ENGLISH FISHES. 



433 



the Doctor must have concluded, that the ventral 

 fins had been destroyed in preparing the fish, by 

 placing it in the Thoracic order ^. 



Risso, in his Ichthyologie de Nice, has discover- 

 ed three species belonging to this genus, which he 

 had described under the generic title of Lepidope, 

 and has also improperly (I conceive) placed them 

 in the Thoracic order, although he describes them 

 as having no ventral fins. One of these species 

 appears to possess many of the characters of 

 Shaw's fish ; and Risso remarks, that he sus- 

 pects Shaw's fish to be the same as his Lepidopus 

 Peronii, tab. v. fig. 18., although he says Shaw is 

 silent with respect to the pair of ventral scales ; 

 and that he also describes the three single fins 

 (dorsal, anal, and caudal) to be united. 



In this particular, Risso has certainly miscon- 

 strued the meaning of Dr Shaw's words, who, 

 though not quite correct, or sufficiently defined in 

 bis description, (supposing V. lusitanicus to be the 



* I am aware it has been contended, that these abdominal 

 scales are lamcllated ventral fins. If so, we have yet to learn 

 the definition of a Fin in the modern revolution of science. Those 

 who contend for the continuance of Vandellius of Shaw, or for 

 the Lepdope of Risso being continued in the Thoracic order^, 

 must also constitute a new order for many fishes that have such 

 lamellatQd appendages, independent of two ventral fins. But I 

 cannot admit of a simple corneous scale, destitute of motion^ 

 feeing a ventral fin. 



