GEN. BROSMIUS. THE TUSK. 213 



some larger species, but is unwilling to consider it 

 as that of the Three-bearded Rockling, because ho 

 had examined that fish in all its stages, from the 

 most minute size to its full growth of sixteen or 

 seventeen inches, and never observed it to vary in 

 the colour, which is always rufous-brown in its in- 

 fant state. In these circumstances there is no al- 

 ternative but to insert it in the list of species, 

 leaving it to future observation to determine Avhether 

 it is entitled to retain that position or other ^Yise. 



Gen. LXXYIII. Brosmius has the body elon- 

 gated and compressed, particularly behind ; the first 

 dorsal, which was so rudimentary in Motella^ here 

 entirely disappears, and there is only a single dor- 

 sal commencing on a line with the middle of the 

 pectorals and continued to the very root of the tail, 

 leaving a very narrow space between ; the anal 

 corresponds to this behind, and is continued forward 

 about half the length of the belly : the ventrals are 

 fleshy, and there is a barbule on the chin. The only 

 British species is 



(Sp. 165.) B. vulgaris. The Torsk, or Tusk, 

 which is a northern fish, seldom ranging much fur- 

 ther south than the 60th degree, and which there- 

 fore is but little known on the coasts of our mainland. 

 Indeed we have seen no well authenticated record 

 of its occurrence at all on the shores of England 

 or Scotland. Dr. Parnell includes it in his catalogue 

 of the Fislies of the Forth, but he does not appear 

 to have met with it himself, as he merely states 

 that it is said to be occaisionally taken in the Firth 



