LESSER FORKED BEARD. 295 



rays are few in number, and on the inner side of each of 

 them there are two rows of minutely spinous tufts. The 

 first dorsal fin is very minute, but is terminated by a rather 

 long ray : the second dorsal fin commences just behind it, 

 or one-third of the whole length from the head, and extends 

 nearly to the tail ; it is half an inch broad, equal throughout, 

 the rays ending in free single points. The anal fin is like 

 the dorsal : the pectorals are oblong wedge-shaped, one inch 

 and a half long : the ventral fins are small, and their two 

 anterior rays are very long, white, and detached ; the fore- 

 most one-half the length of the second, which measures 

 little less than two inches. Tail wedge-shaped. The scales 

 are small, and lie close to the body : they have an oblong 

 square form, marked with parallel lines or striae, which on 

 the exposed part of each scale run in a transverse, and on 

 the covered parts in a longitudinal direction." 



The numbers of the different fin-rays, according to Pen- 

 nant are 



1st D. 3 : 2nd D.62 : P. 23 : V. 6 : A. 59 : C. 36. 



Mr. Couch says this fish is too rare for us to be much 

 acquainted with its history. The only specimen he ever 

 saw was taken with a line in rocky ground, in the month of 

 April ; at which time its roe was small. The remains of 

 an echinus were in its intestines. Other examples have since 

 occurred ; it has been taken on the east and west coasts of 

 Scotland, and once in Ireland off Donaghadee Harbour, as 

 recorded by Mr. William Thompson. Dr. Parnell says it 

 spawns in April, and feeds on small insects. 



The following note appears at the end of Mr. Couch's 

 account of this fish : 



" Mr. Jago, whose name occurs at the head of a list of 

 fishes at the end of Rny^s Synopsis Piscium, was a native 

 of Cornwall, and a minister of the Church of England. 



