LECTURE VIII. 61 



This has been published under the title of the 

 Comet-Fish; I suppose from the infrequency of 

 its appearance. 



This genus is not a Linnaean one, and was 

 first described by Ascanius, under the name of 

 Regalecus. 



The beautiful genus Goryphcena or Coryphene, 

 improperly called Dolphin by sailors, consists in 

 general of rather large Fishes, of a lengthened 

 shape, with a large and very sloping head, and in 

 general of beautiful colours. The common Cory- 

 phene in particular, is a Fish of extreme beauty of 

 colour, being of a rich and bright blue-green, 

 with numerous orange-coloured specks. It mea- 

 sures about three feet in length, and is an inha- 

 bitant of the Indian and Atlantic seas, often ap- 

 pearing in large shoals, and sometimes following 

 ships in order to obtain any occasional articles of 

 food which may happen to be thrown overboard. 

 When taken out of the water its beauty of colour 

 gradually fades as the Fish expires ; the lustre va- 

 nishing by degrees, with partial restorations, till 

 at length it becomes of a dull greyish or cinereous 

 cast, without any remains of its former splendor. 

 This gradual evanescence of colour in the dying 



