198 
MALACOPTERYGII. 
in their fins, especially in the anal, that it seems to me desirable to be noticed 
at full length. 
No. 1. Length 14f inches ; D. 
102; 
A. 89; V. 
6. 
2. — 14i — 
102 
88 
6 
CO 
1 1 
CO 4^ 
1 1 
108 
92 
6 
110 
100 
6 
5. — 13 — 
102 
86 
6 
6. — 12 — 
106 
91 
6 
1. 
P. 12 
on upper, 10 on under side ; 
C. 19 
a la Cuv., or 23 altogether. 
2. 
12 
— 10 — 
19 
— 
23 — 
3. 
11 
on each side ; 
19 
— 
23 — 
4. 
11 
— 
19 
— 
25 — 
5. 
12 
on upper, 10 on under side ; 
19 
— 
23 — 
6. 
11 
10 — 
19 
— 
22 — 
“ Branchiostegous membrane in each specimen consisting of five rays ; in each 
likewise a short strong bony spine, directed forwards before the anal fin, but 
which cannot be called a spinous ray : in some individuals the skin covers it, in 
others the point is exposed. 
‘‘With the short specific characters in the Manual of British Vertebrate 
Animals these individuals agree, with one exception, that of the lateral line not 
being 4 straight throughout its course,’ although it is nearly so ; — from the origin 
it slopes gently over the pectoral fin, and thence to the tail is straight. They 
correspond in every detail with the general description in the same w'ork, except 
in the following particulars, in which the specimens exhibit considerable differ- 
ence. Mr. Jenyns remarks, ‘ greatest elevation of the [dorsal] fin contained 
five times and a half in the breadth of the body,’ p. 459 ; in some of these it is 
contained but 3|, in others 4 and 4f times, and this is not owing to difference of 
size in individuals ; in the female specimen, which is of the largest size, the dor- 
sal fin is rather lower compared with breadth of body than in the others. In 
the individual examined by Mr. Jenyns, the ventral fins are described to have 
equalled the pectorals in length, but in all these the latter are considerably longer, 
in some being one-third, in others one-fourth longer than the ventrals. With 
Mr. Yarrell’s description they generally agree. 
“ The colour of the upper side of these six specimens is one uniform tint, 
intermediate between the ‘yellowish brown’ and ‘wood brown’ of Syme’s 
‘ Nomenclature of Colours.’ The fins are all merely of a darker shade, owing to 
the membrane being minutely spotted with a deeper brown ; the hinder portion 
of the upper half of the P. fin is black, thus resembling this fin in all the British 
species of sole ; ‘ the edges of all the fins darker than the rest,’ as described by 
Mr. Yarrell ; the under side of the three larger is pure white, of the three smaller 
white also, but closely dotted over with extremely minute black spots, which, 
without close examination, give to this portion the appearance of soiled white ; 
pupil purplish black ; irides silvery, in some of them tinged with gold. 
“ On dissection, five of these individuals exhibited milt, and one of them roe ; 
the ova of a very small size, and the milt not much developed. Excepting the 
stomach of one, which was empty, they all contained a few fragments of Solen 
pellucidus or minutus ; in addition to this shell, three of them exhibited the 
remains of Ophiurce ; one, besides the Solen and Ophiurce, presented some 
Crustacea ; and another, in addition to the Solen , the remains of marine worms, 
apparently Planarice. 
“ On May 5, 1837, I obtained a seventh specimen of P. Pola, "which, like the 
others, was taken by trawling, at Ardglass. It was 12^ inches long, and exhi- 
bited milt moderately developed. Its stomach contained fragments of Solen 
pellucidus , and a specimen of Bidla lignaria.” — Annals Nat. Hist. vol. ii. 
March 25, 1839. — A small creel-full of these fishes was brought to Bel- 
fast market from Newcastle (Down), near to which place they were 
taken by trawling. There were about 120 of them, and with them were 
a Pleuronectes Megastoma, a Platessa microcephala, both full grown, and 
