106 



Fishes. 



it, and when they darted at it would go beyond the mark ; in such 

 cases they continued trying until the worm was at the proper distance. 

 The length of one was five inches, of the other six ; the largest one 

 had the brightest colours. — W. Thompson ; Loudon, January, 1843. 



[The first description of tlie saiul-lizavd (Lacerta af/ilis, Tiinn.) as a British animal, 

 occurs in the sixteenth volume of the ' Transactions of the Linnean Society,' by the 

 Rev. Revett Shepherd. He follows Merrett and Ray in i^iving it the specific name 

 of anguiformis. Mr. Bell, in his 'British Reptiles,' restores theLiniiean name to this 

 beautiful and comparatively rare species, and refers our oommon British lizard to the 

 Zootoca vivipara of Wagler, the Lacerta vivipara of Jacquin. — Ed.'] 



Description of Midler's Top-knot (Rhombus hirtus. Mull.), taken 

 from afresh specimen. By F. W. L. Ross, Esq.* 



Mailer's Toi.-knot, {liliomhus hirtus). 



Length OJ inches, greatest depth 4j ; length 

 the entire length of the fish, tail not included, 

 just above the upper lip, and is continued nndet 

 free : the first rays are about one third the lengtl 

 gradually increase in length to about four fifths 

 they attain their greatest length, then decrease 

 tail, the last six rays being short and delicate. 



of the head one third 

 The dorsal fin rises 

 • the caudal, which is 

 1 of the longest ; they 

 of their extent, where 

 to the end under the 

 The rays are strong^ 



* Communicated by G. R. Gray, Ksi[. 



