382 Observations on the Lancelot. 



two other specimens, I am led to believe a characteristic ha- 

 bit of this fish. 



The discovery of my first specimen is thus related in the 

 original notes. " It was found on the 21st of December, 1831, 

 the day succeeding stormy weather. On turning over a stone 

 in a cove of the harbour at Polperro, at about 50 feet from 

 the edge of the receding tide, at nearly low water, my atten- 

 tion was attracted to the tail of a fish that appeared on the 

 surface ; the body lying buried in a small accumulation of 

 sand. On removing it from this hiding place, and placing it 

 in a pool, I soon ascertained that it was new to me, though 

 its extreme activity for a time prevented me from distinguish- 

 ing the head from the tail ; but when these exertions ceased, 

 it always fell to the bottom and lay still. It is probable that 

 its usual residence is in the sand, and perhaps in deep water, 

 from which the late gales had dislodged it." I find it also 

 necessary to add a slight correction of the printed descrip- 

 tion, which was taken from the specimen after it had under- 

 gone some change from the spirit in which it was preserved ; 

 whereas my notes had the advantage of being made from the 

 fish while yet alive, and immediately after its death. " The 

 vent is at the length of one third of the body from the tail ; 

 and at this point begins the anal fin, which is joined with the 

 dorsal to encircle the tail, as in the eel. And at this part 

 there is a curious peculiarity; for though the fin here is more 

 developed than further forward, the singularly arched rays," 

 (of which more presently), "were not visible," the texture be- 

 ing merely membranous at this part. The colour of the bo- 

 dy when alive was yellowish, tinted with green and yellow- 

 ish reflections towards the tail. 



We owe our knowledge of several peculiarities in the struc- 

 ture of this fish, and the station which it occupies in the sys- 

 tem of nature, to Mr. Yarrell ; and a desire to elicit some other 

 circumstances connected with its form and habits, which still 

 continue obscure, was a sufficient inducement to me to make 

 frequent and diligent search, in every situation supposed like- 

 ly to afford it concealment, but without success, until the 26th 

 of February, 1838, when my wishes were again gratified. — 

 Two days previously we had suffered a severe and destruc- 

 tive storm ; when the waves, rolling with fury into the har- 

 bour, and tearing up the bottom, had killed many kinds of 

 animals, as Octopus vulgaris, and Holothuria pentactes, nu- 

 merous specimens of which lay on the beach ; and among the 

 rest my eye was attracted by two specimens of the lancelot, 

 — one of them too much injured to be worth preserving, but 

 the other of fine size, being 2^ inches in length, and only a 



