BEARDED OPHIDIUM. 6§ 



their middle or central part : the colour of the 

 body is a subargenteous white, with a dusky cast 

 above, reddish beneath, and spotted all over with 

 small, oblong, dusky specks. It is commonly found 

 of the length of eight or nine inches, and sometimes 

 twelve or fourteen, and is met with in all parts of 

 the Mediterranean sea, and in great plenty in the 

 Adriatic. It is often taken by nets in Provence 

 and Languedoc with other kinds of fish, and is most 

 common during the summer season. It is not con- 

 sidered as an elegant fish for the table, the flesh 

 being rather coarse. It feeds on small fishes, crabs, 

 &c. &c. 



In the Philosophical Transactions * we meet with 

 some accurate observations on this fish by the in- 

 genious Dr. Broussonet, who has considerably ad- 

 vanced the science of Ichthyology. The first au- 

 thor, according to Dr. Broussonet, to whom we are 

 indebted for a description and figure of the Ophi- 

 dium barbatum, is Bellonius, who seems to have 

 been doubtful to what class to refer it, but has 

 placed it among the Gadi, though of a very different 

 family. Rondeletius, who wrote soon after Belon, 

 has given a better description and a more accurate 

 figure, though the cirri are very ill represented, 

 and the whole fish appears without any spots, 

 whereas in the Rondeletian representation it is 

 spotted all over ; and this difference caused Gesner 

 and some others to consider the Belonian and 

 Rondeletian animals as distinct species. Willoughby 



* Vol. 71. 



