226 RIBAND-SHAPED. 



gill-covers of two pieces : pectoral fins small and rounded ; 

 ventrals placed rather before the line of the origin of the pec- 

 torals, the first ray spinous, the inner ray of each united at 

 the base ; the dorsal fin commences in a vertical line imme- 

 diately over the centre of the opcrculum, and extends to 

 the tail, the anterior rays shorter than the others ; the 

 vent is about an inch behind the ventral fins ; the anal 

 fin commences immediately behind the vent, extending like 

 the dorsal fin to the tail, and having also the anterior rays 

 rather shorter than the others ; caudal fin lanceolate, middle 

 ray the longest : the distinction between the rays of the dorsal, 

 anal, and caudal fins, is almost lost by union, and the tail 

 ends in a point. The lateral line, not very obvious on some 

 parts of the body, is a little curved near the head, and after- 

 wards runs quite straight to the tail ; skin smooth, but 

 when examined with a lens, appears finely and regularly 

 punctured. A specimen seven and a half inches long, for 

 which I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Couch, exhibits 

 here and there an occasional thin, oval, semi-transparent 

 scale. The irides are silvery with a tinge of crimson, pupils 

 bluish black ; gill-plates silvery. The body appears subject 

 to some variation in colour. One of Colonel Montagu's 

 specimens was pale carmine, the second darker. Mr. Couch 

 had specimens of a pale red, and one, in which the mar- 

 gin of the dorsal fin was purple, the base yellow, and 

 the middle red. A dried example from the Mediterra- 

 nean, now before me, is orange red ; the Cornish speci- 

 men, preserved in spirits, has lost colour, and is now 

 greyish orange. Brunnich, describing the colour of his 

 Cepola rubescens, calls it pallide cameum, pale flesh colour ; 

 and M. Risso says it is the colour of the red oxide of mer- 

 cury. In the first edition of his work, M. Risso includes 

 two species of this genus, C. ttenta, and C. rubescens ; in the 

 second edition, rubescens only is retained. Brunnich, in a 



