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 Russell'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 Russell'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 Russell 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 



