4 rERCinr.. 



covered witli barnacles, was becalmed for iiiaiiy days witliiii 

 a liundrcd Icasj^ucs of Oporto, and was for a fortnight sur- 

 rounded with these fish, which followed the ship, and were 

 caught by the crew. He fed his men upon them for twelve 

 or fourteen days, and considered them excellent food." 



As before noticed, according to M. Valenciennes, Savigny, 

 and Risso, this Polyprion, — the only species of the genus, — 

 is common in the Mediterranean, where it lives throughout 

 the year over rocky bottoms in deep water. The flesh is 

 white, tender, and of good flavour. M. Valenciennes says it 

 feeds on mollusca and small fishes ; he found sardines in the 

 stomach. 



The Rev. R.T.Lowe says this Polyprion is one of the most 

 common fish in the market at Madeira ; where, when small, 

 it is called Chernottc, and when large, Cherno, (pronounced 

 Shareny by the Portuguese,) and Jew-fish by the English. 

 Tt is there, also, deservedly held in esteem for the table. 



Specimens taken at the Cape of Good Hope were sent by 

 M. Delaland to Baron Cuvier at Paris, who could perceive 

 no difference between them and specimens from the Medi- 

 terranean or the Channel. 



There is good reason to believe, on the authority of Dr. 

 Latham, as recorded by Schneider, that this fish also inhabits 

 the shores of America. 



In the fish here described, the length from the point of 

 the upper jaw to the posterior end of the horizontal bony 

 ridge on the operculum, is to the whole length of the fish, 

 exclusive of the caudal rays, as one to three ; the depth of the 

 fish in the vertical line of the origin of the ventral and pecto- 

 ral fins, is to the whole length, from the point of the lower 

 jaw, when the mouth is open, to the end of the caudal rays, 

 also as one to three ; the thickness of the fish equal to half 

 its height ; the lower jaw is the longest; the nostrils double, 

 the openings circular ; the eyes dark brown ; the peculiarities 



