GYMNODONTFS. 277 



Eyes about 2 to 3 diameters from the end of the snout : the mouth anterior aud 

 opposite the centre of the eye. Fins the dorsal and anal at the extreme end 

 of the dorsal and abdominal profiles, and connected to the caudal, which is very 

 short. Pectoral somewhat pointed. Skin smooth and divided into small 

 hexagonal plates like mosaic. Colours " Immediately before death the colours 

 were most brilliant, the back being of a dark purple, gradually decreasing in 

 intensity to the belly, which was white with golden reflections, the sides marked 

 with green lines on the purple : towards the tail there were several irregular 

 white spots about the size of a threepenny piece: the dorsal, anal, and pectoral 

 fins were of a pale lead-colour, but the caudal fin was most brilliant, being of a 

 bright burnished silver, with prismatic reflections, the rays tinged with purple, 

 whilst between the rays there were keyhole-shaped markings, edged with gold, 

 forming such a brilliant combination of colours as is not easily imagined. But 

 this brilliancy entirely vanished a few minutes after the death of the fish, 

 when it assumed the dull blue colour of the figure in Couch's ' Fishes of 

 the British Isles,' which is exceedingly good, but might have been a few shades 

 darker" (S. Clogg, Zool. 1883, p. 342). Borlase's specimen was dapple, spotted 

 darker on the back, with streaks half an inch wide from the eye to the pectoral 

 fin. 



Habits. Has not been observed basking on the surface of the sea like the 

 0. mola. Mr. P. Dawson sent one captured off Pembrokeshire to the Field 

 (June 23rd, 1883). The editor observes that it was a young one, weighing 18 lb. 

 and 25 inches in length. Another " taken in Looe harbour, June 23rd, 1883, 

 was seen swimming on the surface of the water, having come in with the evening 

 tide. Two fishermen at once followed it in a boat and captured it, in what is 

 here known as a keep net" (S. Clogg, Zool. 1883, p. 3-12). "Length from 

 snout to end of caudal fin, 25 in. : depth of body close behind pectoral fin, 15 in. : 

 distance between tips of dorsal and anal fin, 22 in. : from base to base of same fins 

 9 in., the space between being filled up by the caudal fin : from snout to eye, 4 in. : 

 pectoral fins, 6| in. : dorsal and anal fins, 7 in." It appears to feed upon small 

 Crustacea, worms, testaceous and other tribes. 



Habitat. From the British shores and coasts of France into the Mediterranean, 

 and is rather widely distributed in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 



On our shores it is uncommon and much rarer than the 0. mola. One was 

 captured in the Orkneys (Baikie, Zool. 1853, p 3847) and Couch remarks that 

 Dr. Duguid recorded one from there. In August, 1846, and October, 1850, 

 examples were taken in the Moray Firth and at Elgin. It has more commonly 

 been captured along the south coast, but some of the species recorded as of this 

 form I have omitted, for want of sufficient evidence that they were not 0. viola. 

 It was first recorded in this country from Cornwall, by Borlase, as taken at Pen- 

 zance in May, 1743 : he observed that the specimen was a small one, but alludes 

 to others of great weight, possibly the last species. Two were taken in Mount's 

 Bay in 1855 (Couch), one 22 inches long wandered up the newly-made lock of 

 the canal at Charlston, in Cornwall, and was secured for the Truro Museum. 

 One 25 inches long was taken June 23rd, 1883, in Looe harbour (Clogg, Zool. p. 

 342), and on the same day another also, 25 inches in length, was captured off 

 Pembrokeshire and sent to the Field. Donovan obtained it from the British 

 Channel, and in 1842 a young male, 25|- inches long, was washed ashore at 

 Swansea (Dillwyn). 



Ireland. In September, 1845, one was found in the county of Waterford, 

 among some seaweed. One was taken by Mr. S. Wright, at Youghal, in 3837, 

 which weighed about 112 lb., and was said to be this species, but does not appear 

 to have been preserved (Harvey). One from Wexford in the Dublin University 

 Museum, as recorded in the list of donations. 



The figure is from a stuffed specimen, 18 inches in length to the centre of 

 the tail, and which is in the National collection. 



