RANKS'S OARFISH. 255 



these figures still exist which do not display a near likeness to 

 each other, and yet profess to bear a close resemblance to the 

 fish itself. 



As the residence of ]\lr. Edward Chirgwin, a respectable fish- 

 merchant, was near the place where the first-mentioned Cornish 

 example was found, he was acquainted with the circumstances 

 attending the discovery; and it was his expressed belief that 

 the drawing of it in his possession was not only taken from 

 nature, but the only one that was so: in which opinion however 

 there is reason to conclude that he was mistaken. By the favour 

 of Mr. Chirgwin this drawing was copied for my use, but the 

 original has since come into my possession. It is somewhat 

 roughly executed, but expresses much of the known character 

 of the fish. Two prominent rays of the anterior portion of the 

 dorsal fin project forward over the snout, and have the extremities 

 expanded into an oval or fan-shaped membrane, after which the 

 fin runs in a much narrower form to the extremity of the body. 

 The ventral fins are formed of a pair of rays, which measure 

 about one third of the length of the whole fish; and the end 

 of each is expanded in the same manner as that of the first rays 

 of the dorsal fin. The pectoral is round. The posterior extremity 

 of the body is represented as defective, but to shew that the 

 supposed caudal is an addition made by the draftsman, it is 

 not closely joined to the body. The eyes large, and the jaws 

 are drawn out in an. unusual manner. The lateral line besrins 

 high on the neck, but soon descends and runs along nearer the 

 lower than the upper outline. All the fins are red, but the 

 body has a greenish tint, which is deeper near the border above 

 and below; with stripes of a deeper tinge of the same colour. 

 The inscription on this figure is, (marked with inverted commas, 

 as if copied from some other,) "This is a drawing of a fish 

 that came on shore at Newlyn, on Saturday, the 2'3rd. of 

 February, 1788. Its length without the tail, (which it wanted) 

 was eight feet and a half, its extreme breadth ten inches and 

 a half, and its thickness but two inches and three fourths. — M. 

 Wright feet." 



The figure, of which I was favoured with a copy, in the 

 possession of the late William Rashleigh, Esq., F.ll.S., etc., was 

 said to represent a fish that was taken in the year 1791; and 

 was the original of the representation in Mr. Yarrell's own 



