ON A SCOTTISH SPECIMEN OF THE BLACKFISH n 



Anderson and Sons, was identified by Mr. Eagle Clarke 

 as a specimen of the Blackfish \Centrolophus niger (Gm.), 

 C. pompilus, Cuv. and Val.]. 



The specimen was sent to be stuffed, so I did not have 

 an opportunity of seeing it in a moist condition ; but as the 

 taxidermist who mounted it (Mr. V. Knight), when dealing 

 with fishes, always makes a plaster mould from his subject 

 before skinning it, into which mould the skin is fitted for 

 stuffing, the proportions, as given in Plate I., may be relied 

 on as accurate. This figure represents the specimen on 

 a scale of rather less than one -third natural size, and, 

 to ensure accuracy, the outline has been traced from a 

 photograph. 



The entire length is 20^- inches, the greatest depth at 

 about the junction of the first and second thirds of the body 

 is 5 inches, the general shape is elegantly fusiform, and 

 tapering posteriorly. The length of the head from the tip 

 of the rounded snout to the posterior margin of the operculum 

 is contained more than five and a half times, the greatest depth 

 of the body slightly over four times, in the total. The pos- 

 terior extremity of the maxilla extends to just below the 

 anterior margin of the orbit ; the teeth visible on the pre- 

 maxilla are small, styliform, and in one row. The pectoral 

 fin measures i-| inch, and is therefore only half as long as 

 the head ; the length of the ventral is i^ inch. The 

 length of the furcate caudal fin is contained six times in the 



o 



total. 



The long dorsal fin, commencing above the middle of 

 the pectoral, contains 40 rays ; the anal, 23; the right 

 pectoral, 21; and the left pectoral, 22. This formula 

 corresponds with that given by Gunther (" Cat. Fishes," Brit. 

 Mus. vol. ii. p. 403), which is as follows: D., 39-41 ; A., 



OT.IC- P 9 T 

 - J ~ J ) A > - Lm 



The colour of the stuffed fish is a uniform dark brown, 

 which most probably was nearly black when the specimen 

 was fresh. The lateral line makes a wide curve over the 

 region of the pectoral fin, and then passes gently down 

 till it reaches the middle of the side in the caudal region ; 

 the scales are very small in proporton to the size of the 

 fish. 



