127 



CORNISH CENTROLOPHUS. 



Centroloplius Britannicus, Gunther; Cat. Br. Museum, vol. ii, 



p. 402, quoting Annals and Maga- 

 zine of Natural History, 18CJ, p. 

 46, 



In the middle of February, 1859, this fish was thrown on 

 shore by stormy weather not far from Looe, and the specimen 

 was immediately conveyed to me by the kindness of the late 

 W. H. Box, Esq., of that town. After making a drawing, from 

 which our figure is copied, and also a description, it was 

 committed to the care of Mr. William Laughrin, A.L.S., of 

 Polperro, for preservation; and when set up, it was sent to 

 the British Museum, at the time when Dr. Gunther was 

 engaged in forming the new and extensive catalogue of fishes 

 contained in the national collection. I had easily ascertained 

 that this fish was new to British natural history, but it remained 

 for the discrimination of Dr. Gunther to discover that it differed 

 from every species hitherto known to science. The natural 

 habits of so uncommon a fish must of course be unknown; 

 but from its rarity we may judge that it keeps far from land, 

 and probably in the deeper regions of the ocean. 



In length this fish measured one foot and seven inches ; the 

 general form compressed, thin at the back, with a more slender 

 firm ridge also from the throat to the vent, at which it is five 

 inches in depth. The vent at about the middle of the body, 

 the opening compressed. The head to the hinder gill-cover is 

 short; forehead rounded, both across and from above the mouth; 

 and the back rising from the head to the origin of the dorsal fin. 

 Eye large, perpendicularly oval, and with a singular aspect, as if 

 looking towards the front; its centre an inch from the snout; 

 several ducts round it on a diverging form. Nostrils double, 

 close together, nearer the Lp, large, and open. Under jaw a 



