British 

 Fishes. 



Sea serpent. 



Eel. 



I.aunce. 



714 



is published in the Linrur.m Transactions, vol. xi. part 

 2d. 



GENUS XXXI. OPHISURUS. Sea Serpent. 



51. O. ophis. Spotted sea serpent. 



This species was first described as British by Merret 

 in his Pinax, page 1 85, under the title Serpcns Marimts. 

 It was omitted by Pennant in his British Zoology, but 

 continued by Berkenhout and others. 



GENUS XXXVI. MUH.ENA. Eel. 



52. M.anguilla. Common eel. 



Found in Takes, ditches, and rivers throughout the 

 kingdom. In many places, they appear to live in the 

 sea during the winter, from whence in spring they mi- 

 grate to the fresh waters. They return again in har- 

 vest, and at that season are considered as in the best 

 state for the table. 



53. M. conger. Conger eel. 

 Common in the sea. 



54. Af. myrtts. This species inhabits the Mediter- 

 ranean, and is inserted in the list of British fishes on 

 the authority of Berkenhout. 



GENUS XXXVII. AMMODYTES. Launce. 



55. A. Tobianus. Sand launce, or sand eel. 



Found in the sea on the sandy shores. Is less com- 

 mon in the northern than in the southern parts of the 

 island. 



GENUS XXXVIII. OPIIIDIUM. 



56. O. barbatum. 



This species is well known as a native of the Medi- 

 terranean and Ked Seas. It is inserted in the British 

 list on the authority of Berkenhout. 



.57. O.imberbe. 



First described as British by Pennant, who obtained 

 it from the sea near Weymouth. Montagu found it on 

 the south coast of Devon, and has published a minute 

 description of it in the Memoirs of the Werncrian Nat. 

 Hist. Soc. vol. i. p. 95. t. iv. f. 2. 



XL. ZIPHIAS. Sword Fish. 

 Sword fish. 58. Z. gladius . Common sword fish. 



Willoughby states, that he has seen a fish of this spe- 

 eies in England fifteen feet in length. It is, however, 

 a fish of rare occurrence. 



59- Z. rondelalii. 



This species is described by Dr Leach in the Me- 

 moirs of the Wernerian Society, vol. ii. p. 58. He con- 

 siders it the Ziphias or Gladius of Rondeletius, al- 

 though it has a second anal fin, of which that author 

 takes no notice. We are inclined to consider these as 

 belonging to one species, and to attribute the differ- 

 ences in the accounts which have been given of them 

 to the imperfection of the specimens described. 



GENUS XLII. ANARCHICHAS. Wolf-Fish. 

 nolthsh. go. A. lupus. Common wolf-fish. 



Frequent on the coast, especially in the northern 

 parts of the island, where it is called Cal-jisU. 



GENUS XLVII. CALLIO-NYMUS. Dragonet. 

 Dragenet. 01. C. lyra. Gemmeous dragonet. 



Common in the Frith of Forth, where it is called 

 ,TJ The female, or sordid dragonet of naturalists, 

 is called btmg-Jish. on the coast of Devon. 



GENUS IV. TRACHINUS. Weever. 

 Weever. 62. T. major. Greater weever. 



Pennant is the first naturalist who describes this spe- 

 lt inhabits the sea near Scarborough, and is oc- 

 casionally brought in the spring to the London mar. 



63. T. draco. Common weever. 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Not uncommon on the English coasts. Rare in the British 

 Scottish seas. Fishes. 



GENUS XLI. GADUS. Cod. 



SECTION II. With three dorsal Jins, chin bearded. Ood. 



64. G. morhua. Common cod. 



This is found in the sea in all parts of the island, but 

 the greatest fisheries are on the Scottish coasts. Their 

 capture gives employment to a great number of sea- 

 men. 



65. G. ccglifinus. Haddock. 



Equally common as the cod, but more capricious in 

 its migrations. Haddocks have appeared in the Frith 

 of Forth in the month of June this year, in great num- 

 bers, after a partial absence of several years. 



66. G. callarias. Dorse. 



Inserted on the authority of Willoughby. It is not 

 mentioned by Pennant or Donovan. 



67. G. luscus. Bib. 



This species is nowhere found in any numbers, and 

 is seldom sought after. 



68. G. barbatus. The pout. 



It is not a common species. By the Scarborough fish- 

 ermen it is called Fleg, and its flesh is considered de- 

 licate. 



6y. G. minultis. Poor. 



This species, common in the Mediterranean, was ob- 

 served on the Cornish coast by the Rev. Mr. Jago. 



70. G. punclatus. Speckled cod. 



This species, which is said to be frequently taken in 

 the weirs at Swansea, is described by Dr. Turton in 

 his British Fauna, p. 90. 



SECTION II. With three dorsal Jins ; chin beardless. 



71. G. carbonarins. Coal fish. 



Very common, especially in the tideways in the 

 northern islands. When young they are good to eat, 

 but when full grown they are very coarse and unpalat- 

 able. 



72. G. merlangits. Whiting. 



Taken in the spring months in considerable numbers, 

 on all the coasts of the island. 



73. G. poltachias. Pollack. 



Common on the English coast, and on the west coast 

 of Scotland, but seldom found on the east. At Scar- 

 borough they are called Leels, with us Lylhes. 



74. G. virens. Green cod. 



This species is not uncommon in the northern seas. 

 It was first described as British by Pennant, from the 

 observations of Sir John Callum. 



SECTION III. With two dorsal Jlns ; chin bearded. 



75. G. molv*. Ling. 



Common on all parts of the coast. In the northern 

 islands, the salting of these fish for exportation is a 

 considerable article of trade. 



76. G. lota. Burbot. 



This species lives in the fresh water, and prefers clear 

 waters, where the current is slow. It is unknown in 

 Scotland, and in England it is found only in a few ri- 

 vers. Its flesh is excellent, and eagerly sought after. 



77- G. mustela. Five bearded coil. 



Not uncommon on the English shores. First accu- 

 rately discriminated by Pennant. 



78. G. argenteoltii. 



This is a pew species, described by Montagu in the 

 2d volume of the Memoirs of the Wernerian Nat. Hist. 

 Society, p. 449- It is common on the western coast of 

 England, and is more nearly allied to the three bearded 

 cod than to any other of the genus. 



79. G. triarratus. Three bearded cod. 



This is a common species, frequenting the rocky 



