultimately gives way to red, that colour becoming more in-
tense with age: young sometimes red. — Linn., Penn. Brit.
Zool, iii, p. 490; Yarr. Bnt. Fish., i. p. 361.
Gen. LII. Barbus. Dorsal and anal fins short, the former
having a strong serrated ray in front ; mouth with four bar-
bules, two near the point of the nose, and one at each side of
the mouth,
Sp. 99. B. vulgaris. The Barbel. Body elongated and not
very deep, head somewhat oblong ; upper lip fleshy ; the
two barbules on the front of the nose shorter than the
other two ; scales rather small ; dorsal commencing near
378 SYNOPSIS.
the middle of the back, short, the third ray strong and
bony ; pectorals and ventrals of similar size and shape,
the latter attached in a line with the middle of the dorsal ;
tan deeply forked. Fin-rays, D. 1 1 : P. 16 : V. 9 : A. 7 :
C. 19. Colour greenish brown above, sides greenish yel-
low, with a bronze lustre in many places : dorsal tinged
with red, pectoral, ventral, and anal fins flesh-red — Cuv.
Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 367. Cyprinus barbus,
lAnn.
Gen. LIII. Gobio. Nearly as in Barbiis, but the dorsal and
anal without spines ; mouth with two barbules.
Sp. 100. G. fiuviatilis. Gudgeon. Body elongated and not
very deep, head large and somewhat depressed, having a
transverse groove across the nose, upper jaw \\\\\\ a short
barbule at each angle ; dorsal high and sub-quadrate, first
and second rays simple, the others branched ; ventral and
anal rather small ; caudal forked. Fin-rays, D. 9 : P. 15 :
V. 8 : A. 8 : C. 19. Upper parts olivaceous- brown spotted
with black, sides silvery, belly white ; dorsal and caudal
spotted. — Willugkby, Cuv. Beg. An.; Tarr. Brit. Fish.y
i. 371. Cyprinus gobio, Linn.
Gen. LIV. Tinca. Nearly as in Barhus and Gobio., tne dor-
sal and anal without spines ; scales small, barbules two, very
short ; body covered with a mucous secretion.
Sp. 101. T. TulgaHs. Common Tench. Body rather thick
and massive, back rather elevated ; mou^h with a minute
barbule at each corner ; lateral line curved downwards,
dorsal rather high, caudal nearly even at the extremity; all
the other fins somewhat rounded at the tip. Fin-rays,
D. 10 : P. 17 : V. 10 : A. 9 : C. 19. Upper side olive-
green with a yellow metallic gloss, fins purplish-brown. —
Cuv. Reg. An. Cyprinus tinca, Block, pt. i. pi. 14 ; Perm.
Brit. Zool. iii. p. 474.
Gen. LV. Abramis. Without spines and barbules, dorsal
placed behind the ventrals ; anal very long.
Sp. 102. A.hrama. Bream, or Carp-bream. Body very deep
and compressed, both the dorsal and abdominal lines very
SYNOPSIS. 379
convex ; head small ; lateral line below the middle and
curved doAvnwards opposite the dorsal fin, the latter very-
short ; anal twice the length of the dorsal ; tail forked.
Fin-rays, D. 11 : P. 17 :V. 9 : A. 29 : C. 19. Colour yel-
lov^ish-white, fins light-coloiu-ed, the pectoral and ventral
tinged with red. — Cuv. Beg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish.., i.
382. Cj-prinus brama, Block, pt. i. pi. 13 ; Fenn. Brit.
Zool,m. p. 478, pi. 81.
Sp. 103. A. hlicca. White Bream. Body not so deep as in
A. brama. Fin-rays, D. 10 : P. U : V. 9 : A. 22 : C. 19.
Colour silvery bluish white without golden lustre ; fins
dusky ; pectorals and ventrals sometimes tinged with
dusky. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 287. Cy-
prinus blicca. Block, pt. i. pi. 10 ; Jenyns' Brit. Vert., 407.
Sp. 104. A. Biiggenkagii. Pomeranian Bream. Thickness
of the body equal to half its depth ; scales large ; anal
fins comparatively short, not much longer than the dorsal.
Fm-rays, D. 12 : P. 17 :V. 9 : A. 19 : C. 19. Upper
parts dark bluish black, silvery white beneath ; pectorals,
dorsal, and anal, bluish-brown tinged with pale red. —
Thovip. Zool. Proc, 1837, p. 56 ; Yarr. Brit. Fisk., i. 391.
Cj'prinus Buggenhagii, Block, iii. pi. do.
Gen. LVI. Leuciscus. Dorsal and anal short, and without
spines ; snout without barbules ; tail forked.
Sp. 105. L. idles. The Ide. Dorsal fin iii.mediately above
the ventrals ; dorsal outline convex, abdominal almost
straight, lateral line curved downwards before reaching the
middle of the body. Fin-rays, D. 10 : P. 17 : V. 11 :
A. 13 : C. 19. Back bluish black, sides bluish grey, belly
white ; peetor.d fin orange, ventrals red in the middle, first
and last rays white, base of the anal fin wliite. — Cuv. Jieg.
An.; Yarr. Brit. Fisk. i. 395. Cyprinus idus, Linn.
Sp. 106. L. clobuJa. Double Roach. Body elongated and
rather slender, origin of the dorsal fin very little behind
that of the ventrals ; snout blunt and roimded, the upper
jaw longest. Fin-rays, D. 9 : P. 16 : V. 9 : A. 10 : C. 19.
Dusky blue above, silver}- on the belly ; dorsal and cauda.
:380 SYNOPSIS.
fins dusky brown, the others pale orange-red Chiv. Regm
An. ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. p. 397. Cyprinus dobula, Linn.
Sp. 107. L. ruti/us. The Roach. Dorsal immediately above
the ventrals ; body deep ; jaws equal ; scales large ; la-
teral line falling in a curve from the upper part of the
operculum below the middle, and then running straight
to the tail ; the latter forked. Fin-rays, D. 12 : P. 17 :
V. 9 : A. 13 : C. 19. Upper parts dark green with blue
reflections, belly silvery white, ventral and anal fins bright
red. — Cuv. Reg. An. ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. p, 399. Cypri-
nus rutilus, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 482. Don.
Brit. Fish., pi. 67.
"Sp. 108. L. vulgaris. Dace. Commencement of the dorsal
rather in advance of the line of the pectorals ; form elon-
gated ; upper jaw longest ; mouth rather large ; scales
much smaller than in L. rutilus. Fin-rays, D. 9 : P. 1 6 :
V. 9 : A. 10 : C. 19. Upper parts dusky blue, sides paler,
belly white ; pectoral, ventral, and anal fins whitish, tinged
■with pale red, the other fins pale brown. — Cuv. Reg. An. ;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 464. Cyprinus Leuciscus, Lin?i. Block,
p. iii. pi. 97 ; Don. Brit. Fish,, pi. 77.
Sp. 109. L. Lancastriensis. The Graining. Body elongated,
rather slender posteriorly ; dorsal fin commencing half
way between the point of the nose and the end of the
fleshy portion of the tail, and almost on a line with the
ventrals, the second ray longest ; caudal rays long and
deeply forked. Fin-rays, D. 9 : P. 17 : V. 10 : A. 11 :
C. 19. Upper parts pale drab-colour tinged with a mix-
ture of red and blue, cheek and gill-covers silvery, fins pale
yellowish white. — Yarr. Linn. Trans., xvii. pt. i. p. 5 ;
Brit. Fish., i. p. 406. Cyprinus Lancastriensis, Shaw, Gen.
Zool., V. p. 234.
Sp. 110. L. cephalus. The Chub. Body thick and rather
deep, snout broad and round, the upper jaw rather
longest ; commencement of the dorsal fin nearly on the
same plane as that of the ventrals, each of these fins with
ten rays ; anal and tail large, the latter forked. Fin-rays,
SYNOPSIS. 381-
D. 10 : p. 16 : V. 9 : A. 11 : C. 19. Back bluish black,
the scales darkest at the edge, head blackish brown ; sides
bluish white, belly silvery ; pectoral, ventral, and anal fins,
pale red. — Flem. Brit. An., p. 187 ; Yarr. Brit. Fi^h., i.
409. Cyprinus cephalus, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., m.
485. C. Jeses, Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 115.
8p. 111. L. erytkrophthalmus. Red-eye, or Rudd. Body
very deep and thick, head small, under jaw longest ; dor-
sal fin above the space between the ventrals and anal ;
anal rather large ; tail forked, the lobes long. Fin-rays,
D. 10 : P. 15 : V. 9 : A. 13 : C. 19. Back olive-green^
sides and belly orange, the whole with a brilliant metallic
gloss of reddish gold-colour ; caudal, ventrals, and anal, .
bright vermilion. — Ciw-. Reij. An., Flcm. Brit. An., p. 188;
Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 412. Cyprinus erythrophthalmus,
Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 479, pi. 83 ; Don. Brit. Fish.y
pi. 40.
Sp. 112. L. cceruleus. The Azurine. Body not so deep as
in C. erythrophthalmus ; dorsal placed as in that species ;
anal fin with fourteen rays ; upper parts slate-blue, under
side silvery, all the fins white. — Yarr., Linn. Trans., xvii.
pt. i. p. 8 ; Brit. Fish., i. p. 416 ; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert.y
p. 413.
Sp. 113. L. alhurnus. The Bleak. Body elongated and
slender before the caudal fin ; under jaw longest and
ascending ; dorsal situate as in the two last species, anal
rather long, containing about nineteen rays, base of the
caudal long, the extremity deeply forked. Fin-rays, D. 10 :
P. 17 : V. 9 : A. 18. : C). 19. Colour of the back greenish
or ash-brown tinged with blue, under side shining silvery
white, tlie colours separated by a well-defined line ; fins
nearly white. — Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit, Fish., i. p. 419.
Cyprinus alhurnus, Idrm., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 487, pi.
84 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 18.
Sp. 114. L. phoxinus. The Minnow. Body rather slender
and rounded, surface nearly smooth, the scales being small ;
snout short, jaws nearly equal j dorsal entirely behind the
382 SYNOPSIS.
middle as well as the ventrals ; caudal rays long, the ex-
tremity forked. Fin-rays, D, 9 : P. 16 : V. 8 : A. 9 :
C. 1 9. Lateral line descending at first, then continued in
nearly a direct line a little below the middle ; colour of
the back dusky olive, mottled ; sides lighter, belly white,
becoming more or less crimson in summer ; tail light brown
with a dark brown spot at the base. — Cuv. Beg. An., Yarr.
Brit. Fish., i. p. 423. Cyprinus phoxinus, Linn., Perm.
Bnt. Zool., iii. p. 489 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 60.
Gen. LVII. Cobitis. Body elongated and covered with
minute scales which are invested with a slimy mucus ; dorsal
single ; ventrals placed far back ; lips fleshy and furnished with
six barbules ; branehiostegous rays three.
Sp. 115. C. harhatula. Loach, or Beardie. Head small,
lips fitted to act as suckers, and furnished with six bar-
bules ; body rounded before the dorsal fin and compressed
behind it ; dorsal central ; insertion of the ventral under
the middle of the dorsal ; caudal even or slightly concave
at the extremity ; back and sides yellowish brown, mottled
and spotted with dusky ; the lateral line and under side
brownish white. — Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 379 ;
Don. BHt. Fish., pi. 22 ; Yai-r. Brit Fish., i. 427.
Sp. 116. C. taenia. Groundling. Body lanceolate and com-
pressed, the scales small ; a large spine just behind each
nostril ; mouth small and the nose produced ; relative
position of the fins as in C. harhatula, caudal rounded at
the extremity ; colour and markings nearly as in the spe-
cies just named. — Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 381.
Botia taenia, /. E. Gray, Zool. Mis., p. 8 ; Tarr. BriU
Fish., i. 432.
Fam. XIV. Esocidce. Pike Family. Dorsal fin single, no
adipose fin; mouth large and with sharp teeth; upper jaw
formed hy the intermaxillary, and, lohen this is not the case^
maaillary is without teeth and concealed in the suhstance of the
lips.
Gen. LVIII. Esox. Snout long and depressed ; bodj elon-
gated, the back rounded ; teeth m both jaws, as well as on
SYNOPSIS. 183
the vomer, palatines, tongue, and pharyngeans ; dorsal very far
back and placed over the anal.
Sp. 117. E. lucius. Pike. Body suddenly narrowing be-
hind the dorsal fin ; head a little concave before the eyes,
the under jaw projecting beyond the upper ; giil-opening
large ; scales of nioderate size, the basal margin tliree-
lobed ; dorsal very far back, the anal answering to it ;
ventrals small and placed low down, nearly central ; tail
forked but not deeply. Fin-rays, D. 19 : P. 14 : V. 10 :
A. 17 : C. 19. Colour of the upper parts dusky olive-
brown, sides mottled W'th green and yellow ; belly white.
