MAMMALOGY. 



appearance, to the human race. One of these is the Troglodytes of 

 Bontius, another Lucifer of Androvandus, the third Satyrus of 



a pretty conclusive evidence that they are of the same species, although in 

 the'absence of the head, which if remaining would have confirmed the cha- 

 racter of the species beyond a doubt. In the dorsal fin of the " Mermaid * 

 there are 13 rays, in the pectoral 13 rays, in the ventral 10 rays, in the anal 

 15 rays, and in the tail 18 rays. This statement is made without regard to 

 the shorter rays situated at the anterior part of each fin, of which descrip- 

 tion there are three at the commencement of the dorsal fin, and five on each 

 side of the longer rays of the tail. We have now before us also an 

 example of the common Salmon as nearly as possible agreeing with the 

 piscivorous portion of the " Mermaid," and which differs from it in no 

 respect whatever, except in having one ray less in the ventral fins, in the 

 relative position of the adipose and anal fins, and in the inferiority in point 

 of size of this anal fin as well as number of the rays of which it is com- 

 posed. 



The objections intimated should be stated fully : the adipose fin ap- 

 pears at the first glance to stand rather further back, or the anal fin to 

 advance rather more forward on the region of the abdomen than in the 

 common Salmon, and seems to suggest the possibility of the fish in question 

 being the Salmo Trutta instead of Salar, but as it conforms so well in other 

 particulars with the first-mentioned species, we apprehend the origin of 

 this deviation must be sought for in some other cause. If we concede that 

 this difference has arisen from the crippled state of the object in drying, 

 there is yet another difficulty to overcome; namely, the comparatively 

 greater magnitude of the anal fin, as well as greater number of rays with 

 which that fin is furnished, for instead of eleven rays, and one shorter at the 

 commencement of the fin, making in the total 13 rays as in the corres- 

 pondent fin of the Salmon of the same magnitude, we have no less than 15 

 rays in the anal fin of the " Mermaid/' This superior magnitude of the fin, 

 as well as greater number of the rays contained, the Ichthyologist will be 

 aware present some difficulty. 



However inconsiderable these objections may in the first view appear to 

 the cursory observer, we may venture to affirm that we shall in vain seek 

 among the numerous species of the Salmo genus for any that will accord 

 with them. The nearest approach presuming on the resemblance of the whole 

 fish after the Salmo Salar, is the Salmo Trutta of Bloch, our common Sea 

 Trout, and this, though not commonly the case, have been known to grow 

 as large as the common Salmon : it does not agree so well as the smaller 



