122 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



cleft hardly extends one-third of the distance to beneath the orbit. A high 

 interparietal crest; also a hard ridge, giving the appearance as if a furrow 

 extended from the forehead to the base of the pectoral fin. Teeth — a fine row in 

 the jaws in adults : also in the yonng some deciduous ones on the palatines and 

 on the tongue. Fins — in the adult the dorsal fin is low and situated in the last 

 half of the back not extending to the caudal fin, the rays are mostly simple and 

 low, sometimes a short spine has been observed before this fin (in the young the 

 dorsal fin commences much further forwards, and the rays, 22 to 23, are higher). 

 Pectoral falciform. Ventral in adults may be absent, according to Nardo, or 

 consist of from one spine and four branched rays to simply two rays : it is situated 

 under the base of the pectoral fin : in the young the spine may be serrated on 

 both edges or entire, while one of the rays is very elongated (see figure, page 120). 

 Anal reaching to as far as the dorsal, and shorter, but otherwise similar to it in 

 both adults and young. Caudal forked. A well-marked longitudinal keel along 

 either side of the root of the tail, and two transverse crests as in tunnies. Scales— 

 Lowe, 1. c. observes that in his adult example, 35 inches long, the whole body was 

 smooth and scaleless : with the exception of irregular patches here and there, most 

 plentiful on the head and back, of a skinny, crape-like coat or covering 

 of minute, rough, branny scales, like a crust of half-congealed snow, and easily 

 rubbed off. Where this was absent he considered such to have been the result of 

 natural wear or injury. A valve exists at the vent. Colours — those of Mr. Cornish's 

 adult example were as follows. Back, steel-gray, having a broad scarlet band along 

 the side, and below this a silvery abdomen. The sides appeared as if sprinkled 

 with gold dust. Fins bright crimson. In Mediterranean examples the back has been 

 observed to be golden, the sides white tinged with blue, and the under surface 

 white. Fins mostly red : caudal golden at its base, becoming silvery at its 

 extremity. Ventrals brownish. The young are silvery, with blackish spots : 

 the dorsal and anal fins dark, whereas the others are yellow stained with red. 



The male fish is said to have the anterior dorsal rays prolonged. 



Habits. — These are scarcely known : the young have been captured near 

 the surface at sea. Its intestines would seem to point to its being a 

 vegetable feeder, which probably does not live at any great depths in the ocean. 



Breeding. — Risso observes on having found a female Diana semilunata, full 

 of eggs in the summer. 



As food. — Nardo observed that it resembled beef, and its flavour was 

 excellent. 



Habitat. — This fish is found, though rarely, in the Mediterranean, and has 

 been occasionally obtained on the Italian and Sicilian coasts, a large female 

 example having been captured at Venice in 1839 : it has been also mentioned 

 from other localities, as from Malta, Nice, and Cetti, in which last place one 

 was taken August 3rd, 1875. 



The first recorded British example was thrown on shore at Deadman, on 

 the south coast of Cornwall, on April 30th, 1866, and was secured by Mr. 

 Dunn, who dispatched it to Couch. At the time of its capture a strong breeze 

 was blowing, and the waves were rough. This specimen is now in the British 

 Museum, and is the one from which I figured plate xliii. It measured 3 feet 

 9 inches from the snout to the fork of the tail. The second example was taken 

 at Falmouth, September 30th, 1866, while floundering in a pool left by a 

 receding tide. A fisherman seized it by the tail, and was towed about by the fish 

 until it was tired. It measured 4 feet in length and weighed 120 lb. 



Rafinesque's example captured June, 1808, in Sicily, was 5 feet long. 