— Lirm., Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 424, pi. 74 ; Don. Brit.
Fish., pi. 109 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 434.
Gen. LIX. Belone. Head and body excessively elongated ;
jaws very long, slender and pointed ; dorsal and anal fins single
and entire.
Sp. lis. B. vulgaris. Gar-fish. Body nearly cylindrical as
far as the commencement of the dorsal ; snout prolonged
into a pointed beak, both jaws with a single row of fine
sharp teeth ; head without scales, those on the body thin
and scattered ; dorsal placed very far back, pretty long,
the anterior part highest ; anal corresponding ; pectorals
and ventrals very small, especially the latter ; taU forked :
upper parts rich bluish green, the rest of the body silvery.
Cuv.Eeg.An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 442. Essox belone,
Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 229, pi. 71; Don. Brit.
Fish, pi. 64.
Gen. LX. Scomberesox. Nearly as in Belone, but the dor-
sal and anal fins are succeeded by a series of finlets.
Sp. 119. S. saunis. Saury- Pike. Similar in general form
to the gar-fish; the elongated jaws slightly curved up-
wards at the point ; dorsal placed far back and correspond-
ing to the anal, the former succeeded by five, the latter
by eight finlets ; tail forked . upper parts azure-blue,
changing to green, and glossed with purple and yellow;
belly silvery. — Fkm. Brit. Aii., p. 184 ; Cuv. Beg. An.;
Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 446. Esox saurus, Penn. Brit. Zool.y
m. p. 430, pi. 75 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 116,
•i84 SYNOPSIS.
OrEN. LXI. Hemiramphus. Upper jaw short, the und«
iaw excessively elongated and pointed ; dorsal and anal fins
entire.
Sp. 120. H. Europeus. European Half-beak. Body long,
slender, and compressed, the relative position of the fins
nearly as in the two preceding genera ; sides of the tail
straight, extremity forked ; colour of the back bluish
green, with a few spots ; belly silvery. — Mag. Nat. Hist.,
1837, p. 505 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 450.
Gen. LXII. Exoccetus. Head and body covered with large
scales ; pectoral fins enormously developed ; dorsal and anal
long and correspond mg ; tail forked, the upper lobe smallest ;
branchiostegous rays ten.
Sp. 121. E. voUtans. Common Flying-fish. Pectorals reach-
ing to the commencement of the caudal ; ventrals small,
and placed before the middle ; both jaws with small teeth;.
a row of carinated scales along the bottom of each flank.
Linn., Penn. Drit. Zool., iii. p. 441, pi, 78; Don. Brit,
Fish., pi. 31 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., i. 453.
Sp. 122. E. exiliens. Great Flying-fish. Pectoral fins reach-
ing beyond the commencement of the caudal ; ventrals
very long and placed far backwards ; taU bilobed, the up-
per lobe smallest ; colour of the upper parts fine blue,
belly white Bloch, pt. xii. pi. 397 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., i.
458.
Fam. XV. Siluridce. Body without tnie scales; shin either
naked or covered with bony i^lates; dorsal and pectorals almost
always with a strong articulated spine for the first ray, and an
adipose Jin is frequently present ; tipper jatv formed hy the inter-
maxillaries.
Gen. LXIII. Silurus. Skin covered with an unctuous se-
cretion ; mouth provided with several long barbules ; dorsal
Very small, no adipose fin ; anal very long.
Sp. 123. S. glanis. Sly Silurus, or Sheat-fish. Head broad
and flat, the mouth very large, both upper and under lip
with barbules, those on the former A^ery long ; back of a
dark green colour, pale green below the lateral line, the
whole covered with dark blotches ; pectoral fins dark blue
SYNOPSIS. 385
at the base and extremity, the centre yellow ; dorsal and
ventral fins yellow at the base, bluish towards the ends ;
anal and caudal greyish yellow with violet edges. — Linn.,
Tarr. Brit. Fish., i. 461.
Fam. XVI. Salmonidce. Body covered with scales; dorsal
fins two, the second small, adipose, and without rays.
Gen. LXV. Salmo. Mouth cleft as far — or nearly as far—
as the eyes, the vomer, palatine, and maxillary bones armed
with teeth ; branchiostegous rays varying in number, but al-
ways exceeding eight ; ventral fins opposite the middle of tlio
first dorsal, second dorsal opposite the anal fin.
Sp. 124. S. salar. The Salmon. Posterior margin of the
gill-cover forming the segment of a circle ; teeth on the
vomer confined to the anterior extremity. Fin-rays, D. 1 3 :
P. 12 : V. 9 : A. 9 : C. 19. Caudal forked ; ventrals dusky
on the side next the body. — Linn., Bloch, Ichth., pis. 20
& 98 ; Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 382 ; Jenyns' Brit. Vert.,
p. 421 ; Tair. Brit Fish., ii. p. 1 ; Jar dine'' s Illust. Brit,
Salmonidce, pi. 7. Grilse, Bilto, pis. 1, 2. 8. Parr, Sal-
mon Fry, Trans. Roy. Soc. of Edin., xiv. pi. 22.
Sp. 125. S. eriox. Bull Trout, or Grey Trout. Posterior
margin of the gill-cover but little em-ved ; teeth on the
vomer confined to the anterior extremity; lower end
of the pectorals dusky ; caudal square at the extremity or
slightly convex, ventrals white. — Linn., Jenyns'' Bnt. Vert,
p. 423 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 71. S. cinereus vel griseus,
Willugh., S. cambricus, Don. Brit. Fish., iv. pi. 91.
Sp. 126. S. trv.tta. Salmon Trout. Gill-cover slightly pro-
duced behind, the margin rounded ; vomer and teeth not
confined to the anterior extremity, but extending far back ;
back and sides with X-shaped spots ; ventrals white ; tail
more or less forked. — Linn., Block., pt. i. pi. 20. Sea Trout,
Penn. Bnt. Zool., iii. p. 397 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 77 ;
Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 423. Jardine''s Ilhcst. Brit. Salm.,
pis. 3, 9, 10, 1 1. S. albus, Phinoek, Flem. Brit. An., p. 180.
Trutta salmonata, Willugh., p. 193.
Sp. 127. S.fario. Common Trout. Vomerine teetli extend-
B B
SYI^OPSIS-
ing the whole way ; tail slightly forked ; bark and sides
with numerous red spots. — Linn.^ Block., pt. i. pi. 22 and
23 ; Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 399 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 85.
JenynB' Brit. Yert., p. 424 ; Jar dime's Illust. Brit. Salm.,
pis. 5 and 12 ; Fa?T. Brit. Fish., ii. 85.
Sp. 128. S. Levenensis. Loclileven Trout. Vomerine teeth
extending the whole way ; caudal fin lunate ; body with-
out red spots. — WalTcer, Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 117. S.
csecifer, Parnell, Mem. Wern. Sac, vii. 306, pi. 30.
Sp. 129. 5". ferox. Great Lake Trout. Free edge of the
gill-cover rounded in the female, angular below in the
male ; vomerine teeth extending the whole length ; body
covered with dark spots surrounded by a pale ring ; tail
square at the extremity. Jardine, Ennjc. Brit., art. Ang-
ling; Illust. Brit. Salm. pi. 4 ; Yair. Brit. Fish., ii. 110 ;
Jenyns' Brit. Vert., p. 425.
'Sp. 130. S. savelinus. The Charr. Vomerine teeth con-
fined to the anterior extremity ; axillary scale about one
third the length of the ventrals ; body spotted with white
or red. — Linn., Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 112. Torgoch, Ffem.
Brit. An. ; YaiT. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 121. S. umbla, Bloch^
pt. iii. pi. 101 ; Cuv. Beg. An. S. alpinus, Block, pt. iii.
pi. 104 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 61 ; Flem. Brit. An.,
p. 180.
Gen. LXVI. Osmerus. Body elongated and rather slender,
scales not very large, vomerine teeth confined to the anterior
part ; insertion of the ventral fins on a line with the com-
mencement of the first dorsal ; branchiostegous rays eight.
Sp. 131. 0. ejyerla^nis. Smelt, or Sphling. Under jaw
longest ; depth of the body not equal to the length of the
head ; first ray of the dorsal half-way between the point
of the upper jaw and the base of the middle caudal ray ;
pectoral fins long and narrow ; tail slender and deeply
forked. Fin-rays, D. 11 : P. 11 : V. 8 : A. 15 : C. 19.
Colour of the upper parts of the body pale ash-green, all
the other parts silvery white of a very brilliant lustre ; fins
•vhite, tinged with yellow, ends of the caudal rays tipped
SYNOPSIS, 387
with black. — Flem. Brit. An., p. 181; Cuv. Reg. An.;
Fair. Brit. Fish.,n. 129 ; Jenpis' Brit. Vert, 429. Salmo
eperlanus, Litvn,., Pernn., Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 48. Eper-
lanus Rondeletii, Willvgh., p. 202.
Sp. 132. 0. Hebridicus. Hebridal Smelt. Length of the
head in comparison with that of the body, exclusive of the
tail, as one to four ; jaws nearly equal, without teeth ;
eves very large ; dorsal fin commencing half-way between
^e point of the nose and the anterior edge of the adipose
2n ; the latter placed very near the tail ; tail deeply forked.
Fin-rays, D. 11 : P. 14 : V. 12 : A. 12 : C. 19. General
colour dull umber, the gill- covers silvery and iridescent,
two silvery white bands along the sides of the body,
scales large and deciduous. — Yarr. Suppl. Brit. Fish. ;
Brit. FiuL, ii. 133.
Gen. LXVII. Thymallus. Gape small, not extending to the
€yes ; opening of the mouth square ; first dorsal fin more than
half the height of the body and twice as long as high ; teeth
fine and velvet-like, the vomerian series confined to the ante-
rior part ; scales very large.
Sp. 133. T. vulgaris. Grayling. General colour light yel-
lowish brown, with golden, copper, green, and blue reflec-
tions, and varied with dusky clouds ; the sides towards
the upper part of the body marked with longitudinal
dusky lines ; dorsal fin with transverse streaks formed of
reddish brown confluent spots. — Cuv. Reg. An.; WUlu^..,
p. 187; Jenijns' Brit. Vert., p. 430 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii.
] 36. Salmo thymallus, Linn., Bloch, pt. i. pi. 214 ; Don.
Brit. Fish., pi. 88. Thymallus thynnus, Salvian.
Gen. LXVIII. Coregonus. Gape very small, not extending
to the eyes, the aperture oblique ; teeth still smaller than in
Thymallus, sometimes wanting ; front of the first dorsal higher
than the length of the fin ; scales very large ; appearanfHi of the
body herring- like.
Sp. 1 34. C. fera ? The Gwyniad. Of the size and general
appearance of the common herring : length of the head
about one-fifth of the whole length ; depth of the bodj
388 SYNOPSIS.
rather exceeding the length of the head ; jaws equal and
without teeth, a few very fine ones on the tongue ; first
dorsal fin commencing about half-way between the point
of the nose and the root of the caudal fin, the latter deeply
forked. Fin-rays, D. 13 : P. 17 : V. 11 : A. 16 : C. 19.
Axillary scale at the insertion of the ventral fins, about
one- third of their length: head and back dusky blue, sides
lighter and tinged with yellow ; other parts silvery white,
the fins tinged with dusky blue towards the tips. — Ctiv.
Beg. An.; Jtmne. Mem. Soc. Phys. de Geneve, iii. pt. 1,
pi. 7 ? Tar.r. BHt. Fish , ii. p. 1 42. Salmo lavaretus,
Perm. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 419, Coregonus lavaretus, Flem.
Brit. An., p. 182 ; Jeiiyns'' Drii. Vert., p. 431.
^^.\Z5. C.Willughhii. Vendace. Lower jaw longest, and
ascending in an angle to meet the upper ; greatest depth
one-fourth of the entire length, excluding the caudal :
head small, compared with the whole length as two to
seven, the crown heart-shaped, and so transparent that
the skull and brain may be discovered ; tongue only with
a few almost imperceptible teeth ; first dorsal commencing
midway between the nose and root of the caudal, the
anterior part double the length of the base of the fin ;
ventrals large ; tail acutely forked. Fin-rays, D. 11
P. 16 : V. 11 : A. 15 : C. 19. Eye very large, silvery
tinged with yellow, pupil blue ; body above tender greenish
brown, gradually shading off into silvery ; dorsal fin the
same colour as the back, lower fins bluish white Jardine,
Brit. Salm., pi. 6 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish. ii. 146. C. marse-
uula, Jardine, Edin. Jour, of Nat. mid Geog. Soc. iii. p. 4
pi. 1 ; Jenyns'' Brit, Vert. p. 432. Vendace, Knox, Trans.
