59 



LEPIDOPUS. 



Body elongated and compressed; jaws projecting, armed with strong 

 teeth; cleft of the mouth wide. Dorsal fin long, and with the anal 

 fin separate from the tail, which is well marked. The ventral fins 

 are represented only by a pair of moveable scales; from whence the 

 name of the genus, which was formed by Dr. Gouan, professor of 

 natural history at Montpellier, for the classification of a fish he had 

 discovered, and which is the only species we know of this genus; unless 

 it shall be determined, from the differences we have to point out, 

 that Risso is correct in supposing that there are two to be regarded 

 as positively distinct. According to Gouan, this fish is to be defined 

 as having the body sword-shaped, of a silvery colour, with the head 

 protruded, and furnished with three scales, two of which occupy the 

 place of ventral fins, whilst the third takes the position of the anal. 

 In the figure which he gives he represents the tail as lengthened into 

 what is termed the lancet shape, in which he difters greatly from other 

 observers, and from our own example especially; and it was on this 

 account chiefly, although not solely, that Risso supposed himself 

 the discoverer of a second species of this genus, which answers more 

 directly to the fish we have to describe. 



SCABBARD FISH. 



SCALE-FOOT. 



Lepidope Goiumien, Lacepede. 



" peron, Risso; pi. 5, f. 18. L. Gouanien? 



Lepidopus tetradens, Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 204. 



" argyreus, Cuviek. Jenyns; Manual, p. 371. 



< Yarkell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 198. 



caudatus, Gunther; Cat. Br. M., vol. ii, p. 344. 



Scarcina argyrea, Rafinesque; p. 20, pi. 7, f. 1. 



The following are names by which it has also been described by authors 

 whom we have not had an opportunity of consulting: 



Vandelllus Lusitanicus, Shaw. 



Xiphotheca tetradens, Montagu. 



Lepidopus Lusitanicus, Leach. 



Lrpidope Jarrrtiere, Bonnaterre. 



