356 TLEURONECTIDK. 



In tlic published proceedings of the Royal Society of 

 Edinburgh for January 1837, Dr. Parnell has figured and 

 briefly described, under the name of Monochirus minutus, a 

 small species of Sole obtained by him at Brixham on the 

 Devonshire coast, which appears to be the true Solea parva 

 sive lingula of Rondcletius. This small fish is at once dis- 

 tinguished from the Variegated Sole of Donovan, and other 

 English authors, by the tapering of the body towards the 

 tail, and more particularly by the dorsal and caudal fins being 

 united to the base of the tail, which is not the case in the 

 Variegated Sole. This union of the two fins with the tail 

 is shown in the figure given by Rondeletius, and again by 

 Willughby, as referred to. 



Dr. Parnell has obtained several examples of this interest- 

 ing little species, which is not unfrequently taken in the 

 trawl-nets by the fishermen of Brixham, but on account of 

 its diminutive size it is seldom brought on shore. It has 

 evidently been confounded with the Variegated Sole ; but, 

 independently of other distinctions, the Variegated Sole has 

 the tail separated from the dorsal and caudal fins by a consi- 

 derable interval. 



The Variegated Sole of Donovan and of Montagu's MS. 

 the Red-backed Flounder of Pennant's Zoology, and the 

 Variegated Sole of Dr. Fleming, are so many specimens of 

 the truly Variegated Sole, and are each of them quite dis- 

 tinct from the true lingula. Duhamel appears to have dis- 

 tinguished and figured both species. Mr. Thompson has 

 obtained both species on the coast of the North of Ireland, 

 and by his kindness I have now his specimens before me 

 for comparative examination. Dr. Parnell has given me two 

 examples of his Monochirus minutus, which, as before ob- 

 served, I believe to be the true Solea parva sive lingula of 

 Rondeletius; and I have also two specimens of the true 

 Variegated Sole ; one of these, from which the figure in the 



