POLLACK. 



255 



origin of the pectoral fin, and before the line of the situation 

 of the vent ; the second dorsal fin and the first anal fin end 

 on the same line ; the third dorsal fin and the second anal 

 fin begin and end very nearly on the same plane ; the first 

 ray of each of the dorsal fins the longest ; the ventral fin 

 very small ; the anal aperture in a line under the middle of 

 the first dorsal fin ; the fleshy portion of the tail long and 

 slender ; the end of the rays concave. The fin-rays in num- 

 ber are 



D. 12. 19. 15. : P. 19 : V. 6 : A. 24. 16. : C. 31. 



The lower jaw is much the longest ; the mouth and lips 

 red, with various mucous orifices about them ; the hides sil- 

 very ; the sclerotic coat cartilaginous ; the upper angle of 

 the operculum produced ; the body elongated ; the upper 

 part of the head and the back above the lateral line olive 

 brown ; the sides dull silvery white mottled with yellow, and 

 in young fish spotted with dull red ; the lateral line dusky, 

 curved over the length of the pectoral fin, then descending 

 and passing in a straight line to the tail ; the dorsal fins and 

 tail brown ; the pectoral and anal fins brown edged and 

 tinged with reddish orange. 



In December 1839, my kind friend, Robert Ball, Esq. of 

 Dublin, sent me notice of a curious monstrosity observed in 

 a Pollack caught during the previous spring, remarkable for 

 the great elongation of the rays of the first dorsal fin, which 

 had grown to more than three times their usual length. 



