196 11USSELIAN GYMNETRUS. 



state ; the differences being not such as absolutely 

 to contradict this supposition. 



From Dr. Russel's memorandums on this subject, 

 politely communicated during my description of 

 this genus, it appears that no teeth were visible in 

 either jaw, whereas in the Ascanian fish the teeth 

 are expressly said to have been of a subulated form : 

 the opercula consisted of two oblong, flexible, 

 streaked plates : the abdomen was very short, and 

 the vent placed near the head : (in the Ascanian 

 fish it was situated towards the middle of the ab- 

 domen.) The caudal fin was not united with the 

 dorsal, and consisted of four rays, connected at 

 the base by a thin membrane, and afterwards 

 joined together and ending in a setaceous thread. 

 The gill-membrane had five rays; the dorsal fin 

 320: (in the Ascanian fish, notwithstanding its yast 

 length, there were only 120.) The pectoral fin had 

 eleven rays, the ventral two, and the caudal four *. 



In the British Museum is a dried specimen of a 

 fish which appears to be nearly allied to the pre- 

 ceding, but which is not sufficiently perfect to 

 admit of very exact description : the body is 

 much shorter in proportion: the lateral line 

 extremely strong or distinct: the colour of the 

 whole animal, except the fins and processes (which 

 are red), a bright silver; and from the top of the 



* I must here observe that, (regarding the number of rays iu 

 the fins of fishes, and more especially in those which have long 

 and shallow fins, as a character on which no -very great depend- 

 ence is to be placed,) I have not been solicitous to introduce it^ 

 except in a few instances., into the present work. 



