Mr. R. Parnell on the Motella cimbria. 41 



the caudal, the first rays stout and simple, the rest branched. 

 The fin-rays in number are 



1st D. 50; 2nd D. 50; P. 16 ; V. 5 ; A. 43 ; C. 20; 

 Vert. 52. 



Scales small, smooth, and adherent, covering the head, body, 

 and membranes of the dorsal, caudal and anal fins ; lateral 

 line distinct, formed by a number of oval depressions placed 

 at intervals from each other, commencing over the operculum, 

 taking a bend under the ninth, tenth, and eleventh rays of 

 the second dorsal fin, from thence running straight to the 

 middle ray of the caudal. Colours, back and sides of a grey- 

 ish brown, belly dirty white, second dorsal fin edged \nth 

 white, which is more apparent towards the caudal end ; upper 

 half of the caudal fin tipped with white ; pectorals, caudal and 

 lower parts of the dorsal, dark brown approaching to black ; 

 anal and ventrals dusky. 



Two well-known species oi Motella are frequently met with 

 on our coast, the Motella quinquecirrata and the Motella vul- 

 garis; but I am not aware of the Motella cimbria {Gadus 

 cimbrius of Linnaeus) having previously been noticed as a 

 British fish. It was found in June last, a little to the east of 

 Inchkeith, on a haddock line baited with muscles, and sent 

 me by the fishermen of Newhaven, as being the only fish of 

 the kind they had ever met with. From its general appearance 

 they at once recognised it to be closely alhed to the five-bearded 

 rockling [Motella quinquecirrata), a common species through- 

 out the coast, but on comparison the differences between them 

 were obvious ; and although the two fishes do disagree in some 

 particulars, yet it is difficult to point out accurately and satis- 

 factorily, to those who are not in the habit of handling them, 

 what these particulars are. Some authors, placing no depend- 

 ence as a character on the numbers of barbules on the snout, 

 consider the five-bearded rockling and the three-bearded rock- 

 Hng as mere varieties ; but this is not admitted either by Mr. 

 Yarrell or by Mr. Jenyns, >vho very justly consider them as 

 deserving of a place as distinct species in their valuable works 

 on British Ichthyology. The four-bearded rockling, accord- 

 ing to Linnaeus, occurs in the Atlantic and Norway seas, and 

 is distinguished by the first ray of the anterior dorsal fin pre- 



