286 PLECTOGNATHI. NAKED TEETH FAMILY. 



pect. The specimens have varied in length from 

 fourteen inches to three or four feet, and in weight 

 from fifty to four hundred pounds. It was first 

 observed, in this country, by Sir Andrew Balfour, 

 hi the Firth of Forth, and no fewer than eight or 

 nine examples have since occurred in that estuary ; 

 the last of these, now preserved in the Royal Univ. 

 Museum of Edinburgh, was caught in Largo Bay, 

 Being destitute of an air-bladder, this fish probably 

 feeds near the bottom, but is frequently observed 

 lying on its side at the surface, apparently in a state 

 of repose, and allowing itself to float along with the 

 waves or tide. In this seemingly dormant condition, 

 it may be lifted into a boat, without attempting to 

 make almost any efibrt in self-defence. We believe 

 that it is always captured by fishermen when they 

 have an opportunity of so doing, as an object of curi- 

 osity, but it is of no value to them otherwise, as the 

 flesh is not used for food. If obtained in any abun- 

 dance, it might be turned to good account from the 

 large quantity of oil contained in the fatty layer 

 under the skin. It appears to be generally distri- 

 buted over the seas of Europe, and has also been 

 seen on the coasts of America. 



(Sp. 212 ) 0. ohlongus. Oblong Sun-fish. Au- 

 thors are widely at variance respecting the value of 

 the characters presented by the Oblong Sun- fish, 

 for while Linnaeus and Lacepede regard it as iden- 

 tical with the Short Sun-fish, Shaw and Svvainson 

 consider it as constituting the type of another genus. 

 To this they assign the name Cephalus^ and found 



