PLATE CI. 
teeth similar to the others. The tongue is whitish, and in one of our 
specimens elegantly marbled with black. The eyes, .vhich are placed 
on the summit of the head, are black, and curiously radiated with 
white. Upon the anterior part of the head, before the eyes, are two 
long slender moveable filaments or tentacula, the use of which is so 
Well described by Pliny *, in speaking of the manners of this fish, 
they are of a horny substance, and when complete are very long. 
Besides those filaments on the head, Mr. Pennant speaks of three 
others on the back : those latter however it should be observed arc 
not distinct filaments like tire others, but the rays of a genuine dorsal 
fin, being united together by a web ; and which induces us to believe 
the specimen examined by Mr. Pennant, muft have been imperfect 
in this particular. The whole body is covered with a thin and loose 
skin, which is destitute of scales, and is of a brown colour, varied with 
darker fuscous, and blackish ; the under side white : the pectoral fins 
also, which are very large, are of a brown colour above and white 
beneath. The margin of the head and body is fringed with a number 
of small processes of a skin-like substance. "T he posterior dorsal fin 
is situated near the tail, and is of a brown colour ; the tail blackish. 
The fish seldom occurs of greater length than twenty or thirty 
inches, but they are said to attain to a much larger size, even to the 
length of five or six feet. It is a general inhabitant of the North and 
Mediterranean Seas, and is found, though not very commonly, on 
the coasts of England ; towards the Scottish islands, if we are not 
misinformed, they are rather more abundant. As this fish swims in- 
differently, and cannot pursue its prey with success, like many others, 
* “ Eminentia sub oculis cornicula turbalo limo merit, assultmtes piscuhs attrahms, donee 
tarn prope accedant, ut assiliat Plin. Lib. ix. c, 14. 
