LECTURE VIII. 
61 
This has been published under the title of the 
Comet-Fish; I suppose from the infrequency of 
its appearance. 
This genus is not a Linnaean one, and was 
first described by Ascanius, under the name of 
Regalecus. 
Tlie beautiful genus Coryphcena or Coryphene, 
improperly called Dolphin by sailors, consists in 
general of rather large Fishes, of a lengthened 
shape, with a large and very sloping head, and in 
general of beautiful colours. The common Cory- 
phene in particular, is a Fish of extreme beauty of ' 
colour, being of a rich and bright blue-green, 
with numerous orange-coloured specks. It mea- 
sures about three feet in length, and is an inha- 
bitant of the Indian and Atlantic seas, often ap- 
pearing in large shoals, and sometimes following 
ships in order to obtain any occasional articles of 
food which may happen to be thrown overboard. 
When taken out of the water its beauty of colour 
gradually fades as the Fish expires ; the lustre va- 
nishing by degrees, with partial restorations, till 
at length it becomes of a dull greyish or cinereous 
cast, without any remains of its former splendor. 
This gradual evanescence of colour in the dying 
