TIANKS’S OARFLSIJ. 
®53 
by giving it as 1783. From what is now known there is little 
doubt that the specimen said to have been taken near Goa, 
and winch was in length only tAVO feet six inches, Avith the 
weight of ten pounds, was of a different species from the Cornish 
fish, although Floch regarded them as being the same; and it 
appears further that both of them differ from a fish of the 
North Sea, knoAvn by the name of Ceil Coning, or King of 
the Herrings, and Avhich T)r. Gunther believes to be the Regalecus 
qhsne of authors, and different from Hanks’s Oarfish. 
But some portion of the original mistake' concerning these 
fishes must be imputed to the gentleman Avho made the com- 
munication to Bloch, and Avhom there is no hesitation in 
believing to have been John Hawkins, Esq., a Cornish gentleman, 
brother of Sir Christopher IlaAvkins, Baronet, and himself a 
competent naturalist, although not particularly skilled in the 
knoAvledge of fishes, and in this opinion of the source of 
Bloch’s information I am supported by Shaw, who indeed gives 
Mr. IlaAvkin’s OAvn authority for the fact. This gentleman had 
accompanied Professor Sibthorp in his botanical travels through 
Greece, from Avhence he returned with a large collection of 
plants, of which hoAVCA'er, it does not appear that he afterAvards 
made any use. It is known also that Mr. HaAvkins travelled 
widely over the continent of Europe, and some fruit of his 
inquiries in the north appeared in a communication Avhich he 
made to the Royal Cornwall Geological Society on the salt 
mines of Poland. The pursuits and genei’al character of Mr. 
HaAvkins would lead him to seek the acquaintance of such 
persons as Bloch and Professor Pallas, to both of whom it is 
probable that he made such communications as supplied them 
with materials for their respective Avorks. 
M. Valenciennes has the folloAving remarks: — “Thus, Russel, 
at the end of his account of the Gymnetre, which is named 
after him, informs us that a fish of this kind Avas thrown on 
shore on the coast of CoriiAvall in the year 1796, and that a 
figure of it Avas sent to Sir Joseph Banks.” This fish is described 
as having long filaments in the place of ventral fins, and a plume 
on the top of its head; but the tall had been lost. It is to 
be obscrAcd, hoAvever, and in some respects not a little sus- 
picious, that no allusion is here made to another specimen 
said to have been obtained in Cornwall in the year 1791, 
