CHAP. xvi. COUCH I A THOMPSON!. 337 



the sands. Those that I send now are old and young. 

 There is a little thing just out of the egg ; it has the 

 ovary sac still attached. Be kind enough, when you 

 write nie, to let me know the name of the fish." 



In replying to Edward, Couch said : " Your last 

 box has reached me, with its contents in good order, 

 for which I heartily thank you. I have already writ- 

 ten an account of the fish. My intention is to give 

 it the name of Concilia Thompsoni ; and as I shall 

 particularly refer to you, I think it may prove to 

 your advantage to obtain as many specimens as pos- 

 sible, to answer any demands that may be made upon 

 you. . . . The reason why I have not answered 

 you sooner is, that I have been much distressed by 

 the loss of my eldest son an eminent surgeon, living 

 at Penzance, in attendance on whom I was at that 

 town for a fortnight. He was eminent in many de- 

 partments of science, and was only forty-six years of 

 age when he died. You may judge from this, that I 

 have had but little disposition to active exertion for 

 some time past. I submit, as he was able to do, to 

 the will of God, but there is difficulty in saying from 

 the heart, ' His will be done.' " 



Edward discovered the above new fish in May 

 1863. After a few weeks, it disappeared from the 

 coast, and nothing further was seen of it until the 

 following May, when Edward took a few specimens. 

 It disappeared again, and reappeared towards the end 

 of August. " As this," he says, " was a lucky chance, 



z 



