RED BANDFISH. 225 



years the Reel Snakefish had not been recognized as a 

 British species ; yet it is not uncommon on the western 

 coast. No less then nine specimens have fallen into my 

 hands, of which three were at different times killed and 

 thrown on shore by tempests. One rather large was taken 

 from the stomach of a Hake ; and one more, at least, was 

 taken with a line. 11 



Since then one of fifteen inches in length was caught off 

 Dun tire, seven miles south of Ayr, on a whiting-line baited 

 with a mussel, as recorded in the Magazine of Zoology and 

 Botany, and a second was also seen ; but after a violent storm 

 which occurred about the 14th of February 1839, a great 

 number of this previously scarce fish were found thrown 

 ashore along a considerable portion of the Devonshire coast. 

 The Rev. Robert Holdsworth sent me word that they wore 

 abundant at Brixham ; and Mr. Harvey, who was then resid- 

 ing at Teignmouth, obtained more than a score, and sent 

 several prepared specimens for the Museum of the Zoological 

 Society, and others to his London friends. Some of these 

 examples measured from eighteen to twenty inches in length. 



The form of the body long, slender, smooth, compressed ; 

 this latter character increasing with age and size, small 

 specimens being oval, or almost round : the body tapering 

 gradually, both as to thickness and depth, from the head 

 to the tail ; head not larger than the body ; both jaws 

 sloping equally towards each other ; the lower jaw the 

 longest when the mouth is opened ; the line of the upper 

 jaw ascending obliquely ; the mouth large, the angle de- 

 pressed ; the tongue short and smooth : both jaws furnished 

 with a row of conical, curved, pointed teeth, not set 

 close together ; the teeth ranged along the outer edges of 

 the jaws, and projecting considerably, particularly those of 

 the lower jaw, in which, at the anterior part, there are a few 

 teeth, forming a second row : the eyes large ; the nose short ; 



VOL. I. Q 



