2998 Fishes. 



they are enumerated by Jenyns in his ' Manual of British Vertebrate 

 Animals/ p. 450. And from all this it would appear, that the number 

 of fin-rays is uniform in the ventrals only ; the closest approximation 

 to correspondence in the others being in those of the pectorals and 

 anals. Dr. Parnell remarks of this fish, that it is by no means of 

 common occurrence towards the north ; and that it is rare in the 

 Firth of Forth, as well as along the whole of the eastern shores of 

 Scotland (Id. p. 355). The fishermen here tell me, however, that they 

 meet with it frequently. The denture,* which in my specimen is 

 very perfect, does not appear to be particularly described in either of 

 the works of Yarrell and Parnell. Both jaws are furnished with a 

 double row of teeth. There is first a broad flat row of minute, thickly- 

 set, pointed teeth ; and along the side of these, a row of irregular- 

 pointed ones, of larger dimensions. But, on the upper jaw, this se- 

 cond row is external to the flat seam, while, on the lower jaw, it is on 

 the inside of it. When the jaws are compressed, there is thus formed 

 a natural box, as it were, for confining the food which is to be crushed ; 

 and there is, also, an angular patch of teeth fixed to the bone of the 

 palate, which correspond in structure to the flat broad rows in the 

 jaws. Such an apparatus is obviously adapted for tearing as well as 

 crushing ; and there can be no doubt that it is indispensably neces- 

 sary for those feeding instincts, with which the animal has been en- 

 dowed. 



My next specimen is the Motella quinquecirrata, or five-bearded 

 rockling, which was captured in April of this present year. I am in- 

 debted for this, as well as for several others of the rarer productions of 

 the deep, to the kindness of Mr. William West, ofPennan, a most in- 

 telligent and obliging individual. The specimen in question is about 

 seven inches in length, and corresponds so closely with the descrip- 

 tions of Yarrell and Parnell as to leave no room for particular remarks. 

 There is, however, a slight variation in the number of rays in the 

 second dorsal ; and the dingy skin had more of a metallic appearance 

 than would seem to have been shown in the specimens under their 

 consideration. 



The species, which I shall next notice, derived also from Mr. West, 

 was caught in May last, off Troup Head, in eighteen fathom water, 

 and is a beautiful example of the Callionymus Dracunculus, or sordid 



* Is this a strictly accurate expression for the idea intended? By some it is 

 maintained that dentition, the word more commonly used, means merely the cutting 

 or breeding of the teeth ; and that the word denture ought always to be employed in 

 referring to these when they are fully grown, and are permanently fixed and formed. 



