230 MALACOPTEUYOII. 



"4i lilies in brtadlli ; thickness less than a line; the dorsal lin is to the un- 

 assisted eye transparent; it commences at the back of the head, which, perhaps, 

 warrants Pennant's description of the ' dorsal lin extending the whole length of 

 the back.' " 



Mont., vol. ii. p. 43S, states that the dorsal fin " commences at nearly ^ 

 of the length of the fish from the head." Anal fin as stated by Montagu ; 

 pectoral fins a line in length ; gill aperture small ; a row of very minute 

 black spots on the margin of the back and on each side the belly ; the 

 lateral line is in the centre, and is marked throughout with minute black 

 spots, which are however larger than those before mentioned. 



Dr. Ball observed, in reference to this fish, — " When alive it is so trans- 

 parent that the eye alone is visible." * 



The Beardless Opiiidium, OpJiidium imherhe, Linn., 

 Is known as an Irish species only from the memorandum in Mr. Temple- 

 ton's Catalogue, which will be found as a foot-note to the article on the 

 next species in the present volume. 



Drummoxd's Echiodon, Echiodun Drummondii, Thompson, 



Has been once taken on the Antrim coast. 



The following communication was made by me to the Zool. Society in 

 June, 1S37, and is here transcribed from the Society's Proceedings for that 

 year. — 



" XVI. On a )ieiv Suh-f/cnioi of Fishes, allied to Ophidium. Hi/ WILLIAM 

 Thompson, Esq., Vice-President of the Natural History Society of Bel- 

 fust. Communicated by the Secretary. 



Read June 13th, 1837. 



TnE species of fish which is the subject of the present communication 

 ranks under the Malacopferyyii Apndes, and in its genus most nearly 

 approximates Ophidium. Although with Ophidium, as described in the 

 Rcgne Animal (t. ii. p. 3.>8, 2nd ed.), it possesses many characters in 

 common, otlicrs are at the same time presented, which have suggested 

 the propriety of constituting it a sub-genus. Cuvier having given as a 

 character of Ophidium, " Tanus assez en arriere," strictly considered,t 

 prevents the admission of the present specimen. The genus is, again, in 

 the Ri'gne Animal, subdivided into the true Ophidia and the Fierasfers ; 

 the former " portent sous la gorge deux paires de petits barbillons, ad- 



* A specimen taken in Belfast Bay was presented to the Museum of the Bel- 

 fast Nat. Hist. Society, in 1853, and exhibited in a recent state by Mr. Patterson 

 at a meeting of the Society held on the 23rd Feb. in that year. It had been 

 examined by him when alive the previous day ; its very beautiful eye was the 

 only conspicuous portion of the body as it swam about. When dead it was 

 spread out on a newspaper, by Mr. Garrett, who was able with perfect ease to 

 read the printing as seen through the transparent body of the fish. — Ed. 



t It may, perhaps, be objected to this strict reading, that Cuvier has himself 

 admitted into the genus the Oph. Vassnlii, which is described by Risso as hav- 

 ing "I'anus situe pri^s de la gorge" (tom. iii. p. 212, ed. 1826) ; but, although 

 the characters of this species are pretty fully detailed in the Rcgne Animal 

 (tom. ii. p. -3.^9), the one here quoted from Risso is not mentioned. The last- 

 named author similarly describes the position of the vent in the Oph. feraafer. 

 On the contrary, both of the British Ophidia, figured by Pennant (Brit. Zool. 

 vol. iv. pi. 93, ed. 1777) and Montagu (Wcrn. Mem. vol. i. pi. 4), accord with 

 Cuvier's generic description in this character. 



