295 



XXYII. FAMILY OF THE CHIM^RtE. 

 CHIM^RID^. 



Representative in British Fauna. Gen. 1, Sp. 1. 

 Gen. 104. Chimera. Sp. 216. C.monstrosa. Northern Chimaera. 



Gen. CIY. Chimera. — In this genus the body, 

 as in that of the sharks, to which it is nearly allied, 

 is lengthened, the tail long, tapering, and ending in 

 a naked filament ; the first dorsal short but high, 

 the second low and extending along the back to the 

 tail. The species are not numerous, and from the 

 fantastic shape of the head, they are usually called 

 sea-monsters. 



(Sp. 216) C. monstrosa. Northern Chimaera, or 

 Rabbit-fish, was first noticed as British by Pennant, 

 who received a drawing of a specimen taken off the 

 Shetland Islands. It was likewise known to Dr. 

 Walker as an inhabitant of these northern seas; 

 and Dr. Fleming, who has supplied the best de- 

 scription we have seen of this fish, obtained a spe- 

 cimen from the same quarter, sent by Laurence 

 Edmonstone, Esq. surgeon, Unst, where it is termed 

 the Rabbit-fish. Mr. Yarrell further states that an- 

 other specimen, also from that locality, has lately 

 come into the possession of Mr. W. C. Hewitson 

 of Newcastle. As far as our information, therefore, 

 at present extends, the seas around the Shetland 

 Islands are the only British localities for this re- 



