rLEUnONECTID.E. 



to me from Edinbiirgli, for examination, a skin of this 

 species nineteen inches in length, with several other pre- 

 served skins of fishes taken in the Frith of Forth, where 

 the Craig Fluke, as this fish is there called by the fisher- 

 men, is occasionally taken in the months of April, May, 

 and June. 



These are the only examples of this fish taken in our 

 seas that I am acquainted with. Of its habits but little, 

 I believe, is know^n. Baron Cuvier states, in his Regne 

 Animal, that in France the flesh of this species is in as 

 great estimation as that of the Sole ; and Lacepede states 

 that it attains a length of twenty-four to thirty inches. 



The head is small ; its length compared to that of the 

 Avhole fish is as one to six : the greatest breadth of body, 

 dorsal and anal fins excluded, is to the whole length rather 

 more than a third ; including the dorsal and anal fins, rather 

 less than a half: the form of the body an elongated oval, 

 pointed at each end : the mouth small ; the lips thin ; a 

 single row of teeth in each jaw, close set, smooth, incisor- 

 like, with thin and even-cutting edges: the eyes rather large; 

 the upper one ranging vertically behind the line of the 

 lower, with the usual intervening bony ridge ; irides orange : 

 pectoral and ventral fins small : dorsal and anal fins extend- 

 ing very nearly the whole length of the body ; both ending 

 on the same plane ; the rays about the middle of each the 

 longest ; those at the extreme ends, before and behind, very 

 short : tail rather long and rounded. 



The fin-rays in number in one specimen were — 



D. 109 : P. 11 : V. 7 : A. 93 : C. 19. 



The body is quite smooth ; the scales rather large, deci- 

 duous, but neither ciliated nor roughened in any way be- 

 yond a few radiating striae ; the head smooth, without tu- 



