OF ERITISH FISHES. 87 



is referred to by Gmelin, who expressly assigns 



to the anal fin four rays, if we did not know that 

 that fin is frequently so inconspicuous in other 

 species as to occasion its being overlooked. 



Mr Donovan, in a note of interrogation, says, 

 " May not Pennant's figure, plate 23. vol. iii. 

 of the British Zoology, be taken from a fish of this 

 species, in which the pectoral fins and tail were 

 dried up, or had been destroyed by accident?" 

 It is true, the figure alluded to has no visible pec- 

 toral fins ; but the description of that author par- 

 ticularly specifies that fin to have twelve rays, 

 which, together with its being destitute of the 

 caudal fin, brings it nearer to the barbarus of 

 Linnaeus, and of which the existing doubt con- 

 sists in that fish having been originally described 

 as destitute of anal fin, whereas Mr Pennant 

 states that fin of his fish to have three rays ; but 

 this circumstance may be reconciled, as before 

 stated with regard to other species, the anal fin 

 being so extremely small as readily to pass unno- 

 ticed, by even an attentive observer, without the 

 aid of a lens. 



Here, then, we have four British species of Syn- 

 gnatbus, independent of the doubtful one typhle. 

 To these I have the satisfaction to add, that which 

 appears to be the zEquoreal Pipe-fish, a species ori- 

 ginally described by Linnaeus, and which, I believe, 

 has not since been identified by any author. 



f 4 



