GEN. CENTROLOPHUS. THE BLACK-FISH. 213 



fish appear to have been caught in the British seas, 

 and all off the coast of Cornwall ; two, many years 

 ago, by Mr. Jago, and two more lately by Mr. Couch. 

 In the Mediterranean it is well known. According 

 to Cuvier, it was first described under the name of 

 pompkilus by Rondelet ; Lacepede formed it into a 

 new genus, and his generic name is still retained ; 

 Mr. Jago having previously described it under the 

 name of Black-fish. On the northern shores of the 

 ]\Iediterranean it is not common, being but rarely 

 seen on the coast of France ; it, however, visits Nice 

 in considerable numbers in April and September, 

 and is caught in that locality throughout the year • 

 it spawns in autumn. Cuvier suspects its favourite 

 haunts to be the southern shores of that inland sea. 

 Mr. -Jago's account, which is but short, is repeated 

 by 3Ir. Borlasse in his History of Cornwall, together 

 with a characteristic plate. From this authority 

 we learn " That the Black-fish is smooth, with 

 very small thin scales, in so much that they will be 

 overlooked without close inspection ; its length is 

 fifteen inches; breadth, near the pectoral fin, be- 

 tween three and four ; head and nose like those of 

 the trout ; mouth small ; teeth very small ; eye full 

 and bright ; one fin on the back, commencing four 

 inches and three-quarters from the snout; the length 

 nearly six inches, with a forked tail and a large 

 double nostril. Two were taken at East Looe in 

 May 1821, in a seine, near the shore, in sandy 

 ground, with some ore-weed in their stomachs," 

 (p. 271). Mr. Couch, as already stated, examined 