Roy. Soc. Edin., xii. p. 503.
Sp. 136. C. Lacepedii. The Powan. Head long, narrow
and oval ; dej)th of body less than the length of the head
first dorsal situate as in C. Willughhii ; adipose fin largr
and thin ; ventrals commencing under the middle of the
dorsal ; tail deeply forked, the long upper rays curving a
Utile downwards. Fin-rays, D. 14 : P. 16 : V. 12 : A. 13 :
SYNOPSIS. 385
C 20 : Caeca, 120. Upper jaw with about six teeth,
those on the tongue shorter and more numerous ; scales
large and deciduous ; colour of back and sides dusky blue ;
belly dirty white ; lower portion of the fins dark bluish-
grey ; irides silvery, pupil blue. Fai-nell, Ann. of Nat.
Mist., i. 161. C. clupioides, Lacipede, Hist. Nat. des
Poiss.
Sp. 137. C. Pollan. The Pollan. Length of the head rela-
tive to that of the body as one to three and a half ; depth
of body equal to the length of the head ; jaws equal, with
a few teeth, tongue with many teeth ; lateral line at first
curved downwards, then straight ; third ray of pectorals
longest. Fin-rays, D. 14 : P. 16 : V. 12 : A. 13 : C. 19.
Colour of the upper portion of the body dark blue ;
of the under side, silvery white ; dorsal, anal, and caudal
fins tinged with black towards the extremities ; pectorals
and ventrals clear and transparent, with the extremities
dotted with black ; pupil of the eye black. — Thompson,
Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 156.
Gen. LXIX. Scopelus. Body long and slender; first dor
sal placed far back, over the space between the ventral and
anal fins ; adipose fin obsolete.
Sp. 1 38. S. Humholdtii. Argentine. Head short ; depth of
the body to the whole length as one to five and a half;
operculum very large, ju'eoperculum small : colour of the
sides silvery white, with a very resplendent lustre ; back
bluish black; lower edge of the belly steel-blue ; on each
side of the belly there is a continuous row of rounded
silvery dots, and above this another row extending back-
wards rather beyond the middle of the body. — Cuv. Reg.
An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 161. Serpes Humboldtii,
Risso, Ich., p. 358, tab. x. f. 38. Argentina sphyrsena,
Argentine, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 432, pi. 76.
Fam. XVII. ChipeidcB. Body covered with scales; one dor-
sal, no adipose fin; mouth with few teeth, sometimes with none;
abdomen compressed, carinated, and generally serrated on the
tmder edge.
390 SYNOPSIS.
Gen. LXX. Ulupea. Head and body compressed ; under
jaw longest ; teeth minute and few in number, or wanting ;
gill-opening very large ; branchiostegous rays eight ; scales large,
thin, and deciduous.
Sp. 139. C. harengus. Head nearly one-fifth of the whole
length, including the anal fin ; depth of the body, com-
pared with the whole length, as one to five ; commence-
ment of the dorsal fin half-way between the point of the-
upper jaw and the end of the fleshy portion of the tail,
the ventrals placed in a vertical line under the base of the
sixth ray of the dorsal ; tail pretty deei)ly forked, the
middle ray about one-third the length of the longest
ray. The number of fin- rays varies, D. 17 — 19 : P. 15
—17 : V. 9 : A. 14—16 : C. 18—20. Lower jaw longest,.
with five or six teeth; tongue with four central rows
of small teeth, upper jaw with a few small teeth: ridge
of abdomen sen-ated in young specimens (less than six
inches in length), smooth in full-grown individuals ;
scales placed in fifteen rows between the dorsal and ven-
tral fins ; lateral line obsolete : colour of the upper parts
blue, with greenish reflections, sides and belly silvery
white; dorsal and caudal fins dusky; lower fins almost
white. — Linn.y Willujh; Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 444,
pi. 79; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 434; Ya7-r. Brit. Fish., ii.
p. 188.
•Sp. 140. C. Leachii. Leach's Herring. Length of head com-
pared with that of the body (exclusive of the head and
caudal rays) as one to three : body much deejer than in
the common herring, the dorsal and abdominal lines more
convex : under jaw longer than the upper, and having three
or four prominent teeth just within the angle formed by
the symphysis ; dorsal fin behind the centre of gravity, but
not so much so as in the common herring : fins and scales
rather small. Fin-rays, D. 1 8 : P. 1 7 : V. 9 : A. 16 . C. 20 :
Colours as in the common herring. — Yarr. Zool. Jour.^
V. 277, pi. 12; Brit. Fish., ii. 193; Jmyns' Brit. Vert,
p. 434.
SYNOPSIS 391
Sp. 141. C. pilchardus. Length of the head to the whole
length as one to five ; depth of the body equal to the
length of the head : teeth obsolete ; under jaw a little
longer than the upper ; commencement of the dorsal fin
anterior to the middle of the fish and exactly in the
centre of gravity ; tail deeply forked. Fin-rays, D. 18 :
P. 16 : V. 8 : A. 18 : C. 19. Scales large and ciliated
on their free edge : upper parts of the body bluish green ;
sides and belly silvery white ; dorsal and tail dusky ;
cheeks and gill-covers tinged with golden yellow. — Block,
pt. xii. pi. 406 ; Dm. Brit. Fish., iii. pi. 69. Fenn. Bnt.
Zool, iii. p. 453, pi. 79; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 169.
Sp. 142. C. sprattus. Sprat, or Garvie Herring. Dorsal and
abdominal lines pretty convex ; length of the head, cona-
pared to the whole length, as one to six ; depth of the
body, compared with its whole length, as one to five ; teeth
on the lower jaw so reduced as to be scarcely perceptible
to the touch : ventral fins* in a vertical line under the first
ray of the dorsal. Fin-rays, D. 17 : P. 15—16 : V. 7 :
A. 18 : C. 19. Keel of the abdomen more sharply ser-
rated than in a herring of equal size : upper parts dark
blue, glossed with green ; the other parts silvery white,
except the dorsal and caudal fins, which are dusky.
Length from 4 to 6 inches Linn., Cuv. Reg. An. ; Fmn.
Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 457 ; Yarr. Brit. Fiah., ii. p. 197.
Sp. 143. C. alba. Whitebait. Head elongated ; teeth so
minute as to be scarcely visible ; dorsal fin commencing
half-way between the point of the jaws and the ends of
the short middle caudal rays ; vcntrals placed behind the
third ray of the dorsal. Fin-rays, D. 17 : P. 15 : V. 9 :
A. 15 : C. 20. Abdomen strongly serrated from the
pectoral fin to the anal aperture: general colour silvery
white, the back tinged with pale greenish ash, the dorsal
* Mr. Yarrell says that the ventrals have no axillary scales ;
Dr. Pamell, on the contrary, afiirms tkat these do exist, and
are nearly half as long as the fin.
392 SYNOPSIS.
and caudal corresponding. — Tarr. ZonL Jovjr., iv. p. 137
Sc 465, pi. 10 ; Brit. Fish., ii. 202. Clupea alosa, Young
Shad, Don. Brit. Fish,, pi. 98. Clupea latulus, CvA). Reg,
An., ii. 318.
Gen. LXXI. Alosa. Upper jaw with a deep notch in the
centre ; tongue and roof of the mouth without teeth ; in other
respects like Clupea.
Sp. 144. A.finta. Twaite Shad. Depth of the body greater
than the length of the head ; the latter compared to the
whole length of the fisli as one to five : maxillaries with
fine teeth along their whole margin ; lower jaw with three
or foiu" strong teeth on each side near the extremity. Fin-
rays, D. 18—20 : P. 15 : V. 9 : A. 21 : C. 19. Abdo-
men sharply keeled, the serratures much sharper and
stronger than in any true Clupea. Colour of head and
back dusky blue, with brown and gieen reflections, a
row of five or six dark spots extending backwards from the
upper edge of the operculum ; under parts silvery white
glossed with golden yellow. In the young some of the late-
ral dusky spots are never wanting. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr.
Bnt. Fish., ii. 208, Clupea alosa, Li'ivn. Shad, Penn.
Brit. Zool., iii. 460, pi. 80. Yarr. Zool. Jour., iv. pi. 5,
fig. 1. (young).
Sp. 145. A. comtnimis. AUice Shad. Comparative depth
even greater than in A . finta : maxillaries rough, but with-
out any distinct teeth. Fin-rays, D. 9 : P. 15 : V. 9 :
A. 26 : C. 20. Colours nearly as in A. finta, the lateral
spots seldom exceeding one behind the operculum, and
that often scarcely visible. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 213. Allice, Penn. Brit., Zool, iii. 463. Clupea
alosa, All's. Jenyns'' Bnt. Vert., 438.
Gen. LXXII. Engraulis. Head pointed, upper jaw
longest, both jaws with teeth ; mouth horizontally cleft, the
gape extending a good way behind the eyes ; gill-openings
very large ; abdomen never serrated ; branchiostegous rays
twelve.
Sp. 146, E. encrasicolus. Anchovy. Body not deep, but
SYNOPSIS. 393
proportionally thicker than the herring ; first ray of the
dorsal half-way between the point of the nose and the end
of the fleshy portion of the tail, the origin of the pectorals
considerable in advance of it. Fin-rays, D. 14 — 15 : P. 15 :
v. 7 : A. 18 : C. 19. Fins greenish white, the colours of
the other parts of the body nearly as in the hemng. —
Flmi. Brit. An., 183 ; Ycm\ Brit. Fish., ii. 217. Engraulis
vulgaris, Cuv. Beg. An. Clupea encrasicolus, Linn., Don.
Brit. Fish., pi. 50.
MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMINALES : HAVING THE
VENTRALS IMMEDIATELY BENEATH THE PEC-
TORALS.
Fam. XVIII. Gadid^, Cod and Haddock Family. Body
slimy, the scales very small and deeply imbedded in the shin; all
the fins soft and covered vjith the commmishin; ventrals jugidar
and pointed; jaws and front of the vomer with card-UTce teeth ^
eyes placed each on one side of the head.
Gen. LXXIII. Morrhua. Dorsal fins three, the first tri-
angular ; anals two ; chin with one barbule.
Sp. 147. M. vulgaris. Common Cod, Body oval and elon-
gated, thickest behind the pectorals, the posterior part
rather narrow ; head large, jaws nearly equal ; lateral
line curved gently downwards till beneath the twelfth ray
of the second dorsal, then running straight to the tail
caudal fin straight at the extremity ; upper parts ash-
brown obscurely marked with yellow, the lateral line,
lower parts of the sides, and abdomen, white ; ventrals
pale, all the other fins dusky. — Cuv. Reg. An., Penn. Bnt.
Zool., iii. p. 231 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 106 ; Varr. Brit.
Fish., il p. 221.
Sp. 148. M. callarias. Dorse or Variable Cod. Snout pro-
minent and sharp, the upper jaw much longer than the
under ; lateral line white ; head, back, and sides, more or
less spotted ; taii square. — Cuv. Reg. Ati., Penn. Brit.
Zool., iii. p. 239 ; Tair. Bnt. Fish., ii. p. 231,
894 SYNOPSIS.
Sp. 149. 31. ceglefimis. Haddock. Body more elongatecT
than that of the Cod ; upper jaw considerably the longest •
first dorsal acutely triangular, its insertion nearly on a line
with the pectorals ; tail slightly forked ; colour dusky
brown, lower parts white ; lateral line black, and a large
black spot on each side beneath the first dorsal. — Cuv.
Reg. An., Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 233. Gadus seglefinus,
Lirm., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 241.
Sp. 160. Af. liisca. Bib or Pout. Depth of the body one-
fourth of the length, the tail slender ; first anal com-
mencing nearly on a line with the first dorsal, the latter
high ; caudal even or very slightly concave ; colour of the
upper parts reddish-brown tinged with yellow, the belly
lighter ; a black spot at the base of the x>eetoral fins. —
Flem. Brit. An., p. 191 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 237. Ga-
dus luscus, Li/m.
Sp. 151. M. minxda. Poor, or Power Cod. Depth of the
body one-fifth of the length ; head short, nose blunt ; first
anal commencing on a line with the hinder part of the first
dorsal ; upper parts yellowish brown, sides and belly dirty
white. — Flem. Brit. An., p. 191 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii.
240. Gadus minutus, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. 249,
pi. 34.
Gen. LXXIV. Merlangus. Chin without a barbule, in
ether respects nearly as in Mm^rhua.
Sp. 152. M. vulgaris. The Whiting. Body more slender
and elongated than in the Cods ; snout somewhat pointed,
the upper jaw a little longest ; first and second dorsal of
nearly equal height anteriorly, first anal commencing on
a line with the middle of the first dorsal ; tail nearly
straight ; lateral line with a very faint curve before the
middle ; back pale reddish ash-brown ; sides and belly
silvery white ; pectoral fins with a dark patch at the base.
Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 244. Gadus merlan-
gus, Linn., Penin. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 255 ; Don. Brit. Fish.^
pi. 36.
Sp. 153. J/. a/&iw. Couch's AVhiting. Under jaw longest ;
SYNOPSIS. 395>
first and second dorsal fins small, triangular, equal ; first
anal commencing in a line rather in front of the insertion
of the first dorsal ; latei-al line without curvature, and
placed near the back ; back brown, belly white, a broad
brilliant white band along the base of the anal fins, and a
dark spot at the upper margin of the pectorals. — Mma
Ichth., p. 115 ; YaiT. Brit. Fish., il 247.
Sp. 154. M.pollachius. Pollack, or Lythe. Body moderately
elongated, tail rather narrow ; under jaw much the longest ;
first dorsal beginning a little behind the line of the origin
of the pectoral fin, second dorsal and first anal ending on
the same line ; lateral line curved beneath the first dorsal ;
taU concave ; head and back olive-brown, sides white
mottled with yellow ; lateral line dusky ; pectorals and
anal fins edged Avith reddish orange. — Guv. Reg. An., Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. 253. Gadus poUachius, Linn., Penn. Brit.
ZooL, iii. 254.
Sp. 155. M. carhonarius. Coal-fish. Form and position of
the fins nearly as in M. poUachius ; tail deeply forked ;
head and back nearly black, lateral line white, and with-
out curvature ; sides greyish white with golden reflections ;
mouth black. — Cuv. Reg. An., Flem. Brit. An.,^. 195;
Yarr. Bnt. Fish., ii. 250. Gadus carhonarius, ZAnn.
Sp. 156. M. virens. Green Cod. Jaws of equal length ;
tail deeply forked ; colour of the back light glossy green,
belly silvery- white ; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, dusky-
green, freckled with minute dark spots ; ventrals pure
white. — Cuv. Reg. An., Flem. Brit. J.«., p. 195; Fa?T.
Brit. Fish., ii. 256. Gadus virens, Linn.
Gen. LXXV. Merlucius, Dorsal fins two, the first short,
the second long ; one anal fin ; chin without a barbule.
Sp. 157. 31. vulgaris. Common Hake. Body elongated,
head large, broad, and flattened ; under jaw longest ; teeth
long and sharp ; first dorsal small, second beginning just
behind the first and reaching nearly to the tail, the anal
corresponding to it ; caudal nearly even ; lateral lir.e
nearly straight ; scales large ; colour dusky-brown above.
396 SYNOPSIS.
lighter beneath ; pectorals dark. — Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. 258. Gadus merlueius, Linn., Penn. BHt.
Zool. iii. 257.
Gen. LXXVI. Lota. Relative position and number of the
Sns nearly as in Merlucms ; chin with one or more barbules.
Sp. 158. L. moJva. The Ling. Body slender and much
elongated, rather compressed behind ; lower jaw a little
shorter than the upper, with a single barbule at its extre-
mity ; scales small ; caudal rounded ; back and sides grey,
or cinereous tinged with olive ; belly silvery ; dorsal and
anal edged with white, caudal with a transverse dark bar,
the extremity white Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
ii. 264. Gadus Molva, Linn. ; molva vulgaris, F/em. Brit.
An., -p. 192.
Sp. 159. L. vulgaris. Burbot. Head depressed ; jaws equal ;
chin with one barbule ; first dorsal small and rounded ;
anal fin commencing on a line very little behind the an-
terior part of the second dorsal ; tail oval and somewhat
pointed ; colour yellowish brown, clouded and spotted with
dark-browTi ; under side lipihter. — Ctcv. Reg. An., Jenyns''
Brit. Vert., p. 448 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 267. Gadus lota,
Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., p. 265.
Grn. LXXVIL Motella. Dorsal fins two, the first almost
obsolete, consisting of short, slender rays, the anterior one
longest, connected at the base by a thin membrane, and placed
in a depression ; chin with one barbule, snout with more than
one.
Sp. 160. M. tricirrata. Three-bearded Rockling. Snout
with two barbules, chin ^ith one ; second dorsal fin com-
mencing immediately behind the first and extending nearly
to the tail ; the latter rounded at the extremity ; colour
rich yellowish bro"WTi, spotted on the upj)er parts, includ-
ing the fins (except the ventral and anal fins) with deep
chestnut-browTi Cuv. Reg. An., Jenyns' Brit. Vert., p. 449 ;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 279. INIustela mav'mn, Ray. Gadus
mustela, Penn. BHt. Zool., iii. p. 267. pi. 36.
P.p. 161. M. quinqiiecirrala. Five-bearded Rockling. Snout
SYNOPSIS. 397
witli four barbules, and one on the cliin ; colour dark browiu
tinged with bronze ; belly and ventrals dirty white ; mai-
gin of the fins occasionally tinged with red. — Cuv. Reg.
An., Yarr. Brit. Fii^h., ii. 278. iMotella mustela, Jenym^
Brit. VeH., p. 450. Gadus mustela, Lirm.
Sp. 162. ^[. cimbria. Four-bearded Rockling. Snout with
three barbules and one on the chin ; back and sides of a
greyish brown-colour ; belly dirty white. — Parnell, Mem.
Wern. Soc, vii. p. 449, pi. 44 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 274.
Gadus cimbrius, Linn.
Sp. 163. M. glauca. Mackerel midge. Upper jaw with foui
barbules, under jaw with one ; colour of the back bluish
green, all the other parts silvery. Jenyris* Bi'it. Veii.^
p. 451 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 281. Ciliata glauca, Covxh,
Zool. Joum., i. p, 132; Loud. Mag. Nat. Hist., v. p. 15,
fig. 2 and p. 741.
Sp. 164. M. argenteola. Silvery Gade. Snout with two
barbules and one on the chin ; upper jaw longest ; back
bluish green ; sides and belly silvery. Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
ii. 283. Gadus argenteolus, Mont. Mem. Wern. Soc, ii.
pt. 2. p. 449.
Gen LX XVIII. Brosmius. Dorsal single, commencing
above the pectorals and continued nearly to the base of the
tail ; anal about half the length of the dorsal ; caudal rounded ;
chin with a single barbule.
Sp. 165. B. vulgaris. Torsk or Tusk. Head rather small,
the upper jaw somewhat longest ; pectorals broad and
rounded ; ventrals small, thick and fleshy ; anal beginning
at the vent, and corresponding behind to the dorsal ; head,
back, and sides, dusky-yellow ; edges of the dorsal, anal,
and caudal fins, white. — Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr. Bnt. Fish.,
ii. p. 285. Gadus brosme, Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 269,
pi. 37 ; Don. Brit. Fi^h., pi. 70.
Gen. LXXIX. Phycis. Dorsals two ; the second, as we]/
as the anal, long ; ventrals very long and filiform, consisting or
a single ray unequally forked ; chin with one barbule.
Sp. 166. P. furcaius. Great Forked Hake. Mouth wide,
^98 SYNOPSIS.
under jaw rather shortest ; first dorsal acutely triangular,
the apex elevated considerably above the second dorsal,
the latter continued to within a short distance of the tail,
the anal corresponding to it, but not originating so far for-
wards ; tail rounded ; ventral rays twice as long as the
head j colour of the upper parts dusky-bro-v\-n, belly whit-
ish ; fins dusky purple. — Flem. Brit. An.,^. 193; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. 289. Blennius physis, Pejm. Bnt. ZooL,
iii. p. 259, pi. 35.
Gen. LXXX. Raniceps. Head very broad and depressed ;
dorsals two, the first low and inconspicuous, composed of only
a few rays ; second dorsal and anal elongated ; ventrals small,
the two anterior rays long and detached from the rest.
Sp. 167. R. trifurcatus. Tadpole-fish. Mouth very wide ;
body very much compressed towards the tail ; a row of
tubercles on each side above the pectoral fins : lateral line
curved downwards near the middle ; caudal small and
oval ; colour brown. — Flem. Brit. An., p. 194; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 292. Barbus minor, Ray. Batrachoides trifur-
catus, Petm. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 272, pi. 38.
Fam. XIX. Pleuronectidce. Flat-fish Family. Body flat
and vertically compressed, both eyes on the same side of the head;
sides of the mouth unequal; dorsal fin single, extending the whole
length of the hack, the anal correspoiiding to it, and the ventrals
appearing like a continuation of the latter.
Gen. LXXXI. Platessa. Form rhomboidal ; both eyes on
the right side of the head ; a single row of teeth in each jaw,
and the pharyngeal bones with teeth forming a pavement ;
dorsal commencing on a line with the upper eye, and not
reaching to the caudal ; the latter rounded.
Sp. 168. P. vulgaris. Common Plaice. Greatest breadth
(exclusive of the fins) equal to half the length ; tail much
contracted before the caudal ; a row of five or six osseous
tubercles on the eye side of the head ; lateral line arched
over the pectoral ; both sides of the body smooth, the
scales minute and entire : colour of the upper side rich
brown with scattered spots of bright orange-red ; under
SYNOPSIS. 399
side white. — Cuv. Reg. An. ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 297.
Pleuronectes platessa, Linn., Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 304.
Sp. 169. P.flesus. Flounder. More elongated than P. vul-
garis ; dorsal line very slightly curved over the pectoral
fin, on each side of the anterior portion of it, a number of
small stellated tubercles ; head and cheeks with a few
similar tubercles, and a series running along the base of
the dorsal and anal fins ; rest cf the body smooth : colour
various shades of brown, mottled with darker brown ; fins
light brown. — Cxbv. Reg. An.; YaiT. Brit. Fish., ii. 303.
Pleuronectes flesus, Linn., Povii. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 305 ;
Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 94.
Sp. 170. P. limanda. The Dab. Body rough, the scales
being ciliated ; lateral line describing a high arch over the
pectoral fin ; rays of the dorsal and anal fins rough with
scales ; tail rather long and slender in front of the caudal :
upper side uniform pale brown. — Cva). Peg. An.; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. 307. Pleuronectes limanda, Limi^, Pefn/n.
Brit. Zool, iii. p. 308; Don. Brit. Fish,, pi. 44.
Sp. 171. P. viicrocephala. Smooth or Lemon Dab. Form
rhomboidal ; upper sm-face smooth ; head and mouth very
small, the jaws equal, teeth deficient on the eye side ; late-
ral line very slightly curved over the pectoral; colour of
the surface a mixture of pale brown and yellow, with small
dark brown specks, posterior edge of the operculum and
anterior edge of the body immediately behind it, orange. —
Jenyns' Brit. Vert, p. 457 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 309.
Pleuronectes laevis, Smear Dab, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 309, pi. 47.
Sp. 1 72. P. pola. Pole-fleuke, or Pole Dab. Head rather
small, without tubercles, the under jaw longest ; surface
quite smooth, the scales large, deciduous, and not cili-
ated ; lateral line straight ; coloiu: uniform yellowish brown,
the edges of all the fins darker. — Cuv. Reg. An. ; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. 315 ; Parnell, Edin. Phil. Jour., July 1835,
p. 210. Pleuronectes cynoglossus, Linn.
'Sp. 173. P. limandoides. Sandsucker. Body oblong-oval i
400 SYNOPSIS.
surface rough, the scales being ciliated on their free edges;
lateral line straight; caudal, pectoral, and ventral rays
rough ; mouth large, the under jaw rather longest ; colour
uniform pale brown, more or less tinged with yellow. —
Jenyns" Brit. Vert., p. 459. Yarr. Brit. Fish.., ii. p. 312.
Pleuronectes limandoides, Parnell, Edin. Phil. Jour., July
1835, p. 210.
Sp. 174. P. elongata. Long Flounder. Head approaching
to circular ; jaws equal ; body much elongated and pro-
portionally much narrower than in any of the preceding
species \ lateral line straight tlu'oughout its course till it
reaches the operculum, when it rises in a slight curA^e : tail
elongated, tlie sides parallel : colour of the surface uniform
pale brown, of the under side pale wood-brown. — YaiT.
Brit. Fish., ii. p. 318.
Gen. LXXXII. Hippoglossus. Body elongated and thick ;
eyes and coloiu: on the right side ; jaws and pharynx armed
with strong sharp teeth; dorsal and anal fins nearly as in
Platessa, but diminishing more rapidly in length towards the
extremities.
Sp. 175. JI. vulgaris. Holibut. Body tapering much to-
wards the tail; head rather small, teeth in two rows in
the upper jaw; lateral line arched over the pectorals;
surface smooth ; caudal concave at the extremity : colour
of the surface dusky brown, under side white. — Cuv. Beg.
