750 ON ARNOGLOSSUS LOPHOTES AND A. GROHMANNI. [ Dec. 19, 
in the Lemon Sole—clearly indicating that such a variation in number 
is well within such as is normally perceived in European species 
which visit the British coast. This deviation in the number of rays 
is consequently an insufficient reason for constituting A. lophotes a 
species; and it must be regarded as a synonym of A. grohmanni, 
which can now be recorded among the wanderers to our shores. 
I now come to the consideration of the statement that this Cardiff 
example “ establishes the validity of Dr. Giinther’s classification of 
this fish (Lophotes arnoglossus) as a distinct British species.” 
I have only seen Dr. Ginther’s remarks that “it is not at all im- 
probable that these three specimens (skins from Yarrell’s collection) 
really are British ” (Cat. iv. p. 418); but in his ‘ Introduction to 
the Study of Fish,’ p. 556, 1880, he merely places one species of this 
genus, Arnoglossus laterna, as extending to the south coast of 
England. 
After Dr. Giinther had recorded the skins as forming a distinct 
species, Couch was, I believe, the first and the last author who 
admitted Arnoglossus lophotes, Giinther, to be a British form. He 
gives as his reason that “these same examples [the three skins] were 
examined by myself at Mr. Yarrell’s house, at which time I made a 
note of its being that gentleman’s opinion that they formed varieties 
or monstrosities of the Megrim or Scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna) ; 
but that they appeared to me to differ considerably from other 
examples of the last named” &c. (Fish Brit. Isles, iii. p. 179). He 
says that he ‘‘ judged them to be a species new to Britain; but from 
whence they were procured did not appear.’ Couch considered 
that he had seen an example of the same species among a collection 
made by Lieutenant Spence, of the Royal Navy, at Plymouth ; 
and it was on this supposition that he introduced it into his work. 
The only doubt is, whence Yarrell’s skins which formed the type of 
Arnoglossus lophotes were derived. In the last edition of his work, 
vol. i. p. 645, he records the possession of a Mediterranean specimen of 
the Megrim, Arnoglossus laterna, and tells us that the lateral line at 
its commencement rises higher than in his figure of the British Me- 
grim. I think that this will account for one example of the three skins 
in the national collection, which has the curved portion of the lateral 
line abnormally elevated, as shown in Couch’s figure. But as this 
specimen is one of three of certainly the same species, all forming 
types of A. lophotes, Giinther, I think we are justified in concluding 
that all may be Mediterranean specimens, especially as we have no 
evidence whatever of their being British. This would lead to the 
inference that they would probably be Mediterranean specimens ; and 
certainly the example obtained at Cardiff gives us every reason to 
suppose that it is A. grohmanni, identical with the types of A. lophotes, 
Giinther. 
The figure (Plate LIII.) is taken (natural size) from the example 
of this fish obtained by Prof. Moseley in the British Channel, and 
now in the British Museum. It therefore represents an unquestion- 
ably British specimen of Arnoglossus grohmanni. 
