408 Mr. W. Thompson on a new British Fish. 



II. Description of a minute Fish allied to the Ciliata glauca. 

 Couch, and Gadus argenteolus, Mont. Plate XVI. figs. 1^2,3. 



When dredging in Strangford Lough, county of Down, on 

 the 2nd of July last, at from one to three quarters of a mile 

 off the shore, and the water from ten to twenty fathoms in 

 depth, I for upwards of an hour remarked some very minute 

 fishes coming singly to the surface. They ascended in a 

 somewhat vertical direction, remained but momentarily there, 

 and again, generally in a similar manner, descended until lost 

 to view. Their back appeared to be of a dark colour, but 

 their sides presented the brilliancy of the brightest silver. 

 Their size was rather under an inch; their motion, though 

 somewhat wriggling, surprisingly rapid ; so much so, that al- 

 though the boat was scarcely moving, and the sea quite calm, 

 their continuance at the surface was so short, that the great- 

 est activity had to be exerted to secure them. For this pur- 

 pose a small canvas net, otherwise used in the capture of mi- 

 nute Medusce, was available. When brought into the boat, 

 they at first sight called to mind the Ciliata glauca and Gadus 

 argenteolus ; but the great size of the ventral fins, w^hich were 

 likewise of a pitchy blackness for nearly the last third of their 

 length, seemed opposed to their identity with these species. 

 The boatmen who accompanied me had not observed this fish 

 before, nor had they heard anything of it. 



Desc. — General form elongate ; belly protuberant. On a close 

 examination of all the specimens, nine in number, no cirri can with 

 a high power of lens, or on the field of the microscope, be detected 

 on either jaw. The largest individual, 10^ lines in length, may be 

 characterised as having the upper jaw the longer ; strong and pointed 

 teeth in both jaws ; head occupying rather more than ^ of the entire 

 length : eye equal in diameter to ^rd the length of head : opercle 

 rounded at the base, altogether forming a portion of a circle : first 

 dorsal fin originating just over the opercle, so sunken, and its rays 

 (which are thick and blunt) so short, as to be hardly distinguishable 

 in the profile of the fish, not less than 25 rays ; second dorsal com- 

 mencing close to the first, and before the end of the pectorals, of 

 unequal height, extending to the base of the caudal, not less than 

 50 rays : pectoral fins rather less than ^th of the entire length, of 

 moderate size and rounded, placed very high, somewhat above the 