An. ; Jeny-ns^ Brit. Vert., p. 460 ; Yan\ Brit. Fish., ii.
321. Pleuronectes hippoglossus, Linn., Perm. Brit. Zool.,
iii. p. 302 ; Bon. Brit. Fish., pi. 75.
trEN. LXXXIII. Rhombus. Eyes and colour on the left
side ; dorsal commencing immediately above the upper lip an-
terior to the eye, and reaching, as well as the anal, very nearly
to the origin of the caudal ; teeth on the jaws and pharynx.
Sp. 176. E. mcu'imus. Turbot. Form rhomboido- circular,
nearly as broad as long ; no depression before or behind
the eyes ; lateral line arched above the pectoral, after
wards straight ; surface smooth, but studded Avith nu-
merous acuminated tubercles ; extremity of the caudal
SYNOPSIS. 401
iieariy rounded ; colour of the upper side varying shadea
of brown ; under side white. — Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 324. Pleuronectes maximus, Linn., Penn. Brit.
Zool, iii. p. 315, pi. 49 ; Bon. Brit. Fish., pi. 46.
Sp. 177. R. vulgaris. The Brill Form rounded-oval ; sur-
face smooth, without tubercles ; mouth large, the undt.-r
jaw rather longest ; first rays of the dorsal rising above
the connecting membrane ; colour reddish brown, varied
with dark bro^^-n, the whole surface sprinkled with white
specks; under side white. — Cav. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 331. Pleuronectes rhombus, Linn., Penn. Brit.
Zool, iii. p. 321, pi. 50 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 95.
Sp. 178. R. hirtm. Mliller's Topknot. Form rounded-
oval ; coloured surface rough, the scales ciliated ; jaws of
equariength ; anterior part of the dorsal close upon the
mouth ; the rays equal : ventrals and anal united ; colour
reddish broviTi, m*tiled and spotted with brownish black.
Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 334. Pleuronectes hirtus, Miiller,
Zool. i)an., iii. p. 36, pi. 103. P. punctatus, Perm. Biit.
Zool, p. 322, pi. 51.
8p. 179. R. punctatiis. Bloch's Topknot. Profile notched
before the eyes ; lower jaw rather longest ; first ray of the
dorsal tlu-ee times the length of the succeeding ones ; co-
lour reddish brown, with large black spots and blotches
scattered over the sui-face ; fins spotted ; under side white.
— Yarr. Brit. Fish. ii. 338. Pleuronectes punctatus, Flern.
Mem. Wern. Soc., ii. p. 241 ; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 462.
Sp. 1 80. R. megastoma. The Whiff. Body oblong, thin, the
coloured surface rough ; gape very large, the under jaw
much the longest ; first ray of the dorsal free, but not
elongated ; lateral line double over the pectoral fin, the
upper branch much arched ; colour yellowish brown, the
fins lighter ; under side smooth and wlste. — Yai-r. But.
Fish. ii. 342. Pleuronectes pseudopalus, Peim. Brit. Zool.f
iii. p. 324, pi. 52.
Sp. 181. R. Anioglossus. Scald-fish, Body comparatively
narrow ; scales large, thin deciduous, and finely ciliated i
c r
402 SYNOPSIS.
jaws nearly equal ; upper eye largest and placed more
laekwards than the other : colour pale yellow-brown. — •
Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 345. Pleuronec-
tescaeurus, Perm. Brit. Zool., p. 325, pi. 53.
Gen. LXXXIV. Solea. Eyes and colour on the right side ;
mouth turned to the side opposite the eyes, and havmg on that
side only numerous fine teeth ; snout rounded, and projecting
beyond the mouth ; pectorals of moderate size and nearly
equal.
Sp. ] 82. S. vulgaris. Common Sole. Greatest breadth not
half the length ; anterior part rounded ; upper jaw rather
longest ; lateral line central and straight till it reach the
operculum ; scales small and oblong, their free edges ci-
liated ; dorsal and anal fins reaching to the base of the
caudal ; colour of the upper side dark brown, the edges of
the scales deeper, pectoral tipped with black ; imder side
white. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 347. Pleu-
roneetes solea, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. 311.
Sp. 183. S. pegusa. Lemon Sole. Greatest breadth equal
to half the length ; head small ; upper side light orange-
brown, freckled with small round spots of dark nutmeg-
brown •, under side of the head almost smooth, the colour
of the whole under side white, — Yarr. Zool. Journ., iv.
p. 467, pi. 16 ; Brit. Fish., ii. 351.
Gen. LXXXV. Monochirus. Pectoral on the eye side of
the body very small ; that on the opposite side rudimentary or
altogether wanting •, in other respects as in Solea.
Sp. 184. M. variegatus. Variegated Sole. Body oblong-
oval, very thick, scales large, the edges ciliated ; lateral line
straight ; pectoral on the under side consisting of only two
unequal short rays ; colour of the upper side reddish-brown,
clouded with darker brown ; under side white. — Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 353. Pleuronectes lingula, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 313, pi. 49 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 117.
Sp. 1 85. M. linguatulus. Solenette. Form somewhat re-
sembling that of Solea vulgaris, but more wedge-shaped ;
the caudal extremity gradually becoming narrow ; eyess
SYNOPSIS. 403
small, the left a little in advance ; scales small and den-
ticulated, the surface rough ; pectorals very smaJl, particu-
larly that on the under side ; colour light reddish browTi,
every fifth or sixth ray of the anal and dorsal black,
lower half of the pectoral black ; under side entirely pale
white.
Fam. XX. CydopteridcB. Fam. of Sucl'ci's. Eyes ^placed
one on each side of the head; ventral fins united, forming a con-
cave disc on the under side of the body; shin without scales.
Gen. LXXXYI. Lepadogaster. Pectoral fins large, form-
ing a concave disc under the throat ; ventrals also united, and
forming a second concave disc behind the former ; head broad
and depressed; snout projecting; dorsal and anal fins rather
short and placed near the tail.
Sp. 186. L. cornuhiensis. Head depressed, mouth produced,
and very much flattened ; a small flattened filament before
the inner corner of each eye, another further back ; two
ocellated spots behind the eyes ; dorsal and anal fin con-
nected by a membrane with the caudal ; tint pale flesh-
colour, with spots and patches of carmine ; dorsal, anal
and caudal fins bright purplish red. Flem. Brit. An.
p. 189; Jenyns' Bi-it. Fe/-^, p.469. Lepidogaster comu
biensis, Yarr. Brit. Fish.^ii. 359. Cyclopterus lepadogas
ter. Jura Sucker, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. p. 181, pi. 25
Cyclop, ocellatus, Don. Br't. Fiih., pi. 76.
Sp. 187. L.himaculatus. Two-spotted Sucker. Head shorter
than in L. cortiu^nensis, the jaws not so much produced ;
no filaments before the eyes; dorsal and anal fins very
short, leaving a considerable space between their termina-
tion and the caudal : colour carmine- red, a puri)le spot on
each side behind the pectoral. — Flem. Brit. An., p. 190 ;
Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 470. Cyclopterus bimaculatus,
Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 182, pi. 25 ; Don. Brit. Fish,, pi 78.
Lepidogaster bimaculatus, YaiT. Brit. Fish., ii. 363.
Gen. LXXXVII, Cyclopterus. Pectoral fins unitmg un-
der the throat, and forming with the ventrals a single disc ;
body short, very deep, and beset with osseous tubercles; the
404 SYNOPSIS.
back with an elevated ridge which represents the first dorsal^
the investing skin enclosing sim])le rays.
Sp. 188. C. lumpios. Lump Sucker. Body very thick and
fleshy ; the back from the hinder part of the head to the
middle of the body occupied by a high tuberculated ridge ;
three rows of osseous tubercles on each side; back and
sides dusky olive, with various reflections of blue and
purple : belly rich orange ; fins also tinged with orange.
— Linn., Cuv. Reg. An. ; Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii, p. 176,.
pi. 24 ; Don. BHt. Fish., pi. 10; Yarr. Brit. Fish., v..
p. 365.
Gen. LXXXVIIl. Liparis. Ventrals united to the pec-
torals and forming a single disc ; body elongated, smooth, with-
out tubercles ; dorsal single, and, as well as the anal, rather
long.
Sp. 189. L. vulgaris. Unctuous Sucker. Body compressed
behind; head rather large and broad, the gape wide;
upper lip with two very short barbules ; dorsal and anal
united to the caudal, the dorsal commencing a little be-
hind the nape, anal about half the length of the body,
caudal rounded at the extremity ; colour pale brown,
sometimes irregailarly striped with lines of a darker hue.
— Cuv. Beg. An; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 371. Cyclop-
terus liparis, Linn., Perm. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 179, pi. 24;
Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 47.
Sp. 190. L. Montagui. Montagu's Sucker. Body rounded
and ventricose as far as the vent, behind that compressed
and attenuated ; upper lip marked with several indenta-
tions ; dorsal and anal fins not united to the caudal ; co-
lour dull orange, with bluish tints ; fins bright orange,
under parts whitish. — Flem. Brit. An,, p. 1 90 ; Yarr.
BHt. Fish., ii. p. 374. Cyelopterus Montagui, Mont.
Mem. Wern. Soc, i. p. 91. pi. 5 ; Do7i. Brit. Fish., pi. 68.
Fam. XXI. Echewidce. Fam. of Remora Suckers. Body
elongated and covered with small scales; the ujiper 'part of the
head consisting of an oval flattened sucker composed of transversa
carta aainous plates.
SYNOPSIS. 40o
Gen. LXXXIX. Echenets. Dorsal single, corresponding
■exactly to the anal ; mouth wide, with small recurved teeth on
both jaws, as well as on the tongue and vomer.
Sp. 191. E. Remora. Common Sucking-fish. Head flat
above, the suctorial disc consisting of from seventeen to
nineteen transverse bars ; lower jaw longest ; caudal cres-
cent-shaped ; colour dusky broAvn. Cuv. Reg. An ; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. p. 377. Mediterranean Remora, Penn. Brit.
Zool., iii. App. p. 524.
ORDER IV. MALACOPTERYGII APODES ; SOFT-
FINNED FISHES WITHOUT VENTRALS.
Fam. XXII. MwrcEnidcB. Eel Family. Body cylindrical,
very much elongated; scales small, and enveloped in a thick
miiccms epidermis.
Gen. XC. Anguilla. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins united ;
the dorsal commencing considerably behind the pectorals, upper
jaw shortest.
S^AQI. A.acutirostris. Sharp-nosed Eel. Head compressed,
the snout sharp ; eyes placed immediately over the angle
of the mouth, the gape extending to beneath the middle
of the eyes ; dorsal commencing at about one-third of the
entire length from the snout ; anal occupying about one-
half of the entire lengtb ; pectorals small and rounded ;
vertebrae 113; upper parts dark olivaceous green ; sides
lighter ; belly white ; all these tints often more or less
tinged with brown and dusky. — Yarr. Proa. Zool. Sac,
1831, pp. 133 and 159 ; Brit. Fish., ii. p. 381. Jenyns'
Brit. Vert., p. 474. Anguilla vulgaris, Cv/v. Reg. An.
Mura3na anguilla, Limi., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 191.
3p. 193, A. latirodris. Broad-nosed Eel. Head broad,
snout rounded ; gape extending to a point rather behind
the eye ; teeth more numerous than in A. acutirostris and
A. vtiedioroitris ; gill-openings, pectoral fins, the com-
mencement of the dorsal fin, and the vent, placed further
back than in A. acutirostris ; fins deeper ; vertebrae 115i
406 SYNOPSIS.
colour dark greenish brown, liable to considerable varia-
tion.—Fam Proc. Zool. Soc, 1831, pp. 133 and 159;
Brit. Fish., ii. 396 ; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert, p. 476.
Sp. 194. A. medioroslris. Snig Eel. Snout rather long and
moderately broad, the gape extending nearly to the hinder
part of the eye ; body proportionally more slender than in
the two preceding species ; dorsal commencing rather
before one-third of the entire length ; vent near the middle ;
colour olive-green above, passing by a lighter green to
yellowish white below. — Yarr.^ Jesse, Glean. Nat. Hist.^
2d Series, pp. 75 and 76; Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 399 ; Jenyns'
Brit. Vert, p. 477.
Gen. XCl. Conger. Dorsal commencing a little behind
the pectorals ; upper jaw longest ; in other respects nearly as
in Anguilla.
Sp. 1 95. C. vulgaris. The Conger. Head long and depressed,
eyes large, body nearly cylindrical ; anal fin commencing
immediately behind the vent, continued backwards and.
joining the dorsal forms a pointed tail ; colour pale brown,
nearly white beneath ; dorsal and anal fins whitish edged
with black ; lateral line white. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. 402. Mursena Conger, Linn., Penn. Brit.
Zool., iii. p. 196.
