144 Mr, Couch's Account of Orthagoriscus Oblongus. 



stance is gradually developed and becomes enclosed in cells 

 whose sides consist solely of carbon and the elements of 

 water. 



Afterwards a substance is formed rich in carbon and con- 

 taining three times more hydrogen than if it consisted of 

 carbon and water. From this it appears to him that the ne- 

 cessity of an excess of hydrogen in vegetation may be proved. 

 The substance containing so much hydrogen is said to be a 

 thick fluid, &c. 



[To be continued.] 



XIX. — Account of a Specimen of the Oblong Sunftsh, Ortha- 

 goriscus Oblongus, taken at Par in Cornwall, and preserved 

 in the Museum of the Royal Institution of Cornwall at 

 Truro, By Jonathan Couch, F.L.S., M.R.G.S. of Corn- 

 wall. 



Notwithstanding that the figures and description of the 

 Oblong or Longer Sunfish, as published by Borlase, Montagu, 

 Donovan and Mr. Yarrell, would seem sufficient to remove all 

 doubt of the specific character of this fish, and the great dif- 

 ference between it and the more common species, O. Mola ; 

 yet even now this conclusion does not seem universally as- 

 sented to. It is with great pleasure, therefore, that I am able, 

 from examination of a specimen, to add my testimony to that 

 of the above-named distinguished naturalists. The specimen 

 had wandered into the lock of the new-made canal at a short 

 distance west of Fowey; and being deemed extraordinary, 

 though without a full knowledge of the interest attached to 

 it, it was carefully skinned and preserved, to be presented to 

 the Royal Cornwall Museum. The length is 22 inches ; depth, 

 measured on- the round, from back to belly, 11^; from snout 

 to the eye, 2 j ; to the origin of the pectoral fin, 8£ ; length of 

 this fin, 4£; caudal fin 1J inch wide, or more properly, long; 

 anal fin 6 inches— as I suppose is the dorsal, but the latter is 

 a little injured. The number of fin rays is here given : 



P. 15, D. 18, A. 17, C 18. 

 The figure of this fish, which is here forwarded, is so little dif- 

 ferent from that given by Mr. Yarrell ( e British Fishes/ vol. ii. 

 p. 354.), as scarcely to require remark ; I would therefore only 

 point out, that in this skin there appears a plait bound over 

 the upper lip, and that the rays of the dorsal and anal fins are 

 bent into a curve at their termination ; neither of which cir- 

 cumstances are marked in Mr. YarrelPs figure ; probably be- 



