528 Contributions to British Ichthyology. 



been misled by the laconic style of these writers on Ichthyology ; 

 but I will endeavour, by more ample description, to remove it in 

 future beyond the reach of doubt. From the numbers of these 

 fishes which are taken in the trawl-nets off Brixham throughout 

 the whole year, and from their never appearing to attain a large size, 

 there can belittle doubt but that they are arrived at their full growth, 

 from which circumstance I have proposed the specific name of " mi- 

 nutus" The fishermen, who appear perfectly familiar with their 

 appearance, call them red soles, and scarcely a trawl boat leaves 

 Brixham harbour that does not capture a dozen or more of these fish 

 daily ; but, from their diminutive size, they are either thrown over- 

 board, or left to decay at the bottom of the vessels. 



Generic character. — Pectoral fin on the eye side very small, that 

 on the opposite side rudimentary. (Monochirus, Cuvier.) 



Specific character. — Every sixth or seventh ray of the dorsal and 

 anal fin, black. 



Description. — Length 5 inches ; the width at the upper third 

 nearly 2 inches ; the colour of the back light reddish brown, the 

 under surface pale white. In shape it is similar to the common 

 sole {Solea vulgaris) but of a more wedge-shaped form, becoming 

 narrower at the caudal extremity. The head is small, one-sixth of 

 the whole length ; the mouth is twisted, the angle of which reaches 

 as far as under the middle of the left eye. Each jaw is furnished 

 with a number of minute teeth placed close together, and extending 

 but half-way round the mouth ; the eyes are small, the left one a 

 little in advance. The dorsal fin commences immediately over the 

 upper lip and runs down the back, to be connected with the caudal 

 rays ; the anal fin begins under the posterior margin of the opercu- 

 lum, and continues within a short interval of the tail. The num- 

 bers of the fin rays are : 



D. 73 ; P. 4 ; V. 4 ; A. 54 ; C. 14. 



The scales are small, with from twelve to fifteen denticles at their 

 free extremity, rendering the whole surface of the fish rough to 

 the touch, when the finger is passed from the tail to the head. 

 The pectoral fin on the eye side is small with the lower half black, 

 while the fin on the opposite side is very minute, and of a pale 

 white ; the lateral line is straight throughout ; the tail is rounded 

 at the end, and mottled with brown. 



The only fish the present one seems likely to be confounded with 

 is the Monochirus lingula, or red-backed sole ; but they will be 

 found to differ widely from one another. In the red-backed sole 