Gen. XCII. Mur^na. Pectorals wanting, dorsal and anal
very low, united at the tail ; branchial opening a minute orifice
on each side.
Sp. 196. M. Helena. The Muraena. Body rounded anteriorly
and compressed towards the tail, which is pointed ; snout
rather sharp ; colour of the anterior part of the body
yellow, the hinder parts purple, the whole marbled with
brown, and sprinkled with innumerable whitish, yellow,
or purple spots, — Linn., Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
ii. p. 406.
Gen. XCIII. Leptocephalus. Head very small, body very
thin, compressed, and riband-shaped: gill openings very small ;
pectorals minute.
Sp. 197. L. Morrisii. Anglesey Morris. Body semipellucid
SYNOPSIS. 407
and as thin as tape ; eyes large ; lateral line straight and
near the middle, sides marked with a double series of lines
•which meet in the lateral line at an acute angle : dorsal
and anal very low, and meeting at the hinder extremity
when they form a pointed caudal ; colour pale white, with
an opalescent appearance. — Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 212,
pi. 28 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 409.
Gen. XCIV. Ophidium. Head smooth, body opaque, elon-
gated, and compressed ; dorsal, anal, and -caudal united ; pec-
torals pretty large ; dorsal rays articulated ; gill-opening mo-
derately large.
Sp. 198. 0. imberhe. Beardless Ophidium. Head short and
very obtuse ; teeth on both jaws, as well as on the palate
and pharynx ; pectorals rounded ; dorsal commencing
over the base of the pectorals, anal at the vent, the tail
oval at the extremity ; colour purplish brown disposed in
minute speckles ; ten small blue spots along the base of
the anal fin Linn., Perm. Brit. ZooL, iii. p. 208, pi. 29 ;
Mont. Mem. Wern. Sac. I p. 95, pi. 4 — 2 ; Tmr. Brit.
Fish., ii. p. 412.
Sp. 199. 0. barhcJum. Bearded Ophidium. Body tapering
gradually to the tail from a little before the middle ;
under jaw with four barbules which unite into one at the
base ; body flesh-colour with a silvery lustre, occasionally
slightly clouded Linn., Jenyns Brit. Vert.,^. 481 ; Yarr.
Brit. Fish., ii. p. 415. Donzelle commune, Cuv. Peg. An.
Gen. XCV. Echiodon. Jaws with large conical curved teeth
in front ; dorsal and anal fins nearly as long as the body ; gill-
apertures large ; branchiostegous membrane with seven rays ;
body compressed, elongated, without scales.
Sp. 200. E. Drummondii. Drummond's Echiodon. Mouth
rather obliquely cleft ; two large incurved teeth at each
extremity of the upper jaw, one on each side of the under
jaw ; dorsal fin commencing a short distance from the
head, anal a little in advance, both low at first, but gradu-
ally increasing in height, uniting behind to form a pointed
caudal: colour of the anterior half a dull flesh tint, hiadei
408
SYNOPSIS.
parts marked with reddish brown. — Thom'p. Proc. Zool.
Soc, 1837, p. 55 ; Trcms. Zool. Soc, ii. pt. iii., p. 207,
pi. 38; Van: Brit FkL, ii. 417.
Gen. XCVI. Ammodytes. Snout pointed, under jaw pro-
jecting ; dorsal and anal fins separated from the caudal by a
short space ; caudal forked ; gill-openings large.
Sp. 201. A. Tobiamis. Horner Sand-eeL Dorsal fin com-
mencing over the hinder extremity of the pectorals ; lower
jaw with a hard projection at the tip ; eyes small ; body
covered with small scales ; lateral line indented and
straight; upper parts of the head, back, and sides light
brown with blue and green reflections, most of the other
parts silvery. — Cuv. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 414 ;
Jenyns' Brit. Vert., p. 482.
Sp. 202. A. lancea. Common Sand-eel. Dorsal fin com-
mencing on a line with the centre of the pectorals ; body
rather thicker in proportion than A. Tobianm ; in most
other respects, except in size, similar to that species. —
Cuv. Reg. An.; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 483; TaiT. Brit.
Fish., ii. p. 429.
ORDER V. LOPHOBRANCHII ; FISHES WITH GILLS
IN TUFTS.
Fam. XXIII. Sygnatkidce. Fam. of Pipe-fishes. Body sle'iv-
der, and covered with transv.rse angular ]jlates, snout prolonged
into a tube, having the mouth placed at the extremity.
Gen. XCVII. Sygnathus. Mouth cleft nearly vertically ;
dorsal fin single ; ventral fins wanting ; caudal pretty large ;
male with an elongated pouch under the tail closed by two
folding membranes.
Sp, 203. S. acus. Great Pipe-fish. Body heptangular an-
teriorly, tapering from about the middle of the tail ; head
and snout about one-seventh and a half of the entire
length ; no teeth ; operculum curved with radiating strise ;
termination of the dorsal nearly in the centre of the entire
length ; pectorals a little behind the gills, rounded ; anal
SYNOPSIS. 409
immediately behind the vent, small and inconspicuous ;
tail fan-shaped ; colour pale brown, with transverse bars
of dark brown. — Linn. Perm. Brit. Zool., iiL p. 184,
pi. 26 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., u. p. 432.
Sp. 204. S. Typhle. Deep-nosed Pipe-fish. Head not raised
above the level of the back, snout continued nearly in a
line with it, and so deep as to be nearly paralkl in the
abdominal line : body hexagonal anteriorly ; caudal fin
somewhat pointed ; colour olive-green, mottled and spotted
with yellowish brown and yellowish white. — Linn., Don.
Brit. Fish., pi. 5Q ; Jenyas' Brit. Vert., p. 485: Yarr.
Brit. Fish, ii. 439.
Gen. XCVIII. Acestra. Pectoral, ventral, anal, and cau-
dal fins wanting ; abdomen without a pouch under the taU in
both sexes ; in other respects nearly as in Sygnathus.
Sp. 205. A. cequorea. Equorial Pipe or Ntedle-fish. Fonn
tslender and elongated, gradually narrowing behind into a
narrow tail ; body compressed, an acute dorsal and ab-
dominal ridge, and three others, less strongly marked on
the sides ; dorsal and vent near in the middle ; colour
yellowish, with transverse pale lines, one on each joint,
and another down the middle of each plate. — Sygnathus
sequoreus, Linn., Mont. Mem. Worn. Sac, i. p. 85, pi. 4,
fig. 1 ; Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 188; Yarr. Bnt. Fish., n.
p. 442.
Sp. 206. A. angidnea. Snake Pipe or Needle-fish. Anterior
part of the body slightly octangular, the whole body slen-
der, the tail very much produced and very narrow ; angles
on the surface and a series of transverse plates almost ob-
solete \ dorsal entirely before the middle ; colour olive-
green ; irides red ; pupil black. — Ya')'r. Brit. Fish., ii.
p. 445. Sygnathus ophidion, Sha%o''s Gen. Zool, v. p. 453,
ph 179.
Sp. 207. A. ophidion. Straight-nosed Pipe or Needle-fish.
Body long, slender, and cylindrical> slightly compressed
antenotly, tail round and gradually tapering to a fine point ;
Bnout short and nearly as broad as the head, the latter of
410 SYNOPSIS.
the same breadth as the anterior part of the body ; anal
aperture near the middle, the dorsal with one- third in ad-
vance of it ; colom" olive-green, sometimes tinged with
yellowish brown. Sygnathus ophidion, Linn. Sygnathus
lumbrieiformis, Jenyns' Brit, Vert., p. 488 ; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 447.
Sp. 208. A. lumbrieiformis. Worm Pipe or Needle-fish.
Nose very short and tmned a little upwards ; eyes promi-
nent ; body nearly cylindrical, tapering at the hinder
extremity ; vent beneath the dorsal, about three-fourths
of that fin behind it, the dorsal containing about 30 rays ;
smface nearly smooth, colour dark olive-green. — Sygna-
thus lumbrieiformis, Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 450. Sygna-
thus ophidion, Little Pipe-fish, Penn. Brit. Zool, iii,
p. 187, pi. 26.
Gen. XCIX. Hippocampus. Snout tubular, with the mouth
at the extremity ; body laterally compressed, short, and divided
into longitudinal and transverse ridges ; both sexes with pec-
toral and Jorsal fins ; females with an anal fin.
Sp. 209. //. brevirostris. Short-nosed Sea-horse. Pale ash-
brown, with variable tints of blue over the head and taU..
— Cuv. Reg. An. : Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., 452 ; Yarr. Brit^
Fish., ii. p. 452.
ORDER VI. PLECTOGNATHI ; OR FISHES WITH
SOLDERED JAWS.
Fam. XXIV. Gymnodontidce. Fam. with naked Teeth. Both
jaws covered with a substance resembling ivoi'y, which is either
entire or divided in the middle by a suture, and serves the purpose
of teeth ; maxillary firmly attached to the side of the intermaxil-'
lary, which aloixfurms the jaw ; palatine arch immoveable.
Gen. C. Tetrodon. Jaws divided in the middle, producing
the appearance of four teeth, two above and two below ; body
capable of inflation, and beset on the under side with spines.
Sp. 210. T. Pennxintii. Pennant's Globe-fish. Mouth small,
back nearly straight, dorsal placed far back, the anal op-
SYNOPSIS. 4ii
lK)8ite ; pectorals pretty larg-e ; caudal nearly even at tlxo
extremity ; the inflatable portion of the underside of the
body armed with small sharp spines, springing from a
stellated root ; colour of the back rich blue, belly and
sides silvery white : fins- brown. — YaiT. Brit. Fish., ii.
p. 547. Tetradon stellatus, Don. BHt. Fish., pi. QQ ;
Jenyiis* Brit. Vert., 489. T. lagocephalus, Penn. Brit.
ZooL, iii. p. 174, pi. 23.
Gen. CI. Orthagoriscus. Jaws not divided by a suture ;
body short, excessively deep, truncated behind; dorsal and
anal fins united to the caudal.
Sp. 211. 0. mola. Short Sun-fish. Depth about two- tliirds
of the length, form approaching to orbicular ; sides much
compressed; pectoral fin rounded; dorsal and anal fins
very long and pointed ; caudal vAih. the hinder margin
rounded, its depth equal to that of the body ; head not
distinguishable from the trunk ; surface of the body rough
with small granulations ; colour of the back dusky grey,
occasionally with a bluish tinge ; belly and sides silvery.
— Cuv. Reg. An.; Jenyns' Brit. Vert., p. 490; Tarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. p. 462. Tetradon mola, Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii.
p. 172, pi. 22.
Sp. 212. 0. oblo7igus. Oblong Sun-fish. Length more than
twice the depth of the body, the skin hard and divided
into minute angular compartments ; pectoral rather long
and pointed ; dorsal, caudal, and anal nearly in a line ;
colour dusky above, silvery beneath. — Cuv. Peg. An. ;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 469. Tetrodon truncatus, Penn,
BHt. ZooL iii. p. 170, pi. 22 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 41
Cephalus oblongus, Swainson, Cab. Cyc, Hist, of FisheSy -
ii. p. 329. *
F AM. XXV. Balistidce. Fain, of File-fish. Body compressed,
ovdL-fusiform, head mtich prodmed, conical; teeth distinct, and
existing in both jaws ; skin granulated, or clothed witth large.
Gen. CII. Balistes. Body covered with large rhomboidal
plates imbedded in the skin ; teeth eijght, forming a single row
412 SYNOPSIS.
in each jawj two dorsal fins, the first consisting of spines
only.
Sp. 213. B. capriscus. European File-fish, First dorsal a
little before the middle of the body, composed of three
strong spines connected by a membrane, the first spine
much longer than the other two ; second dorsal long, and
Teaching nearly to the caudal ; anal corresponding ; ante-
rior part of the abdomen with a strong bony keel : colour
brownish-grey, occasionally tinted here and therewith blue
and red. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit, Fish., ii. 472.
SECOND SEEIES. CHOXDROPTERYGIAN, OR
CARTILAGIXOUS FISHES.
FIRST DIVISION. CARTILAGINOUS FISHES WITH
FREE GILLS.
Fam. XXVI. Sturionidce. Fain, of Sturgeons. Ujtper jaw
formed by the palatine hone, frmly xinited to the maoillai'y ; in-
termaxillary riidimentary ; branchiiB free, with one large exter-
nal aperture; body covered ivith large osseous plates.
Gen. CHI. Acipenser. Body elongated and angular, the
plates arranged in longitudinal rows ; mouth placed beneath,
small, protractile, without teeth ; snout with four barbules be-
neath.
