84 



Fishes. 



cessors in obtaining a knowledge of this species. Risso makes no 

 mention of it in his ' Histoire des Environs de Nice.' I have only 

 the figures (without the text) of Cuvier's work on Ichthyology to refer 

 to, but the plate of his Pagrus Orfus so essentially differs from the fish 

 under consideration, that I have no hesitation in deciding on their be- 

 ing distinct. We see that it is represented by Rondeletius as solitary 

 and rare, and by Oppian as only locally common ; while even Pliny's 

 remark, that it had only been described by Ovid, though erroneous in 

 itself, yet leads to the inference that according to his information it 

 was not often caught : these are circumstances which, taken together, 

 will assist us in understanding the reasons of the doubts which have 

 hitherto hung over this species. 



The specimen above referred to, is deposited in the national collec- 

 tion at the British Museum. Jonathan Couch. 



Polperro, December, 1842. 



Note on a Gold-fish having Vegetable Fibres issuing from an Ulcer 

 on its back. 



\l,v. 



Gold fish, with vegetable fibres growing from an ulcer on its back. 



A few years ago a friend of mine had a gold-fish, kept livin 

 (as usual) in a glass vase. From some unknown cause it becam 

 affected with an ulcer on the back, and from the ulcerated surface 

 a very delicate tuft of vegetable fibres protruded to the length of 

 an inch or more. The fish at length died, and at my request my friend 

 Dr. James Moore of Belfast, made the drawing which I now enclose. 



i 



