NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 205 



2. "TRICHIURUS LEPTURUS." 



The question which we shall next consider relates to the specimens identi- 

 fied by Mr. James Hoy* with the Trichiurus Upturns of Linnaeus. 



In the Transactions of the Linnasan Society, Mr. Hoy has published an ac- 

 count of two fishes stranded at considerable intervals of time 'upon the 

 shore of the Moray Frith, near the fishing village of Port Gordon." The first 

 specimen was found " on the 2d of November, 1810, after a high wind from 

 the north :" " its head was much broken ;" "the extremity of the upper jaw, 

 or upper part of the mouth, was entire ; upon either side of which was an 

 operculum;" " the body, from the gills to the point of the tail, was three feet 

 two inches long ; its greatest breadth six inches and a quarter, and its great- 

 est thickness only an inch ;" " both sides of the fish were wholly white, 

 without a spot upon them ;" "the dorsal fin was the only part of a different 

 color, being a blackish-green ; this ran all the way back from the gills to the 

 tail ;" " the tail ended in a point, consisting of three or four soft spines or 

 bristles of different lengths, not exceeding two inches. The body was nearly 

 of the same breadth for one half of its length, and then its breadth diminish- 

 ed gradually till within three inches of the tail, when the diminution became 

 more quick. The lateral line was straight, and strongly marked along 

 the middle of the two sides." 



The second specimen was obtained "on the 12th of November, 1812;" 

 " its head had been broken off and was quite gone ; a small bit of the gills 

 only remained about the upper part of the throat, from whence to the ex- 

 tremity of the tail its length was twelve feet nine inches ; its breadth, eleven 

 inches and a quarter, was nearly equal for the first six feet in length from 

 the gills, diminishing gradually from thence to the tail, which endedin a blunt 

 point, without any of those kind of bristles which projected from the tail of 

 the one found formerly; its greatest thickness was two inches and a half ; 

 the distance from the gills to the anus forty-six inches. The dorsal fin ex- 

 tended from the head to the tail," &c. " There were no ventral nor anal fins ; 

 but the thin edge, of the belly was closely muricaled with small hard points, which, 

 although scarcely visible through the skin, were very plainly felt all along it. 

 Both sides of the fish were white, with four longitudinal bars of a darker color ; 

 the one immediately below the dorsal fin was about two inches broad, each of 

 the other three about three-fourths of an inch. The side line straight along 

 the. middle." 



On the authority of these specimens, the Trichiurus Upturns was admitted 

 by the British Faunists in the Catalogues of their fishes. 



Dr. Flemingf considered that the two specimens belonged to different spe- 

 cies. " The differences in the position of the vent, the structure of the tail, 

 and the condition of the edge of the belly, seem too great to justify the in- 

 ference of their being only varie'ies. The latter fish appears identical with 

 the Lepturus of Artedi, and consequently of Linnaeus." 



Subsequently, Dr. FlemingJ considered that "the position assigned to the 

 vent, the absence of ventral fins, and the white color of the sides, (of Hoy's 

 first specimen) all accord with the Deal-fish, (Trachypterus.) The color of 

 the dorsal fin, however, which was of blackish-green, seems to oppose this 

 view, though the dead state of the fish may probably serve to explain this 

 difference, if duly considered." 



Repugnant as must be such perversinnsof names, consideration for the uniformity of nomenclature, 

 which may bpst be attained by strict adherence to the laws, seems to require assent to them. The 

 genus Anguilla is generally attributed to Thunberg, but a search instituted among his various mem- 

 miirs has failed to reveal any mention of it, and it is to be remarked, that no naturalist has re- 

 ferred to any pre -ise work. Prof. Agassiz, indeed, refers to "Anguilla Thunb.. Nuov. Mem. Stock., 

 179 ." but no such generic name is to be found in the series referred to under that title. 



* ffny Trans. Linn, Soe. xi , p. 210, 



t Fleming, Br. An., 182S p. 20 1. 



J Fleming, Loudon's Mag. N. H. iv., 1831, p. 219. 



1864.] 



