MALACOPTERYGII SUBBRACHIATI. 517 



assembled the Roman senate to deliberate concerning its 

 disposal, and not the common turbot, as many authors have 

 supposed. 



This fish has at all times been in great request, and de- 

 served to be so : its flesh is firm, and exquisitely flavoured, 

 and, in short, it is a worthy rival of the turbot. 



In the subgenus Solea the common sole is well known. 

 It inhabits a great number of seas ; it is found not only in 

 the Baltic and the North Atlantic, but also in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Surinam, and in the Mediterranean, where 

 there is an abundant fishery of it on the coasts of Sardinia. 

 It also inhabits the mud at the mouth of the Var; and the 

 late Mr. Bowdich observed it in the Gambia. The size of 

 the soles appears to vary according to the waters which 

 they frequent. The Pleuronectes ornatus, is from a specimen 

 in the British Museum, brown with darker spots. 



The soles which are said to surpass all others in the excel- 

 lence of their flesh are those of the Cape of Good Hope. 



Near the mouth of the Ouse a variety of the sole is taken, 

 under the name of cardine, with a large and elongated head ; 

 but the flesh is less delicate. 



The genus Lepadogaster, of the family of Discoboli, 

 was created by Gouan, and has since been adopted by all 

 ichthyologists. The name by which it is designated is 

 derived from the Greek Xnrag, a shell, and yaai-rjp, belly, and 

 indicates the disposition of the ventrals, which form a sort of 

 conch at the lower part of the body. 



The Lepadogaster Gouan ii is found in the Mediterranean 

 Sea, and particularly under the calcareous pebbles of the 

 shores of Nice. Bonnaterre has figured it under the name of 

 Bouclier porte-ecuelle ; it has also been named Barbier ; and 

 in the department of the Maritime Alps it is called pel-poure, 

 according to M. Risso. M. Cuvier considers it to be the 

 same animal as the Lepadogaster rostrafus of M. Schneider. 



