196 RIBAND-SHAPED. 



years the Red Snakefisli had not been recognised as a 

 British species ; yet it is not uncommon on the western 

 coast. No less than nine specimens have fallen into my 

 hands, of which three were at different times killed and 

 thrown on shore by tempests. One rather large was taken 

 from the stomach of a hake ; and one more, at least, was 

 taken with a line." 



The form of the body long, slender, smooth, compressed ; 

 this latter character increasing with age and size, small 

 specimens being oval, or almost round : the body tapering 

 gradually, both as to thickness and depth, from the head 

 to the tail ; head not larger than the body ; both jaws 

 sloping equally towards each other ; the lower jaw the 

 longest when the mouth is opened ; the line of the upper 

 jaw ascending obliquely ; the mouth large, the angle de- 

 pressed ; the tongue short and smooth : both jaws furnished 

 with a single row of conical, curved, pointed teeth, not set 

 close together ; the teeth ranged along the outer edges of 

 the jaws, and projecting considerably, particularly those of 

 the lower jaw : the eyes large ; the nose short ; gill-covers 

 of two pieces : pectoral fins small and rounded ; ventrals 

 placed rather before the line of the origin of the pectorals, 

 the first ray spinous, the inner ray of each united at the 

 base ; the dorsal fin commences at the nape and extends to 

 the tail, the anterior rays shorter than the others ; the vent 

 is about an inch behind the ventral fins ; the anal fin com- 

 mences immediately behind the vent, extending like the 

 dorsal fin to the tail, and having also the anterior rays 

 rather shorter than the others ; caudal fin lanceolate, middle 

 ray the longest : the distinction between the rays of the 

 dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, is lost by union, and the tail 

 ends in a point. The lateral line, not very obvious on some 

 parts of the body, is a little curved near the head, and after- 



