84 ACCOUNT OF FIVE RARE SPECIES 



fin arises on the back of the head, and continues 

 uninterrupted till it reaches the posterior end of 

 the anal fin, and consists of one hundred and 

 five rays, increasing in length from one inch and a 

 quarter, to one and three quarters near the tail ; 

 the three first rays are sub-spinous, the rest soft : 

 the caudal fin is about three inches long, and fork- 

 ed : the lateral line is slightly elevated, and runs 

 straight, in a middle direction, till it approaches 

 the head, and then gradually rises, and terminates 

 over the gills : the colour of the skin, which is 

 quite smooth and destitute of scales, is like bur- 

 nished silver, with a bluish tint. 



This singular fish was taken in Salcomb har- 

 bour on the coast of South Devon, on the 4th of 

 June last ( 1 808). It was swimming with astonish- 

 ing velocity, with its head above water ; — to use 

 the fisherman's expression, " going as swift as a 

 " bird and was killed by a blow of an oar. 



It was made a public show in Kingsbridge, 

 where in one day a guinea was taken for its ex- 

 hibition at one penny each person. It was em- 

 bo welled before I first saw it ; and to prevent the 

 destruction of so valuable an acquisition to natural 

 history, I prevented a journey intended for it the 

 next day to a distant fair, from whence had it 

 ever returned it would not have been (as it was 

 now warm weather) a fit subject for preservation^ 

 or minute description. 



In preparing this fish, I observed within the 

 skin, on the abdominal parts, a great many small 



