THE ZOOLOGIST—SEPTEMBER, 1876, 5033 
Murena helena, Linneus (the Murry of Yarrell, the Murena 
of Couch). By Joun T. Carrineroy, 
Fig. 1. MurxNa HELENA. 
Tuis classical fish has hitherto been so incorrectly figured in 
every English Manual of Ichthyology where an illustration is given, 
that it seems desirable, now an opportunity is afforded, to refigure 
at least the most important part of it from life. Had the pages 
of the ‘ Zoologist’ been sufficiently large, I should have preferred 
giving a figure, drawn to scale, of the entire fish. 
The first published figure with which I am acquainted is that 
given in the second edition of Mr. Yarrell’s ‘ British Fishes.’ He 
says, “ Of this singular and beautifully-marked fish Mr.Couch very 
kindly sent for my use a coloured drawing made from a fresh 
specimen, from which the figure, carefully reduced in size, was 
drawn and engraved.” 
I find on reference to Mr. Couch’s ‘ Fishes of the British Isles,’ 
that the fish which was made the subject of that drawing was caught 
with a line on the 8th of October, 1854, by a fisherman of Polperro, 
in Cornwall, who gave it to Mr. Couch shortly after he came to 
land. I cannot help thinking that Mr. Couch was to some extent 
deceived as to the fresh state of this animal when he figured it, 
I believe also the fore part of its body had become abnormally 
swollen through either hard usage or other cause, otherwise the 
extraordinary shape of the head could never have been given to us 
SECOND SERIZS—VOL, XI. 2T 
