HAVTKEN S GYMNETRUS. 



223 



23rd of July 1788. The specimen was two and a half feet 

 long, six inches deep, and weighed ten pounds."" 

 The number of fin-rays, according to Bloch, are 



D. 17? 117 : P. 8 : V. 2 : C. 13. 



The woodcut at the commencement of this subject repre- 

 sents this fish as shown in Mr. Couch's drawing, but reduced 

 to one-fourth, and differs a little in the form of the head from 

 the figure in Bl cell's work. 



It will be remembered that the tail of the fish was stated 

 to be injured, and the artist left probably to finish the draw- 

 ing according to his own judgment, formed the tail like that 

 of fishes in general ; and for two ventral filaments, put two on 

 each side. M. Valenciennes refers to another original draw- 

 ing in which a portion of the tail of the fish is wanting, and 

 was not supplied by the fancy of the artist, but in which the 

 ventrals were each composed of a single ray with a dilated 

 termination. It is conjectured that the fish from which the 

 drawing was made was possibly the Gymnetnis remiceps of 

 the northern seas, brought by currents to the shores of Corn- 

 wall : I have, therefore, given a figure of this fish from 

 Schneider as a vignette to assist future inquirers. 



