1882.] ARNOGLOSSTJS LOPHOTES WITH A. GROHMANNI. 749 



Dr. Giinther described three skins of a pleuronectoid received from 

 Mr. Yarrell's collection, which descriptions are sufficiently accurate 

 to render recapitulation unnecessary ; but he did not apparently take 

 into consideration that, as they were skins, a considerable elongation 

 may have, and in fact has, occurred, rendering the proportions un- 

 trustworthy. If we turn to the accounts given by the various 

 ichthyologists who have written upon these two described forms, and 

 examine the figures which they have furnished us with, we obtain 

 the following results : — 



A. grohmanni. Height of body in the length to base of caudal 

 fin 2| ; length of head 4| to 4|. L. 1. ?58. 



"ATTophotes (skin). Height of body in the length to base of 

 caudal fin 2|-2f ; length of head 4| to 4|. L. 1. 60. 



A. lophotes (spirit). Height of body in the length to base of 

 caudal fin 2| ; length of head 4^. L. 1. 60. <^^. 



The scales being very deciduous, continental authors have hesi- 

 tated at recording their exact numbers. Canestrini gives 58 along j i-x r 

 the lateral line to the base of the caudal rays ; the examples of ^. / 



lophotes in the British Museum have up to 60. The colours in 

 the Cardiff (or, rather, off Lundy Island) specimeu also show the 

 small brown markings existing on the fin-rays of A. grohmanni, 

 with which this specimen agrees in its proportions, colours, and 

 number of scales. 



The differences ascribed are thus reduced to the fin-rays, which 

 are thus recorded : — 



Bonap D. 80. A. 52. 



Canestrini D. 86-90. A. 60-67. 



Moreau D. 84-90. A. 55-67. 



S^'^t^er D- 95 (100). A. 77 (80) {A. lophotes). 



Cardiff example D. 99. A. 7^ {A. lophotes). 



There are few fishes which show greater variations in the number of 

 their fin-rays than pleuronectoids ; and to demonstrate this I would 

 refer to the observations of others. Moreau being the most recent 

 author, I give some figures extracted from his very interesting ' Hist. 

 Nat. Poissons.' 



Turbot {Rhombus maximus) .... D. 61-72. A. 45-56. 



Brill {Rhombus IcEvis) D. 63-83. A. 50-61.* 



Pole {Pleuronectes cynoglossus) . . D. 102-116. A. 87-102. 



Sole {Solea vulgaris) D. 74-87. A. 60-69. ' 



Lemon Sole {Solea lascaris) D. 65-89. A. 52-70.* 



The number of dorsal fin-rays in A. grohmanni has been given as 

 from 80 to 90, and in A. lophotes up to 100, or an extreme varia- 

 tion of 20 rays. 



In the Brill, Moreau has recorded a variation of 20 rays in the 

 same fin, 11 in the Turbot, 14 in the Pole, 13 in the Sole, and 24 



