144 



SHORT-SNOUTED LAUNCE. 



Ammodytes cicerelus, Rafinesque. Schmaltz? 



It has been long supposed that besides the two kinds of 

 Launces we have ah^eady described there might be one, or 

 perhaps two, more to be foimd in the seas of Europe; and 

 accordingly the wave-finned species {A. siculus of the Catalogue 

 of the British Museum,) has since been distinguished by Mr. 

 Swainson as an inhabitant of the Mediterranean. But there is 

 another which is briefly described by Rafinesque under the 

 name given above, and by which it appears to be known to 

 Italian fishermen, although it has hitherto been confounded with 

 the Wide-mouthed Launce; and even Cuvier appears to have 

 been disposed to admit it as a distinct species, although he has 

 generally shewn a reluctance to admit the accuracy of the 

 Italian writer above quoted in his descriptions or arrangement. 



The foundation of the belief that the Cicerehis is probably 

 a native of the British seas, is so far deficient that it rests on 

 the examination of a single specimen; but I have reason to 

 believe that this is to be ascribed to the want of opportunity 

 rather than to the absolute rarity of the fish; and as it was so 

 long confounded with the better known species by observers in 

 the Mediterranean it should not excite surprise to find that it 

 has been equally mistaken for the other in Britain. 



The specific characters assigned to this fish by Rafinesque 

 are — that besides the colours — which of the back are bright 

 blue and of the under parts silvery white, the eyes are situated 

 immediately above the corner of the mouth, and (which is 

 less decisive,) the dorsal fin rises a little behind the line of 

 termination of the pectoral. The chief objection which will 

 be felt in this instance arises from the fact that the Italian 

 wi'iter describes the Cicerelus as rarely exceeding the length of 



