SOLENETTE. 357 



British Fishes was drawn, has the dark clouded variation in 

 colour extending, as in Donovan's figure, over the back as 

 well as the fins : in a specimen belonging to Mr. Thompson, 

 in one of my own, and in Montagu's specimen, as described 

 in his MS. the dark variations in colour are confined to 

 patches on the fins, as in Pennant's figure ; but without refer- 

 ence to colour, this species is immediately known by the 

 space Avhich occurs between the two elongated fins and the 

 tail, which Montagu says Avas equal to half an inch in his 

 specimen, which measured nine inches. 



Both these species belong to the genus Monochirus of 

 Cuvier, distinguished from those of the genus Solea by the 

 very small size of the upper pectoral fin, and the very rudi- 

 mentary state of the pectoral fin on the under side, which is, 

 indeed, sometimes entirely wanting. Of our two British 

 species of Monochirus, the M. lingiiatulus of Cuvier has the 

 smaller upper pectoral fin of the two, as observed by Mr. 

 Thompson, who has, in the second volume of the Annals of 

 Natural History, published some interesting details on the 

 two British species of the genus Monochirus. 



From the numbers of these small Soles which are taken in 

 the trawl-nets off Brixham throughout the whole year, says 

 Dr. Parnell, and from their never appearing to attain a large 

 size, there can be but little doubt but that they are arrived at 

 their full growth. The fishermen, who appear perfectly familiar 

 with their appearance, call them Red Soles ; and scarcely a 

 trawl-boat leaves Brixham Harbour that does not capture a 

 dozen or more of these fish daily ; but, from their diminutive 

 size, they are either thrown overboard, or left to decay at the 

 bottom of the vessels. 



Description : " Length five inches ; the width at the 

 upper third nearly two inches : the colour of the back light 

 reddish brown, the under surface pale white ; every sixth or 

 seventh ray of the dorsal and anal fin black. In shape this 



