THE SOLENETTE. 207 



description of the Pleuronectes variegattis (vol. v. p. 117), but differ remark- 

 ably from his figure in colouring ; nor in this respect do they agree entirely 

 -with Hanmer's iigure (Penn. Brit. Zool., vol. iii. pi. 48, ed. 1812), with which 

 I consider them identical, as they want the blotches of black represented on 

 the dorsal and anal fins. They also differ a little from each other in colouring, 

 the largest being of an uniform reddish brown on the upper side ; the two 

 smaller of a paler shade, with a series of roundish black spots on the body, a 

 short way inwardly from the back of the dorsal and anal fins, and a few similar 

 spots on the lateral line: in one the spots approaching the fins just named 

 are eight in number, in the other they are fewer and less conspicuous. In the 

 three specimens all the fins except the ventral have, at irregular intervals, an 

 occasional ray black ; the rays only exhibiting this colour. 



" Mr. Jenyns has called attention to the ditl'erence of colour and number of rays 

 in the fins of the specimen he examined (p. 468) compared with the individual 

 described by Mr. Hanmer. In both respects it appears the species is subject to 

 considerable variation. Dr. Parnell has more recently described (Mag. Zool. 

 and Bot., vol. i. p. 527) what he considers to be a new species of sole, and 

 names Monochirus minntits; but a comparison of my specimens with his de- 

 scription satisfies me of their identitj^ The specific character of 21. miuutus 

 is, ' every sixth or seventh ray of the dorsal and anal fins black,' which mark- 

 ing appears in the individuals under consideration, though less regularly ; their 

 dorsal fins are connected with the caudal as in this fish, although the junction, 

 as before mentioned, is only observable on close examination. Two of my three 

 specimens at the same time display ' blackish spots, which extend beyond the 

 base of the rays [of the D. and A. fins] towards the body of the fish,' a cha- 

 racter remarked by Dr. Parnell as distingtiishing M. Lingula from his new 

 species. My specimens generally possess in common the characters of M. Lin- 

 gula and M. miiudus. 



" In Mr. Yarrell's collection there is a dried specimen, 4^ inches long, from the 

 Mediterranean, identical with mine, and like them displaying conspicuously, at 

 irregular intervals, the black markings on the dorsal and anal fins.* 



Addendum. 



" Solea Lingula and Solea variegata. Belfast, June 18th, 1838. Among some 

 small fishes taken by dredging within the entrance to Belfast Bay by my friend 

 Dr. J. L. Drummond, on the 16th instant, and considerately forwarded to me 

 when quite recent, were five specimens of Solea, or Monochirus (Cuv.). Of 

 these, which with one exception were examined before being transferred to 

 spirits, four individuals, varying from 34 to A\ inches in length, are the Solea 

 Lingula, Rond. ; and one, 2| inches long, the Pleuronectes xariegatus of Dono- 

 van. In our two latest and best works upon the subject — Yarrell's British 

 Fishes, and Jenyns's Manual of British Vertebrate Animals — these names are 

 brought together as synonymous, or representing but one species, with, however, 

 an expression of doubt as to its correctness by the latter author. A compara- 

 tive examination of the present examples satisfies me that they apply to two 

 distinct species. 



" In placing the individuals together, the most obvious differences appear in the 

 dark blotches and transverse bands of S. variegata (Pleur. variegalus, Don.) 

 contrasted with the comparatively uniform tint of .S. Lingula; in the scales of 

 S. variegata being very much smaller,f in its eyes being relatively to each other 



* Dublin. June, 1838. — A specimen of this sole 3| inches long, and taken at 

 Youghal, three or four years ago, is in the collection of Dr. Ball. Its u])per 

 side does not exhibit any variegation of colours, but is of a uniform reddish- 

 brown hue. The rays of the dorsal and anal fins are occasionally black, as in 

 all individuals of this species I have seen. 



f Although I here speak only relatively to the size of the scales of N. Lingula, 

 the remark may without explanation seem inconsistent with Donovan's " specific 

 character " of the variegated sole, in which the scales are stated to be " large ;" 



