COMMON BAND-FISH. 189 



mences from the back of the head, and is con- 

 tinued as far as the tail, which is of moderate size 

 and of an oval shape : the vent fin commences at 

 a small distance from the ventral ones, and like the 

 dorsal is continued to the beginning of the tail : 

 the colour of the body is bright silver, with a dusky 

 tinge above, and marked along the sides by a few 

 obscure, distant, and rather large reddish spots: 

 the lateral line runs strait through the middle of the 

 body from the head to the tail : the fins are all of a 

 pale red colour, and the skin is covered with ex* 

 tremely small scales. This fish is said to swim with 

 great rapidity, in the manner of the Trichiure, and 

 to present a beautiful spectacle by the undulating 

 flexures of its body. It is of a predacious nature, 

 living principally on the smaller kind of crabs and 

 shell-fish, the remains of which are said to be usually 

 found in its stomach. From its extreme thinness, 

 which is such as almost to permit the vertebra? to 

 be seen through the sides, it is scarcely considered 

 as an eatable fish. It is observed to frequent the 

 neighbourhood of the shores, in order the more 

 readily to obtain its food, and is occasionally used 

 by the fishermen for the purpose of a bait. 



