Ribband Fishes of the Genus Gymnetrus. 5 



that these fish have been driven from their usual haunts by 

 disease, these haunts being* in some of the deeper and more 

 secluded caverns of the ocean, beyond the reach of human 

 sight. In shallower water, and with less protection from the 

 rage of storm, their fragile structure would expose them per- 

 petually to destruction; for in the present instance the rude 

 handling of rough visitors was found to have injured it greatly, 

 in addition to what it had undergone in its immediate capture. 



The length of this fish was twelve feet three inches, the 

 greatest depth eleven inches and a quarter ; the body exceed- 

 ingly compressed; in its general form resembling a double- 

 edged sword-blade; four longitudinal flattened ridges, each 

 rather more than an inch broad, extended from head to tail 

 above the lateral line, the uppermost, which was the longest, 

 running forward almost to the eye. The dorsal fin extended 

 from immediately behind the upper and posterior end of the 

 curved frontal profile to within three inches of the tail. The 

 anterior part of this fin was more prominent than the rest, with 

 twelve rays, which, when the fish was taken, are said to have 

 been twelve or fourteen inches in length, and each furnished 

 with a membranous expansion on its posterior edge, increasing 

 in width upwards, something like a peacock's feather. The 

 first ray was a rather strong spine arising within the frontal 

 curve ; the three next very slender, and much closer together 

 than the rest ; the next equally slender with the preceding, 

 but rather further apart ; the three or four after this nearly as 

 strong as the first, while the rest diminished in strength and 

 length, and became uniform with the more level rays of the 

 dorsal fin. Exclusive of the crest, there were two hundred and 

 sixty-eight rays in the dorsal fin. The fishermen said that this fin 

 was without colour when caught, but it had a red tinge along 

 the border when examined by the gentlemen who described it. 

 Each ventral fin had a very strong spine, with a limited motion, 

 and at first their colour was a bright red. It will be observed 

 that the number of rays in the dorsal fin differed rather con- 

 siderably from those which were counted in the example 

 obtained in Filey Bay ; but this variation offers no difficulty in 

 regard to the sameness of the species, since it is generally 

 found that where the fin -rays in fishes are very numerous, they 

 are rarely alike in number in different individuals. It is only 

 when they are few that their number affords a character to be 

 depended on. 



This fish, obtained at Cullercoats, of which we have given 

 a very much abridged description, was conveyed to London 

 for the purpose of being exhibited ; and it was there that, in 

 company with Mr. Yarrell, I was favoured with a private 

 examination of it; by which opportunity I was enabled to 



