External Aspect of the Tunny . 525 



that in severing the trunk by a vertical incision for convenience 

 in maceration tlie second dorsal fin remained on the anterior, 

 the anal on the posterior moiety. If a reference be made to 

 Couch's figure, this feature will be apparent at a glance ; and 

 the author had the advantage of familiarity with fresh speci- 

 mens. The shape of the pectoral fin in Mr. Day's figure, as 

 well as that of the anal, does not correspond with that in the 

 fresh specimen ; and as the pectoral in the stuffed bonito in 

 the museum here agrees with the latter, it is probable that 

 the taxidermist has dragged out the inner rays too prominently 

 in the specimen figured. 



No allusion has been made by Mr. Day in his rejoinder to 

 the finlets, which deviate from nature in contour and charac- 

 ter not only in his figure of the tunny, but likewise in the 

 bonito ; and since the character of these fins is apparently 

 more or less uniform, perhaps the illustrations of the albacore 

 and pelamid may also be included in the criticism. An iso- 

 lated figure of one of these is given in the plate formerly 

 alluded to ■^, and, moreover, they were carefully photographed 

 when fresh. The taxidermist has. had some trouble (or else 

 the skin and its appendages must have been very pliant) to 

 get these organs into the " taut " and wholly unnatural 

 position represented in the figures criticisedf. Considerable 

 force could not accomplish this in the specimen at St. An- 

 drews even after five month's partial maceration. 



Mr. Day refers to the accidental placing of huhalis instead 

 of scorpius opposite the title " The Short-spined Cottus,^^ on 

 p. 433 of the ' Annals ' for June 1885. He is probjibly 

 unaware that the " correction " he alludes to existed in print 

 a month or two previous to June 1885, and was issued | 

 about the time the paper he notices was published ; indeed 

 the slip must have occurred when copying from the proof of 

 the former. Moreover, in the paper in the ' Annals ' the title 

 ( C. scorpius) occurs in the explanation of the plate. 



The foregoing remarks will show that it is hazardous to 

 rely on a stuffed animal unless special precautions, by photo- 

 graphs and otherwise^ be taken in the preparation, and that 

 plate XXXV. of Mr. Day's ' British and Irish Fishes ' does 

 not adequately represent nature. 



* Vide Fourth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 t Subsequent desiccation may have iucreased the etiect, tliough it has 

 not done so in the bonito at St. Andrews. 



X Third Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland, p. -59. 



