502 Zoological Society. 



ence is so indistinct and indefinite that it has not enabled British 

 naturalists to discover where they were to be seen. 



On a very accurate drawing of a fish of this genus, bound up with 

 other notes on British fishes, at the end of a 4to copy of Pennant's 

 British Zoology of 1776, which is contained in the library of the late 

 Sir Joseph Banks, now forming part of the library of the British 

 Museum, is the following, the head of which is reduced two-thirds in 

 the following figure : — 



"On Saturday the 23rd day of February, 1788, was caught near 

 Newlyn Quay, on the sand at ebb-tide, a fish which measured in 

 length 8 feet 4 inches, breadth 10 inches, and thickness 2\ inches ; 

 weight 40 lbs." 



The drawing is inscribed, by another hand, " Begalecus Glesne, 

 Ascan. Icon. t. 11 ; Miiller, Z. D. n. 355. R. remipes, Nov. Act. 

 Hafn. n. 414 ;" and on the margin there is added in another hand 

 the following note : — 



"N.B. A gentleman who saw this fish informed Capt. Chemming 

 (Chelnwyn ?) that the tail was not perfect, and supposed it was ori- 

 ginally longer than is represented." 



The body of the fish is silvered, with obscure indications of darker 

 cross-bands, and the fins are all salmon-coloured ; the first ray of the 

 dorsal over the eyes is elongated and bent down over the front of the 

 head, and each of the two ventral fins ends in an ovate radiated appen- 

 dage. 



This figure, representing the first British example on record, is 

 certainly the best and most trustworthy representation of the fish that 

 I have seen. A reduced copy of this drawing is here given. 



Valenciennes, to whom a copy of this figure has been sent by 

 Mrs. Lee, mentions it in the History of Fish, vol. x. p. 365, but has 

 translated Newlyn Quay into " Necolyn Quay."" 



Dr. Russell (Fishes of Coromandel, i. 29) observes: "In 1796 a 

 fish of this genus was cast on shore in Cornwall, a drawing and de- 

 scription of which were sent to Sir Joseph Banks. It has two ventral 

 cirri, and in the crest of the head resembled the present subject more 

 than any of the others : the tail had been broken off." 



