377 
ORTHAaORISCUS. 
The body compressed, firm, without spines; the tail high as the 
body, and confounded with it, being in connection with the separate 
dorsal and anal fins. The jaws undivided on their edge, covered with 
uniform enamel in place of teeth. 
SUNFISH. 
WlLLOOGHBY; p. 151. 
Lijjn^us. 
Cuvier. 
Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 175. 
Jenyns; Manual, p. 490. 
YiRRELL; Br. Fishes, vol. ii, p. 462. 
Bloch; PL 128, the young fish. 
Yarkell; Br. Pishes, p. 464, the young fish. 
All the figures referred to are the less characteristic as having been 
from dried examples. 
This strange-looking fish is usually spoken of as rare, but 
it can scarcely be considered so on our south and west coast, 
where it is not common for a year to pass without the 
reported capture of a few. This is usually the case in the 
warmer months, although in some instances an example has 
loitered until late in the autumn. Single stragglers have 
also been met with beyond what may be considered their 
ordinary range. Mr. Peach informs me that he has known it 
taken at Wick, and 1 have been assured of its occurrence as 
far north as the Orkney Islands. Dr. McCoy says that it is 
not uncommon in Australia, where a large quantity of oil is 
extracted from it. We shall mention an instance of the taking 
of a Sunfish with a baited hook; but the more usual capture 
has been when the fish has been discovered as it floated at 
the surface, and sometimes in the condition of apparent sleep, 
with the head, even below the eyes, above the ivater, or lying 
VOL. IV. 3 C 
Sunfish, 
Tetraodon mola, 
Cephalus brevis, 
Orthagoriscus mola, 
• « if 
ft ft 
I, f{ 
it ti 
