230 MALACOP. SUB-BRACH. FLAT FISH. 



at Stoford, in Bridgewater Bay, in the month of 

 December. The name expresses its most charac- 

 teristic attribute ; the length being much greater in 

 proportion to the breadth than in any other British 

 Platessa. The fins are soft, the rays not projecting, 

 and the dorsal and aual extend to the very root of 

 the tail ; the latter elongated M-ith the sides paral- 

 lel. The body is ver}' thin, and the lateral line runs 

 directly along the middle, and has a very short and 

 slight bend over the base of the pectoral. The out- 

 line of the head inclines to circular ; the jaws nearly 

 equal and each furnished with a single row of small 

 and regular teeth. From the further description 

 given hereafter, this will be found to constitute a 

 very distinct and well marked species. 



Gen. LXXXII. Hippoglossus. — In this genus, 

 which contains only one British species and that 

 the largest of all our flat-fish, the body is oblong, 

 and much narrower in proportion to the length than 

 in Platessa, the fins similar to those of that genus ; 

 jaws and pharynx with sharp and strong teeth ; 

 eyes and colour on the right side, at least in our na- 

 tive example of this group. 



(Sp. 175.) H. vulgaris. The HoHbut. This fish 

 generally measures from three to six feet, and two 

 instances are on record of it attaining the dimensions 

 of seven feet and a half, and weighing three hun- 

 dred and twenty pounds. One of that size was 

 taken off the Isle of Man in April 1828, and sent 

 to the Edinburgh market ; another of the same di- 

 mensions is mentioned by Low, but he does not 



