162 



TOESK. 



head small ; the upper jaw a little longer than the 

 lower, and both jaws furnished with a multitude of 

 small teeth : on the chin was a small, single beard : 

 from the head to the dorsal fin was a deep furrow : 

 the dorsal fin began within six inches from the tip 

 of the nose, and extended almost to the tail : the 

 pectoral fins were small and rounded : the ventral 

 short, thick, and fleshy ; ending in four cirrhi : the 

 belly, from the throat, grew very prominent : the 

 anal fin was long, and reached almost close to the 

 tail, which was small and circular : the number of 

 rays could not be counted with accuracy by reason 

 of the softness and the thickness of the skin : the 

 side-line was scarcely discernible : colour of the 

 head dusky ; of the back and sides yellow ; of the 

 belly white : the edges of the dorsal, anal, and caudal 

 fins were white ; the other parts dusky. 



In the seas about Shetland this fish is said to 

 swarm; and forms, both barrelled and dried, a 

 considerable article of commerce. 



In the Gmelinian edition of the Systema Naturae 

 this species is described (from Miiller) as having an 

 ^ovate acute tail, but the descriptions and figures of 

 other authors uniformly represent that part as of a 

 rounded shape. 



