Lepidopus. fishes. ACANTHOPT. 205 



ing of a great number of rays, soft, and little more than an inch long. Each 

 of the pectorals had six double rays. There were no ventral nor anal fins, 

 but the belly was a sharp, smooth, and entire edge. The tail ended in a 

 point, consisting of three or four soft spines or bristles of different lengths, 

 not exceeding 2 inches. The body was nearly of the same breadth for one-half 

 of its length, and then its breadth diminished gradually till within three inches 

 of the tail, when the diminution became more quick. The lateral line was 

 straight, and strongly marked along the middle of the two sides." 



Upon the 12th November 1821, another individual was found upon the 

 beach, nearly at the same place. " Its head had been broken off", and was 

 quite gone, a small bit of the gills only remained about the upper part of the 

 throat ; from whence, to the extremity of tlie tail, its length was 12 feet 9 

 inches ; its breadth, 1 1 \ inches, was nearly equal for the first six feet in length 

 from the gills, diminishing gradually from thence to the tail, which ended in 

 a blunt point, without any of those kinds of bristles which projected from 

 the tail of the one found formerly : its greatest thickness was 2^ inches. 

 The distance from the gills to the anus 46 inches. The dorsal fin extended 

 from the head to the tail, but was much torn and broken : the bones or 

 muscles to which the pectoral fins had been attached were perceivable very 

 near the gills. There were no ventral nor anal fins ; but the thin edge of 

 the belly was closely muricated with small hard points, which, altiiouofh 

 scarcely visible through the skin, were very plainly felt all along it. Both 

 sides of the fish were white, with four longitudinal bars of a darker colour ; 

 the one immediately below the dorsal fin was about 2 inches broad ; each of 

 the other three about £ths of an inch. The side line straight along the 

 middle." 



From the preceding descriptions, which I have been induced to give in 

 detail, it appears probable that the two fishes examined by Mr Hoy be- 

 longed to different species. The differences in the position of the vent, the 

 structure of the tail, and the condition of the ridge of the belly, seem too 

 great to justify the inference of their being only varieties. The latter fish 

 api^ears identical with the Lepturus of Artedi, and consequently of Linnseus. 



Gen. LVI. LEPIDOPUS. Scale-foot.— Caudal and anal 

 fins distinct. Two pointed scales in place of ventrals. 



116. L. tetradens. — Anal fin developed, placed near the tail, 

 which is lunate ; pectorals pointed. 



Vandellius Lusitanicus, Shaw, Gen. Zool. iv. part ii. 199 -Ziphotheca 



tetradens, Mont. Wern. ]\Iem. i. 82, t. 2, 3. and vol. ii. p. 432 On 



the coast of Devon. 

 Length upwards of 5 feet. Body silvery, without scales, and smooth, ca- 

 rinated dorsally and ventrally. Lateral line straight. Head depressed, por- 

 rected ; the lower jaw longest, ending in a callous lip. Jaws with an iiTegu- 

 lar row of sharp-pointed teeth ; four larger ones in the upper jaw. Irides 

 and mouth silvery. D. 105, (the first three rays spinous) ; P. 12, (the lower 

 rays longest). The ventral scales behind the jjectorals. A. 17. Vent near 

 the middle. The first British example of this fish was taken in Salcomb 

 harbour, Devon, June 1808, and measured, according to Montagu, 5 a feet. 

 Another, only 10 Inches in length, occun-ed likewise on the Devon coast 

 February lUlO — This species differs from the L. Gouaniamis (Gouaii, HisS. 

 Pise. 185, tab. i. f. 1.) in the lunated tail, and the developed anal fin ; and 

 seems likewise to differ in the position of the vent and number of rays in the 

 dorsal fin, from L. Peronii of Risso (Ich. 148). 



