3% ZENID.E. 



The fins are the brightest vermilion, as if varnished with red sealing-wax ; a 

 little paler and transparent towards the edges. The dorsal, pectoral, and ventral 

 fins are brighter or fuller coloured than the rest ; the middle part of the dorsal is 

 shaded with dark olive brown between the rays : and the base of its high fore part 

 and of the pectoral and ventral fins, is coated with a fine smooth bright vermilion 

 skin, obliterating the roots of the rays. 



Unfortunately, nothing was noticed of the viscera except the presence of an air- 

 bladder. The vertebrae were short, and their whole number, including as usual 

 that from which originate the caudal rays, was noted down erroneously as it now 

 appears, at forty-nine, which is six more than in MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes's 

 fish. The flesh was red like beef or Tunny, and full of blood, but fine in grain. 



The individual above described, was taken off Camera de Lobos, a vil- 

 lage three or four miles to the west of Funchal, on the 20th of February 

 1835. Its fin formula was 



6 + 1 + 1X. 



D. 1 + 54 ; A. 1 -1-39 ; P. 1 + 25 ; V. 16 ; C. 



6 -f- I -j- VIII 

 B. M. 6 ; Vertebrffi 49 ? 



In two others taken respectively May 13th, 1836, and March J^6th, 

 1 838, the latter of which was said to weigh about one hundred pounds, 

 the fin-formula was 



D. I + 54 ; A. 1 -f- 41 ; P. 1 -f- 24 ; V. 17 ; and 



6 -I- I -I- IX 

 D. 1 -h 54; A. 1 -f 40; P. 1 -I- 23; V. 17; C. ^ — ~ 



6 -I- I -I- VIII 

 B. M. 6 on both sides. 



The tongue of both these fishes was quite smooth. The rays of the tail 

 and branchial membrane in the former were not noted. In both there 

 was nothing like a " scale"" before the anal fin ; and in colours and other ge- 

 neral particulars they agreed with the foregoing description. The numbers 

 of the rays were in each case ascertained by maceration and dissection. 



The smoothness of the tongue has since been verified in several other in- 

 dividuals. 



Since writing the above description, I have had an opportunity of testing 

 it by comparison with another individual, a female, measuring three feet five 

 inches in length: and from which are derived the following particulars : — 



The greatest depth of this example was two feet ; a quantity contained rather 

 above one quarter less than twice, instead of one- thirteenth more in the whole 

 length of the fish. The head was one foot long, or half the depth exactly ; being 

 not quite one third and a half, instead of one third and five sevenths of the whole 

 length. Thus the fish was at once deeper, and had a longer head tliau the one 

 above described ; both characters removing it still further from the European fish 



