CHINESE SEA. 1751* 173 



abating, the heat became intolerable. To- 

 wards the evening we anchored. 



Balistes Monoceros is a fpecies of fifh 

 which looks like a flounder at a diftance, and 

 has almoft the fame tafle, but is not fo fat. 

 The fifti was half a foot long, and its body 

 covered with a dark-grey rough fkin. We 

 caught feveral with a hook, and this afforded 

 me an opportunity of defcribing them. 



On each fide is zfpiracle, and next to it, 

 within the /kin, two tranfverfal bones : the firft 

 dor/a! fin near the eyes, conlifts of a reverfed 

 brittle bone, which is armed with little hooks ; 

 it is the length of a finger's breadth, and a 

 little longer than the other fins : the fecond 

 dorfal fin has forty-feven rays : the peBoral 

 fins are the leaft ; each has thirteen rays : the 

 ventral fins are wanting; in their {lead is a 

 long bone under the ikin : the anal fin is oppo- 

 site to the fecond dorfal fin, and has 5 1 rays : 

 the tail has 1 2 ramofe rays : the mouth is ob- 

 long and narrow : the lower jaw is fomewhat 

 longer than the upper ; on each fide of it 

 ftand three pointed, broad teeth, connected 

 together below, of which the middleraoft is 

 fplit ; the lips are moveable, 



The 



