too 



HAXIGEPS. 



The head large, broad, and depressed; body of moderate length, 

 with very small scales. A barb at the lo'wer jaw; small teeth in 

 the jaws and middle of the palate, mingled with stronger ones in 

 the former. Two dorsal fins, of which the first is exceedingly small; 

 a single anal fin, both disjoined from the tail. Ventral fins jugular, 

 with two of its rays much longer than the other. 



LESSER FORKBEARD. 



TADPOLE FISH. 



Barbus minor. Lesser Forhhpard, Jago, in Ray's Synopsis. 



Blennius trifurcnfiis, Tuhton's Lixn.sus. 



Batrachoiide blennoide, and Biennis 



tridactyle, Lacepede. 



Baniceps trifurcatus, and B. jago, Ft,eming; Br. Animals, p. 194. 



" " Mag. of Zoology, by Sir W. 



Jardine, Bart., vol. i. 

 *• " " Jenyns; Manual, p. 45o. 



*• " " Yakrell; British Fishes, vol. ii, 



p. 292. 

 Baniceps trifnrcits, Gunther; Cat. Br. Museum, 



vol. iv, p. 367. 



This species was first made known to science by Jago, and 

 was long believed to rank among our rarest fishes; but, since 

 attention has been more generally directed toward the inha- 

 bitants of our seas, it is discovered to be not uncommon on 

 all the coasts of the British islands, where the water is not 

 shallow, and the bottom is rough or rocky. 



Yet it appears to be a wandering as well as solitary fish; 

 and although several have been taken in a season in the 

 west of Cornwall, it is only on one occasion that I have 



