144 
SHORT-SNOUTED LAUNCE. 
( 
Ammodytes cicerelus, 
Eai'iuesqtie. S chmaltz P 
It has been long suj^posed that besides the ttro kinds of 
Launces we haye already described there might be one, or 
perhaps two, more to be found in the seas of Europe; and 
accordingly the wave-finned species (A. siculus of the Catalogue 
of the British Museum,) has since been distinguished by Mr. 
Swainson as an inhabitant of the Mediterranean. But there is 
another which is briefly described by Eafinesque under the 
name given above, and by which it appears to be known to 
Italian fishermen, although it has hitherto been confounded with 
the Wide-mouthed Launce; and even Cuvier appears to have 
been disposed to admit it as a distinct species, although he has 
generally shewn a reluctance to admit the accuracy of the 
Italian writer above quoted in his descriptions or arrangement. 
The foundation of the belief that the Cicerelus is probably 
a native of the British seas, is so far deficient that it rests on 
the examination of a single specimen; but I have reason to 
believe that this is to be ascribed to the want of opportunity 
rather than to the absolute rarity of the fish; and as it was so 
long confounded with the better known species by observers in 
the Mediterranean it should not excite surprise to find that it 
has been equally mistaken for the other in Britain. 
The specific characters assigned to this fish by Rafinesque 
are — that besides the colours — which of the back are bright 
blue and of the under parts silvery white, the eyes are situated 
immediately above the corner of the mouth, and (which is 
less decisive,) the dorsal fin rises a little behind the line ot 
termination of the pectoral. The chief objection w'hich will 
be felt in this instance arises from the fact that the Italian 
writer describes the Cicerelus as rarely exceeding the length ot 
