468 



PETROMYZID^. 



CHONDROPTERYGIl. 



PETROMYZWiE. 



THE LANCELET. 



Amphioxus lanceolatus, Yarrell. 



Limax ,, Pallas, Spic. Zool.X. p. 19, t. i. fig. 11. 



Generic Characters. — Body compressed, the surface without scales, both ends 

 pointed ; a single dorsal fin extending the whole length of the back ; no pec- 

 toral, ventral, anal, or caudal fins ; mouth on the under part of the head nar- 

 row, elongated, each lateral margin furnished with a row of slender filaments. 



The singular little animal here figured of the natural size, 

 although one of the smallest, as well as the last, among 

 British fishes, is by no means deficient in interest. The 

 specimen, the only one I ever saw, and which is probably 

 also the only one that has been taken for many years, was 

 sent to me by Mr. Couch, who found it himself on the 

 shore near Polperro. A portion of the tail of this little 

 fish was sticking out from underneath a stone in a small 



