160 



still remaining in doubt, as the 6sli is not often taken, and 

 when it occurs a competent observer may not be present to 

 take advantage of the circumstance. The examination of a 

 single specimen therefore becomes a matter of interest; since 

 it may enable us to settle the value of the assumed marks 

 of distinction, and to assign the synonyms of our Briiish 

 species. 



The descriptions we possess of these fishes represent the 

 specimens as having great variety of colour ; as may be seen 

 in Risso's plates ( Ichthyologie de Nice pi. 3,) where one is 

 of very pale brown, with slight but numerous pale lilue 

 spots, and a larger ocellated spot of deeper blue on the centre 

 of the disk : with a pale waved line from each temporal 

 orifice to the tail. In another the colour is a uniforui reddish 

 buff; and the third is a dull brown, ihiikly covered with 

 small dark spots. In Matthiolus' edition of Dioscorides, the 

 colour is described as reddish, with five regularly arranged 

 large ocellated spots; which are seen only in the adult fish. 

 Gesner (Nomenclator aquatilium, p. 124.) gives two figures, 

 in each of which five large spots are regularly distributed ; 

 but they difTer from that of Matthiolus in having the spot 

 which lies in a direction with the dorsal line, close behind 

 the head ; whereas in the figure of the latt(>r author this 

 intermediate spot is the most remote from it. When we add 

 to this, that in most of the Ray kind there is a disposition 

 to formation of spots and circles, but that they vary in their 

 occurrence, form and situation, and that the supposed Cuckow 

 Ray (/t. miraletns) derived its only authority from these 

 accidents, we may safely venture to conclude that little 

 dependence should be placed on them for the distinction of 

 species. 'I'hey have not usually occurred in the specimens 

 taken in Britain, and I believe not at all on those seen in 

 Cornwall: in which they confirm a remark that I have 

 several times bad occasion to make — that the fishes of the 

 ]Mcdilerranean which occasionally wander to our shores, 

 invariably suffer a change of colour: — a circumstance to be 

 explained by the fact, that a variation of ground or light 

 ellt'cts great alteration in tlie shades or distribution of the 

 colours of fishes. 



But whilst tlie circumstance of colour or spot must be held 

 doubtful, another maik is claimed- as decisive of the dis- 

 tinction of species. This is the uniform continuity of the 

 margin of the temporal aperture, or the having that part cut 

 into segments: the Torpedo n)armorata, or old British 

 Torpedo of Mr. Yarreli's British Fishes, vol. 2, p. 542, 

 second edition, being characterized by the latter, the 

 Torpedo nobiliana, or new Briiish Torpedo, vol. 2. p. 546, 



