CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. '95 



I am of your opinion that the Bret is the Rhombus 

 asper ; but what manner of fish that is you call Sand- 

 screiter* I know not. Of this sort of flat fishes I have 

 as yet seen only seven species, but doubt not that there 

 are many more. Those are the Sole \8olea vulgaris], the 

 Pole [Platessa polo], which is a kind of sole ; the Hali- 

 but, which you call Turbut ; the Turbut, which you call 

 Bret ; the common Plaise [Platessa vulgar is\, or Passer 

 Icevis vulgaris maculatus ; the Fluke or Flounder [Pla- 

 tessa Jlesus], called by some Passer non maculatus, and 

 by others, I believe, Rhombus Jluviatilis ; and the Passer 

 asper sive squamosus of Rondel, called a Dab [Platessa 

 lwiandd\ in Cornwall. We were told there of some 

 others, ~>iz. one they call a Lantern Fish [the Whiff, 

 Rhombus megastomd\, another they call a Queen. But 

 of these things I hope to receive more full and particular 

 satisfaction from you. As for what you have published 

 in print, I judge it worthy of you, and think you deserve 

 much thanks and commendation for so frankly communi- 

 cating your ingenious observations and useful discoveries 

 to the world, and will, doubtless, be recompensed with 

 the honour due to you therefore. In one thing I am as 

 yet of a different opinion from you, and that is the origin 

 of those stones which we usually call petrified shells, 

 though you want not good ground for what you assert. 



Middleton, March 2, 1671. 



Mr. JOHNSON to Mr. RAY. 



HONOURED SIR, You have the head of a Fieldfare 

 [Turdus pilaris\ almost white, the rest of the body was 

 not at all altered, whether it be lusus natures, old age, or 

 some accidental cause, I know not. I have only observed 



* Perhaps the Rough Dab, Platessa limandoldes. 



