246 MUGILID.E. 



body, which has induced me to adopt for it the specific term 

 curtus. 



The number of its fin-rays is 



D. 4. 1 +8 : P. 11 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 +8 : C. 14. 



The length of the head as compared with that of the body 

 and tail is as one to three, the proportion in the common 

 Grey Mullet being as one to four ; the body is also deeper in 

 proportion than in M. capita, being equal to the length of 

 the head ; the head is wider, the form of it more triangular, 

 and also more pointed anteriorly ; the eye larger in propor- 

 tion ; the fin-rays, longer, particularly those of the tail ; the 

 ventral fins placed nearer the pectorals, and a difference exists 

 in the number of some of the fin-rays : the colours of the two 

 species are nearly alike ; and in other respects, except those 

 named, they do not differ materially. 



Since the publication in the original edition of the History 

 of British Fishes of the first notice of this species, which I ven- 

 tured to believe to be at that time undescribed elsewhere, the 

 eleventh volume of the Histoire Naturelle des Poissons has 

 appeared, and contains a reference to this fish as quoted here. 

 M. Baillon appears to have met with a specimen of Grey 

 Mullet which he considered a new species, and sent the fish 

 in consequence to the National Collection at the Garden of 

 Plants. M. Valenciennes considers it to be identical with 

 my fish, thus confirming the opinion given, and adopting the 

 name, M. Baillon also considers this Short Grey Mullet to 

 be a rare species. 



Of this Grey Mullet I have only obtained the single 

 specimen that served for the representation given, which is 

 exactly the natural size of the fish. I caught this with the 

 young of the common Grey Mullet, and various other fry, 

 when fishing with a small but very useful net between 

 Brownsey Island and South Haven, at the mouth of Poolc 

 Harbour. 



