pUBUir NATUiUL niSTOBT SOOIJtTT, 127 



•MM of warm latitudes, brilliant and beautirul in their coloori, and exeeUen( 

 ai food. Thoy soldofii range so far north as 3ritain. Two species, however, 

 that inhabit the Mediterranean, have been recorded as Britihh, the smooth aer- 

 ranus (Serranus cabrilla), and the dusky serranus (S. gigas), both taken on the 

 coast of Cornwall. The former is of common occurrence on the coast of SiciJjr. 

 The denticulated, or serrated preoperculum, and the bony operculum, terminated 

 with one or two points, are characteristic of the genus. This leads me to the 

 description of what now is established as an addition to the Ichthyology of this 

 country, the •* Polyprion cernium." — Cuv. The genus is formed from a single 

 species common in the Mediterranean, and having an extensive range to the 

 Western Isles, Madeira, and the coast of America. It is fully described in the 

 Supplement to Yarrell's •' History of British Fishes," as •* Couch's Polyprion," 

 having been first recorded as British on the coast of Cornwall. It is also known 

 as the stone bass, and the wreck fish. The genus Polyprion is distinguished by 

 being entirely covered with small rigid scales ; all the opercular bones are den> 

 ticulated, strong bony ridges and asperities covering the head, and over and be- 

 hind the eyes ; but the most remarkable character is a strong bony ridge on the 

 operculum, in a line above the pectoral fin, and directed backward, ending in a 

 point The discovery of the fish now submitted to the meeting is due to Mr. 

 Eugene Moriarty, of Dingle, who superintends the stores and management of the 

 Dingle men in the employment of the Royal Irish Fisheries Company. When 

 forming my records or every incident connected with the sea fisheries of the 

 coast of Kcrrv, Mr. Moriarty mentioned the circumstance of a singular fish 

 which he recollected to have been taken, some years since, in Dingle Bay, fol- 

 lowing and feeding upon the barnacles attached to floating wreck timber : but 

 he never knew an instance of the fish being taken by the hook. His accurate 

 description satisfied me that it was a species unrecorded on the Irish coast. la 

 the month of September last Mr. Moriarty was fortunate enough in obtaining 

 this fine specimen, under most singular circumstances. One of the fishing-boats 

 off Ventry, in the Bay of Dingle, picked up an American meal barrel, that had 

 been for some time floating. It was partly filled with water, and when taken 

 into the boat the fish was found floundering in the barrel, supposed to have got 

 in in a wash of the sea ; and it is very likely at the time that numbers of the fish 

 were swimming around the barrel. It is a deep-water fish, frequenting and feed- 

 ing on rocky and corally ground. Mr. Moriarty forwarded the fish to me, and 



1 at once saw that it was the Polyprion cernium of Cuv. and Valen. Its history 

 and description are so well given in Yarrell's Supplement to British Fishes, and 

 in Cuv. et Val. Hist, des Poiss., that 1 shall only here add an outline of the spe- 

 cimen before you. Its weight when taken, 10| lbs. ; length, from tip of lower jaw 

 to the base of the caudal fin, 22 inches ; entire length to termination of tail, 



2 feet 1^ inches; caudal and ventral rays fasciated ; nostrils double; irides 

 dull silvery white, upper part of circle tinged with a dusky shade ; fin rays, 

 D., spinous 10. 11, soft 14. P. 16, V.6, A. 10. C. 21 ; back, dark ash colour, shaded 

 with umber; belly, dirtv white; lower jaw projected beyond the upper; teeth 

 numerous and blunt, and with numerous teeth covering the palate; a prominent 

 ridge on the operculum, terminating in a short spine; preoperculum toothed ; 

 upper part of orbits ridged, and with pectinated or denticulated elevations from 

 each orbit, directed toward a short prominent ridge on the nape; head covered 

 with rough strong scales ; the spines of the first dorsal fin very strong. In the 

 Mediterranean this fish attains a large size, and its flesh is esteemed, being 

 white and tender, and of excellent flavour. I trust that I have thus drawn atten- 

 tion to the interest that the ichthyology of our coasts may present, for I am sa- 

 tisfietl that, upon more careful investigation, other species that have been 

 recorded as occurring upon the coast of Cornwall, and also Mediterranean 

 species, will yet be traced on the southern and western coasts of this country. 

 In continuation of the arrangement in the British fishes of the Percid« are the 

 great and the lesser weevers, or sting fish, Trachinus draco aad T. vipera, both 

 of which I have before noticed as frequenting Dingle and Ventry Harbours ; and 