Sp. 214. A. siurio. Common or Sharp-nosed Sturgeon. Os-
seous tubercles in five longitudinal rows, the pointed cen-
tral spines directed backwards ; nose long and pointed :
eyes small ; operculum covered with striae radiating from
a centre ; dorsal single, placed near the tail ; caudal
forked, the upper lobe much longer than the under ; co-
lour, various shades of brown ; tubercles white in the
centre; under side silvery. — Li?in., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
j». 164, pi. 22 ; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. Qo ; Yair. Brit. Fish.,
iip. 475.
SYNOPSIS. 413
Sp. ^15. A. latirosiris. Broad-nosed Sturgeon. Snout broad ;
keels of the dorsal plates but slightly elevated ; cirri place<l
nearer to the tip of the snout than to the mouth. — Pamel/.
Trcms. Roy. Soc. Edin. xiv. pi. 4 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii.
p. 479.
Fam. XXVII. ChimcendcB. Fam. of Ckimcerce. Branchluj
^pectinated, only partiaUj/ free ; vomer alone representing the upper
jaw, the jaws armed with phtes instead of teeth.
Gen. civ. Chimera. Body elongated, without osseous
plates ; dorsals two, the first very high, second low and con-
tinued to the tail, the latter attenuated and ending in a naked
filament.
Sp. 216. C monstrosa. Northern Chimsera. Eyes large, a
fleshy process between them bent forwards, and termi-
nating in a cluster of small spines : pectorals large and tri-
angular, anal rather small: colour different shades of rich
brown on a shining white ground, with various rich reflec-
tions.— Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 159 ; Don. Brit.
Fish., pi. Ill ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 483. Rabbit fish,
Flem. Brit. An., p. 172.
SECOND DIVISION. CARTILAGINOUS FISHES WITH
FIXED GILLS.
Fam, XXVIII. Squalidce. Fam. of Sharks. Jaws rejire-
sented by the palatine and portmandviar bones; snottt produced
beyond the mouth, which (except i7i one instance) is placed be-
neath ; body ehngated ; tail thick and muscular; branchial open-
ings in the sides of the neck ; pectorals of moderate size ; eya
IcUeral.
Gen. CV. Scyllium. Snout rather short and obtuse ; nos-
trils near the mouth, with a groove-like prolongation to the
edge of the lips ; branchial openings five ; teeth small, triangu-
lar, with lateral denticles at the base : dorsals two, the first
never in advance of the ventrals ; caudal truncated at the ex-
tremity, not forked.
Sp. 217. S.canicxdi. Small-spotted Dog-fish. Mouth of a.
-414 SYNOPSIS.
semicircular form ; eyes large, oblong-oval ; both dorsals
placed far back, the first over the space between the ven-
tral and anal fins ; ventrals cut obliquely at their poste-
rior margin ; skin rough and glistening, all the upper parts
marked with numerous small dark reddish spots on a pale
reddish ground, lower parts of the sides, and the belly,
reddish white. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Jenyns" Brit. Verf.^
495 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 487. Squalus canicula, Linn.,
Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. pi. 19, upper fig. male ; lower, fem. ;
Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 65.
Sp. 218, S. catulus. Large-spotted Dog-fish. Spots large
and not very numerous; ventral fins cut square at the
end ; valves of the nostrUs separate, not reaching to the
mouth ; second dorsal in a line over the lower portion of
the anal ; upper parts brownish grey, scarcely tinged with
red.— (7"v. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 493. S, stel-
laris, Rock Dog-fish, Jenyns' Brit. VeH., p. 496. Squalus
catulus and stellaris, Linn.
Sp. 219. .S. mdanostomum. Black-moutiied Dog-fish, Snout
rather long and conical ; upper edge of the tail with a
series of large scales arranged like the teeth of a saw ;
colour of the back light brown, two rows of ocellated spots
on each side, and numerous irregular spots scattered over
the surface ; interior of the mouth nearly black. — Bonap.
Faun. Ital. Fasc, vii. Pristiurus melanostomus, Muller
I He^xle, Flag., p. 15 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 495.
Gen, CVI, Carcharias. Snout produced and depressed,
the nostrils not prolonged in a groove ; two dorsal fins, the
first placed over the space between the pectoral and abdominal
fins ; caudal with a lobe beneath, causing it to appear forked ;
no temporal orifices ; teeth flat, triangular and cutting, those
in the upper jaw serrated on the edges.
Sp. 220. C. glaucns. Blue Shark. Body deepest at the
point of the insertion of the pectoral fins, behind that
compressed and tapering ; ventral fins small, obliquely
truncate, on the space beneath the first and second dor-
sal ; anal opposite the second dorsal ; upper surface slate-
SYNOPSIS. 4 J 5
tlue, lower part of the sides, pectoral fins, belly, and
ventral fins, white. — Cuv. Ueg. An.; Yan\ Brit. Fish,^ ii.
498. Squalus gkucus, Zmji., Fenii. Brit. Zool. iii. p. 143,
Sp. 221. C. vulgaris. AVhite Shark. Head large, mouth
very wide, upper jaw with six rows of teeth which are
nearly straight on the edges and serrated, under jaw with
four rows, sharper, narrower, and less compressed than
those above ; pectoral and first dorsal fins very large, ven-
trals small ; colour ash-brown above, white beneath . —
Cihv. Reg. An., Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 502. Squalus car-
charias, Linn., Perm. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 139.
Gen. CVII. Zyg^na. Head depressed, truncated anteriorly,
and the sides extended horizontally so as to appear hammer-
shaped, the eyes placed at the extremities of these lateral pro-
longations ; two dorsals ; branchial openings five.
Sp. 292. Z. malleus. Hammer-headed Shark. Teeth in
both jaws, the edges smooth in young fish, serrated in
adults ; pectoral fins nearly triangular ; first dorsal large,
upper lobe of the tail long and thick ; skin slightly granu-
lated, colour greyish brown above, nearly white beneath.
Valen., Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 504. Squalus Zygsena, Linn.
Squale marteau, Lacepede.
Gen. CVIII. Galeus. Dorsals two, the first commencing
on a line close behind the pectorals ; snout flat and rather long ;
temporal orifices present ; teeth pointed and serrated, on the
outer edge of both jaws.
Sp. 223. G. vulgaris. Common Tope. Body long and fusi-
form ; eyes about half-way between the extremity of the
snout and the first branchial opening : second dorsal half-
way between the first and the extremity of the tail ; anal
present ; upper lobe of the caudal large and truncated at
the extremity ; colour deep slate-grey above, yellowish
white beneath. — Cuv. Beg. An.; Flem. Brii. An,, p. 1^5%
Squalus galeus, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 146, pi. 18.
Gen. CIX. Mustelus. Teeth small and obtuse, forming a.
closely compacted pavement in each jaw; in other respects
nearly as in Galeus.
4\^ SYNOPSIS.
Sp. 224. M. Icevis. Smooth Hound. Dorsal fins rather large,
particularly the first ; upper lobe of the tail smaller than
in Galeus vulgaris ; surface rather smooth ; colour of the
upper parts pearl-grey, under parts yellowish white ; the
back and sides with longitudinal rows of small circular
white spots, most conspicuous in young specimens. — Cihv.
Reg. An.; Yarr. BHt. Fish.„ ii, p. 512. Squalus mustelus,
Linn., Jenyns' Brit. Vert, 502.
G-EN. ex. Lamna. Dorsals two, first high and large, second
small and opposite the anal ; branchial openings all before the
pectorals ; nostrils beneath the snout, the latter pyramidal ;
bkin smooth; teeth triangular, smooth and sharp, having a
single denticle on each side at the base.
Sp. 225. L. Cormibica. Porbeagle, or Beaumaris Shark. Body
very narrow at the tail ; snout with a series of punctures
on each side of the forehead, several others behind the
eyes, and a cluster before the nostrils ; first dorsal with a
free pointed process behind it ; tail lunate, the upper lobe
largest ; skin smooth when stroked backwards ; colour
greyish black, belly white. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit.
Fish., ii. 615. Squalus Cornubicus, Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 152 & 254, pi. 20; Don. Brit. Fish., pi. 108.
Gen. CXI. Selachus. Dorsals two, the first a little behind
the line of the pectorals, the second over the middle of the space
between the ventrals and anal ; branchial openings very large,
almost encircling the neck; teeth not denticulated at the sides.^
Sp. 226. S. 7naximus. Basking Shark. Snout short and
rather blunt, pierced full of small holes ; pectorals some-
what triangular ; all the fins comparatively small ; upper
lobe of the tail not remarkably larger than the under ; skin
thick and rough, the colour brownish black, with blue
tints. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 518. Squa-
lus maximus, Linn., Perni. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 134, pi. 16.
Gen. CXII. Alopias. Upper lobe of the caudal nearly as
long as the body ; the other fins resembling those of Lamna ;
cutting edges of the teeth smooth in both jaws ; branchial
openings small.
SYNOPSIS. 417
Sp. 227. A. vulpes. Fox Shark. Snout conical ; teeth in
two or three rows, not numerous ; pectoral fins wide,
pointed ; first dorsal rather high and triangular ; second
dorsal and anal very small ; upper side of the tail with a
depression at the base ; colour of the body and fins dark
bluish grey, the belly whitish. — Bonap. Faun. ItaL^ Tarr,
Brit. Fish., ii, 522. Carcharias vulpes, C^cv. Beg. An,
Squalus vulpes. Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 145.
Gen. CXIII. Acanthias. Two dorsals, each having a spine
in front, the first placed behind the line of the pectorals ; anal
fin wanting ; teeth cutting and sharp, directed outwards and
backwards.
Sp. 228. A. vulgaris. Picked Dog-fish. Body long, snout
also long and conical ; teeth in two rows, not denticulated
on the edges ; branchial openings all before the pectorals,
five in number ; under lobe of the caudal small ; ventrals a
little behind the middle ; colour slate-grey above, white
beneath ; young spotted with white ; skin rather rough.
—Bisso. Hist.,m. 131 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 524. Spinax
acanthias, Cuv. Beg. A n. Squalus acanthias, Lirm. Squa-
lus spinax, Penn. Bnt. Zool., iii. p. 133.
Gen. CXIV. Scymnus. All the fins small, no spines before
the dorsals, both of the dorsals low, the first a little before, and
the second a little behind the line of the ventrals ; anal want-
ing ; teeth in two or more rows, those in the upper jaw lancet-
shaped, and not much curved, those in the under jaw crooked
at the point ; temporal orifices large.
Sp. 229. S. horealis. Greenland Shark. Snout somewhat
blunt ; mouth very large ; colour cinereous-grey ; irides
blue, pupil emerald-green ; upper lobe of the tail not very
long. — Fkm. Brit. An., Scoreshy, Arctic Begions, i. p. 538,
pi. 15, figs. 3, 4 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 527.
Gen. CXV. Echinorhinus. Dorsal fins two, the first
placed very far back, opposite the abdominal fin ; teeth large,
compressed, and somewhat quadrangular, the edges with trans-
verse denticles ; skin covered with spinous tubercles.
Sp. 230. B. spinosiis. Spinous Shark. Body very thick ; pec
D D
418 SYNOPSIS.
toral fins rather small, the hinder edges nearly square ;
caudal fin entire, somewhat triangular and slightly falci-
form ; surface of the skin sprinkled with strong spines
rising from oval or circular bases ; colour of the upper
parts dark leaden grey, the hinder part of the back, as
well as the sides and belly, pale coppery yellow, clouded
with purple and brown, and the belly also spotted with red;
base of the fins reddish brown. — Blaim-ille, Faun. Franc. ;
Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 532. Squalus spinosus, Gmelin.
Gen. CXVI. Squatina, Body flattened, head truncated,
mouth terminal ; pectoral fins very much developed, attached
to the head anteriorly ; dorsals two, both placed further back
than the ventrals.
Sp. 231. S. angdus. Angel-fish. Upper surface rough, and
of a dark brown colour, underside smooth, and of a dirty
white ; back with a series of spines ; lobes of the caudal
triangular and nearly equal. — Cuv. Reg. A n. ; Jenyri's Brit.
Vert., p. 507 ; Yarr. Brit. Fisli., ii. 539. Squalus squa-
tina, Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 130, pi. 15 ; Don.
Brit. Fish., pi. 17.
Fam. XXIX. Raiidce. Fam. of the Rays, or Skates. Body
very much flattened, and resembling a disc, the pectorals greatly
develoj)ed, united in front to the snout, and extending hachicards
nearly to the base of the ventrals; tail rather long and slender,
the dorsal generally placed up)on it; mouth, nostrils, and bran-
chial openings on the under side, eyes above.
Gen. CXVII. Torpedo. Disc of the body nearly circular ;
tail short, rather thick, and without spines, the caudal pretty
large ; teeth small and sharp, each side of the body furnished
with an electrical apparatus.
