108 Fishes. 



lum, and takes a curve, passing with a slight deflection over the pec- 

 toral fin, thence straight to the middle of the tail. The colour of the 

 whole upper surface is a dark reddish brown, mottled with rather large 

 black-brown spots and irregular smaller markings, which extend over 

 the fins. The pectoral fin on the under side much smaller than the 

 upper, 4j lines in length, the under side perfectly smooth, and when 

 alive of a pure white, which changes to a pinkish white after death, 

 with a silvery spot on the gill-covers ; the colour of the back also 

 fades considerably. 



No. of fin-rays.— D. 100. P. 12. V. 6. A. 5. C. 15. 



It will be seen by the figure that this fish is distinct from Rhom- 

 bus punctatus, which Mr. Yarrell describes as having the caudal free, 

 the dorsal and anal passing under it, as in the above. The spots on 

 the back seem to correspond tolerably well with those in Mr. Yarrell's 

 figure. 



The specimen was taken in a drift net off Teignmouth, the 2nd of 

 January, 1843, and was perfectly unknown to the fishermen. 



F. W. L. Ross. 



[In Rhombus hirtus* " both dorsal and anal fins end on the same plane, and are 

 connected to the fleshy portion of the tail by a membrane ; " the figure bears out this 

 description : "the under side of the body is smooth and white." In Rhombus punctatus 

 " the dorsal fin commencing immediately in advance of the upper eye, and extending 

 very nearly to the caudal, at the same time passing underneath the tail, where the rays 

 become very delicate; greatest elevation of the fin near its ventral extremity ; first ray 

 very much produced, nearly three times the length of those which follow ; most of the 

 rays divided at their tips ; some of the last in the fin branched from the bottom : anal 

 fin commencing in a line with the posterior line of the preopercle, answering to the 

 dorsal and terminating in the same manner beneath the tail," &c., " both sides of the 

 body, but more especially the upper, extremely rough."! In a note to the editor 

 Mr. Yarrell observes " there is no really specific distinction between the Rhombus of 

 your coiTespondent and that which I have figured ; the difference in the termination 

 of the dorsal and anal fins is obvious on the white side only, which I have not figured. 

 My description might have been more clear on this point." — Ed.'] 



Note on the voracity and carnivorous propensity of the Eel. On 

 the 21st of May, 1829, I was witness to a scene of no ordinary occur- 

 rence. Whilst walking near the bank of the principal water in Pil- 

 ling, in the parish of Garstang, Lancashire, I beheld opposite to me 

 a large rat, apparently struggling and evidently much alarmed, in a 



^ Brit. Fishes, ii. 336, 2nd ed. f Id. 340. 



