VOL XliVI,} PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. fl 



on its back, which arises below its neck, and runs within a little of its tail. On 

 each side about the middle, between its back and belly, behind the gills is a fin : 

 from the bottom and middle of its belly, a little forward of the vent, arise 2 

 fins : from behind the vent runs one fin, within a little of the tail : the tail-fin 

 is large and forked. Its eyes are large ; the irides are scarlet, encompassed with 

 a circle of a gold colour verged with scarlet. Its nostrils are placed above its 

 eyes. The back, and upper part of the body quite to the tail, is of a dark blue, 

 or violet colour ; these, and the sides of the body, which were of a bright green, 

 are all speckled with oblong white spots ; the chaps are of a pale red ; the nose, 

 gills, and belly, of a silver colour ; and all the fins of a bright scarlet. 



It was 3 feet 7 inches long, and 3 feet 10 inches round in the thickest part, 

 and weighed 82 pounds. Its mouth is small : its tongue thick, almost like a 

 human tongue in shape, but rough, and thick-set with beards or prickles, which 

 pointed backwards ; so that any thing might easily pass down, but could not 

 easily slip back again ; while these might serve instead of teeth for retaining 

 its prey or food. Its gills resemble those of a salmon. Its body grows very taper 

 towards the tail ; and, fi"om being compressed to 10 inches thick, becomes near 

 the tail almost round, and about 3 inches thick. The whole shape of this fish 

 much resembles the sea-bream ; but it differs in size, being much larger, and in 

 not having teeth nor scales. The fin standing erect on the back, has some 

 aculei next the neck, and rises up 8 inches ; but in the middle diminishes to 1 

 inch ; and near the tail rises again to about 3 inches. The belly-fin opposite to 

 this spreads 3 inches near the tail, and diminishes towards the vent. The tail- 

 fin is forked, and spreads 12 inches. The gill-fins are g inches long, and 3 

 wide at their basis. The 2 belly-fins were 1 1 inches long, and 3 wide at their 

 basis. It seems to be a new species offish, not yet described by any author: ^ 

 but on the coast of Guinea is known by the name opah. 



Mr. Bigland said, that, on opening it, all its bowels would have gone into a 

 quart mug ; that the flesh of the fore part was firm, and looked like beef, and 

 the hinder part like fine veal ; that the bones were like those of quadrupeds ; 

 particularly the shoulder blades, which resembled those of sheep. 



On the Extirpation of an Excrescence from the Womb. By John Burton of 



York, M. D. N° 495, p. 520. 



The wife of one Chapman, a whitesmith, at Selby, 10 miles from York, up- 

 wards of 7 years since, lay in of her last child, and had a tolerable easy labour : 

 soon after which, she had v/hat she called the fluor albus, that continued ever 

 since, and increased on her ; insomuch that she says, she has sometimes had 

 such a discharge as to wet the place she sat on through all her clothes. 



For some months before Dr. B. was concerned for her, she began to com- 



