J 38 



ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



no description of this last has been yet published, it is still possible I may be 

 mistaken. 



2. Platessa- 



FoRM.—Very similar to the last species, from which it scarcely seems to differ, except in having 

 the teeth smaller, and somewhat more numerous and closer together ; also in the maxillary, 

 which is more dilated at its posterior extremity, and more obliquely truncated. The scales 

 are extremely similar. 



Length 6 inches 6' lines. 

 Colour. — Not noticed. 



Habitat, King George's Sound, New Holland. 



Hippoglossus Kingii. Jen. 

 Plate XXVI. 

 H. fuscus : corpore ovato, lato : oculis sinistris, hand valde approximatis : dentibus 

 acutis, fortioribus : lined laterali antice arcuatd: pinna dorsali supra oculos initium 

 capienti, dimidio anteriore humillimo, posteriore modice elevato : ventralibus distinc- 

 tis, hand anali continuis : caudali subquadratd, radiis mediis cceteris paululum lon- 

 gioribus. 



D. 18 et 48 ; A. 51 ; C. 14 ; P. 11 ; V. 6. 

 Form.— Breadth, not including the dorsal and anal fins, half the length of the oval of the body. 

 Eyes on the left side, apparently distant from each other about two diameters ; the upper one 

 a little behind the lower. Teeth sharp and strong, forming a very regular series. The lateral 

 line takes a sweep over the pectoral fin. The dorsal commences above the upper eye ; the 

 first half, or until it gets above the extremity of the reclined pectoral, is very little elevated, 

 and much lower than the rest of the fin, with the membrane apparently notched between the 

 rays ; the remainder of the fin attains a moderate elevation, and there is an abrupt transition 

 from the former to the latter portion. The anal answers to the elevated portion of the 

 dorsal: both these fins fall short of the caudal by a small space. Pectorals short, and of a 

 somewhat triangular form. Ventrals very distinct, free, placed right and left, with the rays a 

 little projecting beyond the membrane ; which last character appears also in the dorsal and 

 anal. Tail somewhat square, but the middle rays slightly projecting beyond the lateral 

 ones in the form of an obtuse lobe. 

 Colour. — Represented in the drawing of a uniform light brown. 

 Habitat, Valparaiso. 



This is the species of which, as before stated, no specimen was brought home, 

 but only a coloured drawing made by Mr. Phillip King, an officer of the Beagle, 

 for Capt. FitzRoy. The drawing appears to have been done with accuracy, and 

 from it the above description has been taken. The fin-ray formula, however, was 

 computed from the recent fish, the above numbers being marked upon the drawing. 

 The teeth appear to indicate this species as belonging to Hippoglossus rather 



