200 RIBAND-SKATED. 



show was made of it at Kingsbridgc, where, in one day a 

 guinea was taken for its exhibition, at one penny each 

 person. It was embowelled when I first saw it. In prepar- 

 ing it, I observed within the skin, on the abdominal parts, a 

 great many small ascarides, pointed at each end, and of a 

 whitish colour : they were all coiled up in a spiral manner. 

 On the head, beneath the skin, and along the root of the 

 dorsal fin, were several of a species of Echinorhynchus, of a 

 yellow colour, nearly two inches in length, and more than 

 one-eighth of an inch in diameter : the proboscis short, with 

 a round termination furnished with spines : the anterior end 

 of the body sub-clavate, with a groove on each side : posterior 

 part wrinkled, and obtusely pointed. These vermes had 

 formed sinuses under the skin, and were firmly attached by 

 one end."" This fish has been observed by other authors to 

 be infested with worms. 



Not to multiply the description of Montagu, an abridg- 

 ment of that of Cuvier is here given. 



The head is pointed and slender ; the edge of the back 

 thin ; the dorsal fin low, the rays of nearly equal length 

 throughout, and the fin occupies the whole length of the 

 back ; the edge of the belly is rounder, and has but a small 

 anal fin at the posterior end ; the tail is small and forked. 

 Its remarkable characters are, the pointed and cutting teeth, 

 the two rounded scales in the place of the ventral fins, and 

 in a third triangular scale situated behind the vent. These 

 are the only scales, for the skin is smooth. 



The head is about one-seventh of the whole length of the 

 fish, and in height about equal to half the length of the 

 head ; the thickness of the body one-fourth of its height. 

 The eye is placed about half way between the end of the 

 lower jaw, which is the longest, and the hinder edge of the 

 operculum ; the nostrils ovate, and just before the eyes. 

 Each intermaxillary bone has a row of twenty to twenty- 



