140 ' DR PARNELL'S ACCOUNT OF 



June last, where I obtained in one day after the recess of the tide, fifty speci- 

 mens. They are evidently the fry of a large species. When first taken from 

 the water, they are soft and transparent ; the eyes are large and prominent ; the 

 scales which cover their body, are large and thin, and very deciduous. The 

 length is about two inches ; the head is large ; the gape is wide ; the teeth are 

 long and sharp, placed in one row in each jaw. The first dorsal fin commences 

 over the upper third of the pectorals, and terminates at a point a little behind its 

 rays ; the second dorsal fin commences over the vent, and ends opposite to the 

 base of the last anal rays. The cheeks are tumid, the border of the operculum 

 rounded ; the body is transparent and marked by a number of fine depressed 

 lines, placed in an oblique direction ; the lateral line is straight throughout its 

 length. 



The numbers of the fin rays are : First dorsal 5 ; second dorsal 13 ; caudal 

 12 ; ventral 13 ; anal 13. The last ray of the anal and second dorsal fin is long- 

 er than the first, and reaches, when folded down, to the base of the tail. The 

 tail is rounded at the end. These fishes are supposed by the fishermen to be the 

 young of the sting-fish (Trachinus vipera), and are consequently destroyed when- 

 ever they come within their reach. On transferring them to a bottle of alcohol 

 they lose their transparent aspect, and become hard and opaque. 



In the month of July when I had occasion to revisit the Solway Frith, I en- 

 deavoured to obtain additional specimens, presuming that by this time they 

 would have somewhat increased in size, but not a single specimen could be found, 

 nor has the parent fish ever come within the observation of the fishermen. 



The first dorsal fin of this fish, as possessing but five rays, is sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish it from every other British species of the same genus. 



Observations on Twenty New Species of Scottish Fishes. 



Trigla hirundo, Yarrell, vol. i. — Tub-fish. 



Specific Character. — Pectoral fins dark blue, reaching beyond the vent ; la- 

 teral line and body perfectly plain and smooth. 



This fish on the coast of Scotland is undoubtedly rare, compared to the num- 



ers that are taken on the coast of Devon. In young specimens the dorsal ridges 



are found to be sharply serrated, but when the fish increases to the weight of 



nine pounds, these ridges of the back are no longer serrated, but crenated, as is 



observed in the T. gurnardus when full grown. 



Trigla blochii, Yarrell, vol. i. — Trigla cuculus. Block. 



Specific Character. — Pectorals not reaching to the vent, lateral line and dor- 

 sal ridge strongly serrated ; first dorsal fin with a black spot. 



