GEN. DRAMA. RAY's BREAM. 185 



tical ; it has one elongated dorsal fin, studded, like 

 the anal, with, scales. It attains the length of be- 

 tween two and three feet, and weighs from 10 to 

 12 lbs. ; the colour above is very dark blue, coppery 

 upon the upper part of the sides, silvery on the 

 abdomen ; the anal and dorsal fins sparkle like sil- 

 ver, and there is a tint of green before the dorsal. 

 Baron Cuvier seems to have been deceived in sup- 

 posing this fish belonged exclusively to the Medi- 

 terranean, and was only a straggler in the ocean. 

 Probably its central dominion is that inland sea, 

 on many parts of whose shores it is extremely com- 

 mon. In the markets of Genoa it is called Ron- 

 danin. Mr. Yarrell has succeeded in demonstrating 

 that it is far from rare on our own and the neigh- 

 bouring shores. It has been observed once and 

 again on the coasts of Cornwall and Devonshire ; it 

 is met with at Belfast, where it is called the Hen- 

 fish ; and it is frequently found on the west coast 

 of Scotland : it has also been taken in Berwick and 

 St. Andrew's Bays, and in the Frith of Forth. Spe- 

 cimens of it exist in the British Museum, and 

 in that of the Zoological Society of London; and 

 Mr. Yarrell states that he saw nine specimens of it 

 in the Museums of Edinburgh, Newcastle, and York. 

 It is also found on the coasts of Norway. Accord- 

 ing to Cuvier, it spawns in summer ; and its flesh 

 is said to be of exquisite flavour. 



