OF BRITISH FISHES. 



This fish was taken at Salcomb, in the year 

 1807, and selected from the common species, by a 

 fisherman in the habit of collecting for me, and 

 who remarked that he had never before seen one 

 of the kind. 



Another specimen, of about fifteen inches in 

 length, has been picked up on the same coast this 

 summer, in a dried state, but apparently perfect. 



In this there is no visible caudal unlike extre- 

 mity, although the point of the tail is compres- 

 sed : the angle on the back and belly is also less 

 denned : but the dorsal fin is similarly situated, 

 and consists of the same number of rays, and the 

 number of plates on the body is very nearly simi- 

 lar. 



This is the only species of Syngnathus (ophi- 

 dion excepted) that is destitute of the pectoral 

 fins, and therefore the lower figure but one in 

 Tab. 23. of the " British Zoology" might have been 

 referred to for it, had not the description of the 

 Longer Pipe-fish, for which that figure is intend- 

 ed, clearly evinced that the defect of those fins ori- 

 ginated with the draughtsman. 



The ophidian, according to some authors, grows 

 to the length of two feet ; such, most certainly, 

 do not inhabit our shores ; at least, it has never 

 fallen to my lot to see one at all approaching to 

 that magnitude ; and I should not be in the least 

 surprised, if a different species had been figured 

 by some authors for ophidian. For instance, no- 

 thing can be more evidently distinct than Fig. 3. 



