450 PISCES (OSSEI) MALACOPT. [MOTELLA. 



rather more than one-fifth of the entire length : snout short, broad, and 

 rounded : gape wide : upper jaw a little the longest : a broad band of 

 velvet-like teeth in each jaw, with a single row of longer conical ones 

 behind them in the lower, before them in the upper: sharp card-like 

 teeth on the front of the vomer : two barbules on the upper part of the 

 snout, in advance of the nostrils ; a third at the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw; these three barbules of equal length, each measuring one-fourth 

 that of the heacj : gill-opening large ; the membranes uniting under the 

 throat as in the Burbot : scales very small ; the skin every-where soft, 

 and covered with a mucosity : lateral line bending downwards beneath 

 the commencement of the second dorsal, and gradually altering its course 

 from one-fifth to one-half the depth: first dorsal commencing in a line 

 with the gill-opening, situate in a deep groove, about half the length 

 of the head ; all the rays detached, fine and hair-like, scarcely showing 

 themselves above the groove, numerous ; the first ray stouter and longer 

 than the others: second or true dorsal immediately behind the first; long, 

 running nearly to, but not connected with, the caudal ; its height, except 

 just at its commencement, uniform, being rather more than one-third the 

 depth of the body : vent exactly in the middle of the entire length, caudal 

 excluded ; anal immediately behind it, resembling the second dorsal, and 

 terminating in the same line with that fin : caudal, and also the pectorals, 

 rounded : ventrals narrow ; the first two rays longer than the others, with 

 the intervening membrane deeply divided : number of fin-rays, 



2nd D. 56 ; A. 48 ; C. 24, and some short ones ; P. 19 ; V. 7. 



(Colours.) "Head and body reddish yellow, marked above the lateral 

 line with large black spots : dorsal fin and caudal darker ; anal of a 

 brighter red, but all spotted." PENN. 



Frequents rocky shores, but is far more rare in the British seas than 

 the next species. The specimen which furnished the above description, 

 was taken at Weymouth. Is sometimes called the Whistle-fish. 



136. M. Mustela, Nilss. (Five-bearded Rock-Ling.) 

 Olive-brown : four barbules on the snout ; and one at 

 the symphysis of the lower jaw. 



M. Mustela, Nilss. Prod. Ichth. Scand. p. 49. Gadus Mustela, 

 Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 440. Don. Brit. Fish. vol. i. pi. 14. 

 Turt. Brit. Faun. p. 92. Flem. Brit. An. p. 193. Five-bearded 

 Cod, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 202. pi. 33. no. 88. Id. (Edit. 

 1812.) vol. in. p. 268. pi. 36. 



LENGTH. About the same as that of the last species. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Differs from the last species, which it closely 

 resembles, in having two additional barbules, rather shorter than the other 

 ones, at the extremity of the upper lip: head shorter: upper jaw more 

 projecting : teeth not quite so strongly developed : eyes smaller : all the 

 fins similar, but the first ray of the first dorsal much longer and stouter 

 with relation to the other rays in that fin : number of fin-rays, 



2nd D. 51 ; A. 43; C. 24, &c.; P. 16; V. 7; 



the dorsal and anal always containing fewer than in the M. tridrratus, 

 by about five rays. (Colours.) Back and sides deep olive-brown, some- 



