377 



ORTHAGORISCUS. 



The body compressed, firm, without spines; the tail high as the 

 body, and confounded with it, being in connection with the separate 

 dorsal and anal fins. The jaws undivided on their edge, covered with 

 uniform enamel in place of teeth. 



SUNFISH. 



Sunfish, WlLLOUGHBY; p. 151. 



Tetraodon mala, Linnjeus. 



Cephalus brevis, Cuvier. 



OrthagorUoas mola, Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 175. 



" " Jenyns ; Manual, p. 490. 



" " Yarrell; Br. Fishes, vol. ii, p. 462. 



Bloch; PI. 128, the young fish. 



" " Yarrell ; Br. Fishes, p. 464, the young fish. 



All the figures referred to are the less characteristic as having been 

 from dried examples. 



This strange-looking fish is usually spoken of as rare, but 

 it can scarcely be considered so on our south and west coast, 

 where it is not common for a year to pass without the 

 reported capture of a few. This is usually the case in the 

 warmer months, although in some instances an example has 

 loitered until late in the autumn. Single stragglers have 

 also been met with beyond what may be considered their 

 ordinary range. Mr. Peach informs me that he has known it 

 taken at Wick, and I have been assured of its occurrence as 

 far north as the Orkney Islands. Dr. McCoy says that it is 

 not uncommon in Australia, where a large quantity of oil is 

 extracted from it. We shall mention an instance of the taking 

 of a Sunfish with a baited hook; but the more usual capture 

 has been when the fish has been discovered as it floated at 

 the surface, and sometimes in the condition of apparent sleep, 

 with the head, even below the eyes, above the water, or lying 

 VOL. IV. 3 C 



