HAIKTAIL. 
Animals,” he says, “Its head was much broken, the bones of 
the upper part of the head still remained, and the sockets of 
the eyes were distinguishable very near to each other; the 
extremity of the upper jaw, or upper part of the mouth, 
was entire; upon either side of which was an operculum. 
The length of the head could not be measured exactly, but 
was about eight or nine inches. The body from the gills to 
the point of the tail was three feet two inches long; its greatest 
breadth six inches and a quarter, and its greatest thickness 
only an inch. The vent was two inches from the gills; these 
were much broken and partly gone, so that the number of 
rays could not be ascertained. Both sides of the fish were 
wholly white, without a spot upon them; the dorsal fin was 
the only part of a different colour, being a blackish green: 
this fin ran all along the back from the gills to the tail, 
consisting of a great number of rays, soft, and little more than 
an inch long. Each of the pectorals had six double rays. 
There were no ventral nor anal fins, but the belly was a sharp, 
smooth, and entire edge. The tail ended in a point, consisting 
of three or four soft spines or bristles, of different lengths, not 
exceeding two inches. The body was nearly of the same 
breadth for one half of its length, and then its breadth 
diminished gradually till within three inches of the tail, when 
the diminution became more quick. The lateral line was straight, 
and strongly marked along the middle of the two sides. 
It is remarkable that in November, 1821, the same gentleman 
had an opportunity of examining an example of what he sup- 
posed to be the same species, which had been thrown on 
shore near the same place; but as, after the entire loss of its 
head, what remained measured twelve feet nine inches, with a 
breadth of eleven inches and a quarter; the distance from the 
gills to the vent measured forty-six inches, the lateral line was 
straight, and the tail ended in a blunt point without bristles, 
we confidently question whether this example at least ought 
to be referred to the species under consideration, or even to 
the same genus. We add some notes from Artedi, in order to 
shew that the description and figure derived from a Cornish 
specimen, belongs, beyond question, to the same fish that he 
describes. Head compressed, lengthened; produced into an 
eminence behind, broad between the eyes; body long, narrow. 
