212 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. COD FAMILY. 



by Mr. Jenyns to the genus Motella, to which it 

 obviously and most strictly belongs, presenting a 

 distinct, though miniature view of all its principal 

 attributes. It occurred in great abundance, swim- 

 ming near the surface of the water. It is gregarious 

 and migratory, never making its appearance before 

 ]\Iay, and retiring in winter apparently to the deep 

 sea. It dies instantly upon being taken out of the 

 water. 



The Mackerel Midge — for so it is called by the 

 Cornish fishermen — has all the appearance of being 

 the fry of a larger species ; and if regarded in this 

 light, it would naturally be considered the young of 

 the species, to wLich it corresponds in the number of 

 barbules. It has been watched, however, all the 

 summer, and no increase of size was observed. The 

 most satisfactory way of solving the question, would 

 be to keep a few of these fishes in confinement, and 

 observe what changes (if any) they undergo. 



(Sp. 164.) M, argenteola. Silvery Gade. This 

 little fish in every respect resembles the preceding, 

 except in the following particulars : it is two inches 

 in length ; snout with two barbules, another on the 

 chin ; first ray of the first dorsal much longer than 

 the other rays of that fin. It was first noticed by 

 Colonel Montague, and described in the second 

 volume of the Memoirs of the Wernerian Nat. Hist. 

 Society. He found many individuals thrown upon 

 the shore in the south of Devonshire, in the summer 

 of 1808, and caught several afterwards. He admits 

 that it has very much the aj[>pearance of the fry of 



