596 GLEANINGS AMONG THE PLEURONECTIDS. 



is the same as the Linmean species, B. Tappa probably Amoglossus 

 laterna and B. imperialis lias been supposed to be identical wiih the 

 Arnoglossus Grohinanni, and by Bonaparte identified with the Turbot,* 

 but the proportions and rays assigned by Rafinesque preclude the latter. 

 Iu 1810, also, but somewhat later, Rafinesque, iu his lndice d' Ittiolo- 

 o-ia Siciliana (pp. 13, 15), enumerates the Sicilian Heterosomes known 

 to him. He considered the Heterosomes to represent the second sec- 

 tion (i Pleurostomi) of the first division (i Giugulari) of the first sub- 

 class (i Pomniodi) of fishes, and distributed them into two orders or 

 families, one (gli Aghirini), containing the new genus Symphurus, and 

 the second (i Pleronetti) embracing the genera 8olea, Scophthalmus^ 

 and Bothus. Scoph thalmus was a new genus, embracing the 8. maximus 

 ( Pieuronectes maximus Lin)., 8. rhombus {PL rhombus Linn.), and 8. dm- 

 rus, a species based on the alia Passeris species of Rondelet (lib. n, cap. 

 8 tig> (= pieuronectes platessal). The genus was solely distinguished 

 by the jugular fins and caudal fiu free, and eyes on the left side.t 



The Only difference which appears from a comparison of Rafinesque's 

 diagnoses of Bothus and Scophthalmus is iu the assumption that while 

 there is only one ventral fin in the former there are two in the latter.* 

 This assumption is baseless, as all the species referred to the two nomi- 

 nal genera have alike two ventrals, although very dissimilar in propor- 

 tions on the respective sides. The two genera are identical, and indeed 

 the Brill, which seems to have been at first regarded as the type of the 

 genus Bothus, and is also the same as the B. Rumolo, is, iu the later work, 

 transferred to the genus Scophthalmus. The two names should there- 

 fore be regarded as strict synonyms. 



But, iu any case, the European species contained in the genus Pleuro- 

 nectes, as recognized by Messrs. Jordan and Goss, were formally with- 

 drawn from the Linnsean genus and referred to one or other of his 

 genera by Rafinesque. 



In 1815, Rafinesque in his Analyse de la Nature (Palermo), for his sys- 

 tem of Ichthyology, classified the Heterosomes or Pleuropsia as follows: 



II 6 . Sous, ord. Pleuroi-sia. 

 4 C Fain. Pleuronectea. 

 1« S.-Faui. Achiria, 2 e S.-Fam. Diploohiria. 



Achirus. Pieuronectes. 



Symphurus. Scophthalmus, R. 



Monochirus. Bothus, R. 



Plagiusa. 



It will thus be seen that Rafinesque had not only first eliminated the 

 Pieuronectes rhombus and P. maximus from the mass of the Liunaan 



* Bonaparte, Cat. Pesci Europe!, p. 49*, s. n. Psetta maxima, syn. = " Bothus imperi- 

 al^, Iiaf. Car. ex natur." . . 



r"V. Gen. Scophthalmus. Ale giugulare, ed ala caudate sciolte, occbj alia sinis- 

 tra." Eaf., o. c p. •">:'.. 



X "XXIII. G. Bothus. I due occhi alia sinistra, ale dorsale ed auale distincte e 

 Separate della caudale, una sola ale giugulare." Rat'., Caratteri, p. 23. 



