Notes on the Red Band- Fish. 215 



1 J line less than the depth of the head, and thence it tapers 

 gradually towards the tail. Its thickness close to the head, 

 is 4j lines, at the centre 1 J line, and at the extremity £ a line. 

 Its weight is scarcely 1 oz. 



The species has been generally described as destitute of 

 scales* Mr. Yarrell however states, that a specimen sent to 

 him by Mr. Couch, "exhibits, here and there, an occasional 

 thin, oval semitransparent scale." (Br. F. v. i. p. 197). It is re- 

 marked by Cuv. and Val. — "Les ecailles de la Cepole sont 

 extremement petites, ovales, lisses, entieres, insensibles au 

 tact, ne s'imbriquent point, et se presentent a la loupe comme 

 autant de petits pores enfonces et disposes en quinconce ser- 

 re ; ce n'est qu'en raclent la peau, qu'on en detache et qu'on 

 peut les voir separement : la tete et les nageoires n'en ont au- 

 cunes." (t. x. p. 397). My specimen entirely coincides with 

 this description, but it maybe further observed that its scales 

 increase gradually in size from the head towards the tail, and 

 that in approximating the latter, they are apparent to the na- 

 ked eye : from being more sunk in the skin, in addition to their 

 smaller size, they are not thus visible on the anterior part of 

 the fish — with a low magnifying power the longitudinal stria 

 of the scales on the posterior portion are conspicuous. 



The Cepola rubescens and C. tcenia are described by au- 

 thors who hold them to be distinct, the former, as possessing 

 one, and the latter, two, rows of teeth in the lower jaw. Do- 

 novan, (British Fishes, No. 105), and Yarrell,* have consi- 

 dered that this difference may be owing to the age or size of 

 the individual. Risso in his 'Histoire,' (ed. 1826, tome 3, p. 

 294), in which the C. rubescens and C tcenia are brought to- 

 gether, though in his 'Ichthyologie' they were regarded as 

 distinct, attributes 14 teeth to the upper and 16 to the lower 

 jaw. Cuvier and Valenciennes enumerate 17 or 18 teeth on 

 each side of the upper jaw, and ten on each side of the under, 

 behind which 2 appear, and add that they vary a little in in- 

 dividuals. My specimen, considerably exceeding in magni- 

 tude the Cepola; examined by these authors, exhibits 41 teeth 

 in the upper jaw, (cavities denote that many are wanting), and 

 25 in the lower, of which latter, 17 are in a tolerably regular 

 row, inside of which is 1 tooth, and outside it 7, which are 

 equal in length to the largest in the row, but not so much 

 hooked. The tongue is smooth. 



The lateral line is apparent only on close examination, be- 

 ing a mere faint-coloured line, sloping downwards for a short 



* In a specimen 1\ inches long, this author found one tooth in the line of 

 the second row; and in an individual 13 inches in length, six teeth consti- 

 tuted this row. Br. Fishes, vol. i. p. 197. 



