366 
FISHES. 
[Chap. X. 
nies, the bonitas, the dories, the horse-mackerels, &c, which 
form not more than one sixteenth of our own fish fauna, but 
which are known to increase their proportion in hot climates, 
appear in wonderful variety of form and colour, and constitute 
not less than one fifth of the whole of the species of Ceylon 
fish. In Eussell's catalogue they form less than one fifth, in 
Cantor's less than one sixth. 
Marine and other siluroid fishes, a group represented on the 
continent of Europe, but doubtfully, if at all, in this country, 
constitute one twentieth of the Ceylon fishes. In Eussell's and 
Cantor's lists they form about one thirtieth of the whole. 
The sharks and rays form about one seventh of our own fish 
fauna. They constitute about one tenth or one eleventh of 
Russell's and Cantor's lists, while among these Ceylon draw- 
ings I find not more than twenty, or about one thirtieth of the 
whole, which can be referred to this group of fishes. It must 
be extremely interesting to know whether this circumstance 
is owing to accident, or to the local peculiarities of Colombo, 
or whether the fauna of Ceylon really is deficient in such 
fishes. 
The like exceptional character is to be noticed in the propor- 
tion of the tribe of flat fishes, or Pleuronectidce. Soles, turbots, 
and the like, form nearly one twelfth of our own fishes. Both 
Cantor and Eussell give the flat fishes as making one twenty- 
second part of their collection, while in the whole 600 Ceylon 
drawings I can find but five Pleuronectidce. 
"When this great collection has been carefully studied, I 
doubt not that many more interesting distributional facts will 
be evolved. 
Since receiving this note from Professor Huxley, the draw- 
ings in question have been submitted to Dr. Gray, of the 
British Museum. That eminent naturalist, after a careful 
analysis, has favoured me with the following memorandum of 
