ENGLISH FISHES. 



449 



These circumstances are mentioned, because 

 many of these smaller fishes are in great obscurity ; 

 and possibly allied species, not yet clearly identi- 

 iied, may be confounded. 



A specimen lately taken in a crab^pot, on the 

 south coast of Devon, is seven inches long, and one 

 inch and a half deep behind the head. The colour 

 plain rufous brown, without any markings, paler 

 on the belly, as far as the vent ; throat and fins 

 red-orange, except the base of the dorsal and pec- 

 toral fins : the cirrhi over the eyes, orange colour, 

 broad and fimbriated each side. The irides were 

 orange-red, and when the fish was examined in 

 profile, the eye stood higher than the crown, and 

 the sulcus behind the eyes gave a gibbous appear- 

 ance to the commencement of the back. 



Dorsal fin 33 rays; pectoral 14; ventral 2; 

 anal 20 ; caudal 12. 



Gadus argmteolus. 



There is a small species of Gadus, which is 

 occasionally found on the western coast, that is 

 nearly allied to the Three-bearded Cod, Gadus 

 mustella, in most particulars, but the shape of the 

 head and the colour are essentially different. It 

 has very much the appearance of the fry of some 

 larger species, and might have been suspected to 

 be the young of the Ling, G. molva, had it not 



