SCALDFISH. 255 



The length of the head is to that of the body as one to 

 three, caudal rays excluded ; the depth of the body, without 

 the dorsal or anal fins, equal to one-third of the whole 

 length ; the dorsal fin commences over the upper eye, and 

 reaches very nearly to the end of the fleshy portion of the 

 tail; the pectoral fin long and narrow, but shorter and smaller 

 on the under side ; ventral fins under the gill-cover ; the 

 anal fin commencing in a line under the pectoral, and end- 

 ing near the tail on the same plane as the dorsal fin ; caudal 

 rays of moderate length, and slightly rounded ; but the rays 

 of all the fins in both the specimens before me, from which 

 the description is taken, extend considerably beyond the con- 

 necting membranes of each, as shown in the woodcut. 



The fin-rays in number are 



D. 87 : P. 6 : V. 10 : A. 60 : C. 18. 



The mouth is large, with small teeth in both jaws ; lower 

 jaw the longest when separated : eyes rather large ; pupils 

 blue ; irides yellow ; orbits separated by a bony ridge ; upper 

 eye larger than the lower, and placed more backward in a 

 vertical line : body in shape an elongated oval, narrowed 

 towards the tail ; the scales large, round, thin, and trans- 

 parent, almost all wanting, so easily are they removed on the 

 slightest touch ; the body of the fish appears naked. I am 

 indebted to the kindness of Mr. Couch for a Cornish speci- 

 men : I also possess one from the Mediterranean, which 

 enables me to say that our fish is the Rhombus nudus of 

 M. Risso, as quoted. The lateral line after its commence- 

 ment at the posterior edge of the operculum rises slightly 

 over the pectoral fin ; then descending gradually, deviates but 

 little from a straight line throughout the remainder of its 

 course to the tail. The colour of both specimens is alike, a 

 uniform pale yellow brown. 



