ARGENTINE. 303 



suppose it would have been known if it had been the same 

 with a species nearly resembling it, inhabiting the Mediterranean, 

 and presently to be noticed. Nilsson mentions it as met with 

 on the coasts of Scandinavia; but nowhere do we hear of it 

 as seen in the open sea; but the larger number of examples 

 discovered on our shores have been thrown on the beach in 

 stormy weather, killed with the cold, or entangled in sea-weed. 

 It has been supposed that they come near our coasts only or 

 chiefly in the colder months, but those which were obtained 

 in Somersetshire were taken in July. 



The example described, and from which our figure was 

 taken, in length measured an inch and three fourths, and half 

 an inch at its greatest depth, which was not far behind the 

 head. The body compressed; mouth deeply cleft, descending; 

 under jaw protruding. The head slopes from behind the 

 eye to the mouth. Eye large, high on the cheek. Behind 

 the vent the body tapers to the tail. Body and cheeks glistening 

 like silver; hindmost gill-cover narrow. Dorsal fin above the 

 interval between the ventrals; but the rays could not be 

 counted in any fin except the anal, where there were seven; 

 the second dorsal or adipose fin was too obscure to have been 

 discovered if not directed to it by description, but on close 

 observation two or three rays were seen in it; pectoral fins 

 low, close under the gill-covers; ventrals long and narrow; 

 tail forked. A few bright and round silvery dots on the gill- 

 covers, a double row of them along the border of the belly 

 from the throat to the vent, twelve in number; another double 

 row from the vent to the beginning of the anal fin, ending 

 where is a single dot higher on the side; another double row 

 of twenty-four smaller dots near each other running from thence 

 to the tail. The lateral line first descends, and then runs 

 straight to the caudal fin. Colour of the back dark bluish, 

 blue tints on the belly; and it was observed that when these 

 examples were taken from the water, the bright dots along the 

 belly bore a reflection of pale green. 



Dr. Clarke's example measured almost two inches in length, 

 and from his figure the shape was proportionally much more 

 lengthened than that we have described; the dorsal fin further 

 behind; anal fin much more lengthened, the first rays longer 

 than the others; adipose more distant from the tail; ventrals 



