LOPHOTES. 



1T9 



and the three specimens of a Lophotes especially, were pre- 

 served. It is not at all improbable that these three specimens 

 are British, and to these observations of Dr. Gunther I will 

 venture to add, that it is probable these same examples were 

 examined by myself at INIr. Yarrell's house, at wliich time I 

 made a note of its being that gentleman's opinion that they 

 formed varieties or monstrosities of the Megrim or Scaldfish; 

 but that they appeared to me to diifer considerably from other 

 examples of the last-named — especially in the lower jaw, which 

 was more protruded; in the separate lengthened tendrils in 

 front of the dorsal fin, and especially in the singular shape of 



the lateral line; from which particulars I judged them to be 

 a species new to Britain, but from whence they were procured 

 did not appear. There is reason to believe that at least a large 

 proportion of the preserved skins obtained by Mr. Yarrell 

 from Plymouth were a gift from Lieutenant Spence, R.N., of 

 that place; but I am informed by Dr. Gunther that these skins 

 of the Lophotes in the collection of the British Museum are 

 prepared in a diiferent manner from such as were presented 

 by Lieutenant Spence; and yet that this gentleman had met 

 with the species at Plymouth appears from the fact that at his 

 house I had an opportunity of ^ examining a skin of what I 

 felt no doubt was the same species with that of Mr. Yarrell, 

 but of which I was only able to take a sketch of the front, 

 with the form of the lateral line — ^a copy of which, a little 

 diminished, is for the sake of illustration here given. The 



