38 PLEURONECTID.E. 



in one of my own, and in Montagu's specimen, as described 

 in his MS. the dark variations in colour arc confined to 

 patches on the fins, as in Pennant"'s figure ; but without refer- 

 ence to colour, this species is immediately known by the 

 space which occurs between the two elongated fins and the 

 tail, which Montagu says was equal to half an inch in his 

 specimen, which measured nine inches. 



Both these species belong to the genus Monochirus of 

 Cuvier, distinguished from those of the genus Solea by the 

 very small size of the upper pectoral fin, and the very rudi- 

 mentary state of the pectoral fin on the under side, and is, 

 indeed, sometimes entirely w\anting. Of our two British 

 species of Monochirus^ the M. linguatulus of Cuvier has the 

 smaller upper pectoral fin of the two, as observed by Mr. 

 Thompson, who has, in a recent number of the Annals of 

 Natural History, published some interesting details on the 

 two British species of the genus Monochir^is. 



From, the numbers of these fishes which are taken in the 

 trawl-nets off Brixham throughout the whole year, says Dr. 

 Parnell, and from their never appearing to attain a large size, 

 there can be little doubt but that they are arrived at their 

 full growth. The fishermen, who appear perfectly familiar 

 with their appearance, call them Red Soles ; and scarcely a 

 trawl-boat leaves Brixham Harbour that does not capture a 

 dozen or more of these fish daily ; but, from their diminutive 

 size, they are either thrown overboard, or left to decay at the 

 bottom of the vessels. 



Description : — " Length five inches ; the width at the 

 upper third nearly two inches : the colour of the back light 

 reddish brown, the under surface pale white ; every sixth or 

 seventh ray of the dorsal and anal fin black. In shape this 

 fish is similar to the Common Sole, but is of a more wedge- 

 shaped form, becoming narrow at the caudal extremity. 

 The head is small, one-sixth of the whole length ; the mouth 



