Class IV. H O L I B U T. 217 



which adheres to the fide fins, which is extreme- 

 ly fat and delicious, but furfeiting. 



They are the moft voracious of all flat fifh. 

 The lad year there were two inftances of their fwal- 

 lowing the lead weight at the end of a line, with 

 which the feamen were founding the bottom from 

 on board a ftiip, one off Flamborough Head> the 

 other going into Tinmoutb Haven : the latter was 

 taken, the other difengaged itfelf. 



The holibut, in refpect to its length, is the nar- Descrip. 

 roweft of any of this genus except the fole. 



It is perfectly fmooth, and free from fpines ei- 

 ther above or below. The color of the upper 

 part is dufky •, beneath of a pure white. We do 

 not count the rays of the fins in this genus, not 

 only becaufe they are fo numerous, but becaufe 

 nature hath given to each fpecies characters fuffi- 

 cient to diftinguifh them by. 



Thefe flat fifh fwim fideways ; for which reafon 

 Linnaeus hath ftyled them Pkitronefiss. 



Q - Pteteffa 