Sp. 232. T. vidgaris. Old British Torpedo. Greatest breadth
two-thirds of the entire length ; mouth small ; eyes placed
near each other, a round rough-edged spiracle behind each ;
caudal fin broad ; skin smooth ; colour cinereous-brown
above, white beneath. — Flem. Brit. An. Raia Torpedo,
Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool, iii. p. 118, pi. 12 ; Don. BriL
Fish., pi. 53. Torpedo, Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 542.
SYNOPSIS 419
Sp. 233. T. nohiliana. New British Torpedo. Spiracles
oval and smooth on the edges ; teeth small and numerous,
in the form of a sharp incurved spine, rising' from a broad
base ; lobes of the tail nearly equal and triangular ; colour
of the upper side dark chocolate bro^-n tinged with bluish
black, under side white Bo7iap. Faun. Ital. ; Tarr. Brit.
Fish, ii. 546. T. Walshii, Thomp. Ann. Nat. Hist., v.
p. 292.
Gen. CXYIII. Rata. Disc of the body rhomboidal, very
much depressed ; tail slender, with two dorsals towards its ex-
tremity and sometimes a rudimentary caudal, the upper side
with one or more rows of spines ; teeth flattened and lozenge-
Sp. 234. R. mucronata. Long-nosed Skate. Nose very long
and pointed ; distance between the extremity of the snout
and the mouth greater than in any other of the Rays;
greatest breadth of the body behind the centre ; the
whole length of the body and tail one-third longer than
the width ; upper side light lead- colour, under a dirty
white Tfdth numerous pores of a dusky colour ; tail with
one row of spines, the fins on the tail very small ; no cau-
dal Couch; Yai-r. Brit. Fish., ii. 550.
Sp. 235. R. oxyrhynchus. Sharp-nosed Ray. Snout sharp
and elongated, the lateral margins parallel near the tip :
widest part of the body rather behind the middle, the
marginal line between that and the snout waved ; tail
with one or three rows of spines ; skin smooth ; colour of
surface plain brown ; under parts white, without spots, —
Mont. Mem. Wem. Soc, ii. 423 ; Peivn. Bnt. Zool., iii.
p. 113 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 556.
Sp. 236. a. intermedia. Flapper Skate. Snout pointed and
conical ; outline from the snout to the widest part of the
body a little concave ; beyond that rounded ; one or more
spines in front of each eye ; colour of the surface dark
olive-green with numerous large white spots ; under side
dark grey with minute specks of a darker tint. — Pamdl,
Tram. Roy. Soc. Edin., xiv. pi. C ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 55tj.
420 SYNOPSIS.
Sp. 237. R. laiis. The Skate. Snout sharp and conical ; the
outline from the point of the snout to the widest part of
the body nearly straight or very slightly concave ; the out-
line beyond that a little convex, approaching to rounded \
no spines in front of the eyes ; upper side of the body
rough and granulated, the colour dusky brown tinged with
ash-colour, and the anterior margin of the pectoral tinted
with reddish brown ; under side grey, with mucous pores
resembling blue specks — Linn., Penn. Brit. Zool., iii.
p. 11 1 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 561.
Sp. 238. R. marginata. Bordered Ray. Snout moderately
elongated, the lateral margins nearly parallel at the tip :
skin smooth ; tail with three rows of spines ; colour of the
surface reddish-brown with obsolete faint spots, beneath
white with a broad dusky border ; tail black. — Lacex)ede;
Flem.Brit. An., 171 ; Jenyns'' Brit. Vert., p. 512 ; Tarr..
Brit. Fish., ii. 564.
Sp. 239. a. microcellata. Small-eyed Ray. Snout short and
rather obtuse ; eyes remarkably small ; skin on the upper
side rough with minute spines ; tail with one row of spines
continued along the dorsal ridge to the head ; colour of
the sm-face light grey, with two or tlu'ee white lines run-
ning anteriorly parallel with the margin and posteriorly
arched inwards, a few whitish spots on the disc; under
side smooth and white. — Mont. Mem. Wern. Soc. ii. 430 ;
Fkni. Brit. An., p. 171; Jenyns'' Bnt. Vert., p. 515;
Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 567.
Sp. 240. R. miraletus. Homelyn Ray. Snout short and
obtuse ; diameter of the body about one-fourth greater
than its length ; eyes and temporal orifices large ; skin
smooth ; tail generally with three rows of spines, the cen-
tral one running along the back ; surface pale yellow or
reddish brown, spotted with dark broAvn ; under side uni-
form white. — Linn., BlainviUe; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 570.
P. maculata, Mont. Mem. Wern. Soc, ii. 426 ; Jenyns
Brit. VeH., p. 514. R. oculata, Flem. Brit. An., p. 172.
Sp. 241. .K. sjpinosa. Sandy Ray. Snout a httle prominent ;
SYNOPSIS. 42)
greatest breadth of the body at the centre, the outlme bo-
hind that rounded ; a few spines near the end of the
snout, and a semicircular series beliind each eye ; four
short parallel rows on the centre of the back ; tail beset
with strong curved spines : colour dusky brown above, the
back with a number of ocellated spots ; underside white.
— Ronddet, p. 355 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 574. R. cir-
cularis, Couch, Mag. Nat. Hist, xi. p. 71.
Sp. 242. R. chagri7iea. Shagreen Ray. Snout rather long
and sharp ; body very rough on the upper smface, the
colovu- a uniform yellowish brown ; under surface pure
white ; a row of spines round the inner edge of each eye,
and two rows of large bent spines on the tail, — Mont.
Mem. Wei'ii. Soc, ii. p. 420, pi. 21 ; Penn. Brit. Zcol, iii.
117; Jenyns^ Brit. Vert., p. 51^ R. fuUonica, Linn.,
Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 578.
Sp. 243. R. clavata. Thomback. Snout short and obtuse ;
teeth of the male terminating in a curved point, those of
the female blunt ; skin very rough, and studded at inter-
vals with large oval or rounded tubercles terminating in a
spine ; one row of spines down the line of the back ; tail
with tliree rows : colour brown above, with lighter coloured
spots; under side pure white, occasionally bearing a few
spines Uke those of the surface. — Linn., Cuv. Reg. An.;
Pemi. Brit. Zod., iii. p. 122, pi. 14; Don. Brit. Fish.,
pi. 26 ; Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 582.
Sp. 244. R. radiata. Starry Ray. Snout scarcely produced ;
greatest width near the middle : skin smooth, but studded
with strong conical spines of various sizes, rising from a
broad oval basis marked with radiating striae ; a series of
very large spines along the dorsal ridge with a few small
ones intermixed, and two or three rows on the taU : colour
of the upper side pale brown with a tinge of orange-brown,
imder side white and smooth. — D<yn. Brit. Fish., pi. 114
Jenyns"" Brit. Vert., p. 517 ; Tajr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 585.
Gen. CXIX. Trygon. General form of Raia; head en-
oloscU by the pectorals j tail slender, without fins, ending in
422 SYNOPSIS.
a point, and armed towards the base with a long, sharp, ser-
rated spine.
Sp. 245. T. pastinacea. Sting Ray. Body rounded, the
broadest part of the pectorals somewhat angular ; snout
sharp, but scarcely projecting ; colour of the surface dirty
yellow, tinged with blue in the middle, under side white ;
tail and spine dusky. — Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish.,
ii. 588. Raia pastinacea, Lirm., Penn. Brit. ZooL, iii.
p. 125 ; Bon. Brit. Fish., pi. 99.
Gen. CXX. Myliobatis. Tail very long and slender , hav-
ing a small dorsal near the base, and armed with one oi more
serrated spines ; head projecting beyond the pectorak and
partly disengaged from them, the front obtuse.
Sp. 246. M. aquila. Eagle Ray. Pectoral fins wing like,
subtriangular ; head depressed, vertex nearly square j tail
once and a half as long as the body ; colour of the suifaee
uniform olive-green, smooth ; ventral surface whitish. —
Cuv. Reg. An.; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 591. Raia aquila,
Linn. White Ray, Perm. Brit. Zool., iii. p. 128.
Gen. CXXI. Cephaloptera. Body depressed, head trun-
cated in front, and having a membrane on each side projecting
like a horn ; tail very long, with a fin, and armed with a ser-
rated spine.
Sp. 247. C. Gicyrna. Homed Ray. Body smooth, of an in-
digo-blue colour above, dingy white beneath ; margins of
the fins straight ; horns of one colour ; flagelliform tail
smooth for one-fourth of its length, then tuberculated ;
serrated spine very long. — Risso., Iclith., p. 14 ; Cuv. Beg.
An. ; Yarr. Brit. Fish, ii. 595.
Fam. XXX. PetromyzidcB. Fam. of Lamiweys. Body elon-
gated and cylindrical, the skeleton soft and almost mucilaginous ;
mouth circular, placed beneath the head and opening by a longi-
tudinal fissure ; brainchice pu/rse-shaped, fixed, opening by several
apertures; no pectorals or ventrals.
Gen. CXXII, Petromvzon. Each side of the neck with
seven branchial openings ; lip circular ; the inside of the mouth
furnished with tooth-like tubercles : a loose fold of the skin on
SYNOPSIS. 423
-the hinder part of the body forming a dorsal, anal, and caudal
•fins.
Sp. 248. P. mariniis. Lamprey. Body eel- like, compressed
and slightly tapering behind ; two dorsal fins, the second
most elevated, and separated from the caudal; skin smooth,
the colour olive-brown mottled and spotted with dark
green and dark brown ; edges of the fins reddish brown. —
— Li/m., Penn. Brit. Zool, in. p. 102, pi. 10 ; Don. Brit.
Fish, pi. 81 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 598.
Sp. 249. P. Jluviatilis. River Lamprey. Body more elon-
gated in proportion than that of P. marinus; end of tho
tail compressed ; dorsals widely apart, the posterior one
angular and united to the caudal ; anal also united to the
caudal ; colour dusky blue above, silvery white beneath.
— Linn.^ Cuv. Reg. An. Lesser lamprey, Penn. Brit. Zool.^
iii. p. 106, pi. 10 ; Dm. Brit. Fish., pi. 54 ; Fair. Brit,
Fish., ii. 604.
Sp. 250. P. Planeri. Planer's Lamprey. Lip broad and
fringed ; first dorsal beginning about the middle of the
whole length of the fish, and in close contact with the
eecond ; anal fin rudimentary ; colours nearly as in P.
Jluviatilis. — Bloch, pt. iii., pi. 78, fig. 3; Jenyns'* Brit,
Vert., 522 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 607.
<jEN. CXXIII. Ammoccetes. Each side of the neck with
seven branchial openings ; lip semicircular, under lip straight
and transverse ; teeth wanting, their place supphed by mem-
branous cirri.
Sp. 251. A. branchialis. Pride or Mud Lamprey. Eye
very small ; body cydntmcal, compressed behind the anal
opening ; two dorsals, first low, separated from the second ;
caudal rather rounded •, colour yellowish bro^\^l, darkest
on the back and lighter beneath, but liable to variation.
— Cuv. Peg. An. ; Jenyns' Brit. Vert, 522 ; YaiT. Brit.
Fish., ii. 609. Petromyzon branchialis, Linn.
Gen. CXXIV. Gastrobranchus. Branchial openings two
in number, placed under the commencement of the belly ; lips
surrounded with eight cirri, the mouth with one hook-like
tooth ; tongue with two rows of teeth on each side.
424 SYNOPSIS.
Sp. 252. Q. ccecus. Myxine or Glutinous Hag. Body elon-
gated, vermiform, compressed and tapering behind ; eyes
wanting ; an obscure fin commencing behind the middle,
continued round the tail and along a portion of the belly \
skin naked and covered with a thick mucous secretion ;
colour of the back dark brown, lighter on the sides, yel-
lowish brown beneath. — Bloeh, pt. xii. pi. 413 ; Pe7m. BnL
Zool.^ iii. p. 109 ; Yarr. Brit. Fish., ii. 612. Myxine glut-
tinosa, Linn.
Gen. CXXV. Amphioxus. Body compressed and pointed
at both ends ; a single dorsal extending the whole length of the
back and passing round the tail ; no pectoral or ventral fins ;
mouth narrow, elongated, the margin furnished with a row of
slender filaments.
Sp. 253. A. lanceolatus. The Lancelot. Head pointed,
without any trace of eyes ; nose produofld ; muscles along
the sides diverging obliquely backwards from a lateral line
near the centre ; tail pointed ; surface of the body smooth,
Tarr. Brit. Fish., ii. p. 618; Goodsir, Traits. Roy. Soc.
Edin., XV. p. 247 ; Couch, Mag. Nat. Hist., 1 838. Limax
lanceolatus, Pallas, Spic. Zool, x. p. 19, t. 1, fig. 11.
9!R9S3IS!8S8SSn««IBnM»l
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