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7 he R ibband-Fish. 
T HE Middle Figure on tlie Plate fhews the natural Size of this Fifh. The 
upper Figure is the common flying Fifh, and the Bottom-Figure is the fuck- 
ing Fifh, which two laft were drawn of the Size of Nature, from fmall Fifhes, and 
are figur’d here to fill up the Plate ; the Middle Fifh only being a Nondefcript. 
The Middle Fifh is pretty flraight along its Belly, and riling on the Beginning of 
the Back, which is very thin, and forms an Edge along its Ridge; it is broader 
towards the Belly, tho* much compreffed Sideways ; it is Brown on the Back, and of 
a lightifh Colour on the Belly, which when living, I believe, was of a Silver-Colour. 
It hath a Fin on each Side of the Head, and a Pair of Fins beneath them, between the 
Head and Belly; it hath a fingle Fin on the lower Part of the Belly near the Vent ; 
it hath a long fharp Fin riling from the higheft Part of the Back, and behind that a 
narrow Fin running the whole Length of the Ridge of the Back towards the Tail. 
The Fins and Tail are of a dufky Colour. It hath a reddifh Circle round the Eye, 
and a black Spot between theNoflrils : It hath alfo a broad black Lift running round 
the Head, and palling through the Eyes; it hath two other black or dufky Lifts 
bordered with White, the firft palling a little obliquely below the Head, the other 
from the long Fin on the Back, quite through the Tail, which makes the Fifh ap- 
pear as if it were bound with Ribbands. 
This Fifh was fent from the Caribbee Hands in the Weft- Indies to James Fheobald, Efq; 
F. R. S. who obliged me with a Sight of it. I mull leave the Curious to range it in its pro- 
per Clafs. 
The upper Figure is the flying Fifh, deferibed and figur’d already by a great Number of 
Voyagers and Natural Hiftorians, yet I And no Figures fo near Nature as I could wifh to fee 
them, therefore I have endeavoured to make an Improvement. The Body for Shape and Colour 
pretty much refembles that of an Herring*, the Eyes are larger in Proportion, and more riflng ; it 
hath two Pair of Wings, the greater Pair a little behind the Gills, and the leflfer about the 
Region of the Vent : The Figure exprefles their precife Shape *, they are of a thin finny Sub- 
fiance, variegated with dark dufky Spots on a light cinereous Ground. Near the Tail it has 
a narrow Fin on its Back, and another on its under Side, of an Afh-Colour ; the Tail is 
Alh-colour’d and forked ; the lower Part of the Fork much the longeft, which others have 
not obferved, tho’ I have found it fo in all I have examin’d. Petiver on Plate 30. Fig. 2. hath 
given us an unknown Flying-Filb, of which he fays, <e this wonderful Fifh is Red throughout ; 
all its Fleih will, in one Night, by hanging up, diflolve into a florid red Liquor, which they 
ufe in Staining, and is very Jailing : It is a Span and a half long, and hath Wharts inflead of 
Scales.” He calls it, Hirundo luzon. venenata ruberrima Bangol di 51 a. 
The lower Fifh is the Sucking- Fi/h. It fallens itfelf to the Sides of larger Fifties, by that 
flat Part on the Crown of the Head, and I believe that Part is form’d for progrelfive Motion, 
as in Snails, the Mouth being fo formed as to touch the Sides of the Fifh to which it fallens, 
by which Means, I fuppofe, it feeds on the llimy Subftance it finds on the Skins of the greater 
Fifhes. It feems to be without Scales : It is all over of a dark Alh-Colour ; it has a Line 
along each Side, two Pair of Fins near the Head, a fingle Fin on the Back near the Tail, 
and one of equal Length on the under Side behind the Vent : It hath fome tranfverfe Fur- 
rows on its Sides. Petiver has figur’d a different Species of this Genus, found in the Phillip- 
pine Hands. See PL 44. Fig. 12. of his Works. 
Vol. IV. 
p 
A Brief 
