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Show 1882.] ARNOGLOSSUS LOPHOTES WITH A. GROHMANNI. 749 Dr. Giinther described three skins of a pleuronectoid Mr. Yarrell's collection, which descriptions are sufficiently accurate to render recapitulation unnecessary ; but he did not apparently take into consideration that, as they were skins, a considerable elongation may have, and in fact has, occurred, rendering the proportions untrustworthy. If we turn to the accounts given by the various ichthyologists who have written upon these two described forms, and examine the figures which they have furnished us with, we obtain the following results:- A. grohmanni. Height of body in the length to base of caudal fin 2|; length of head 4 | to 4|. L. 1. ?58. A. lophotes (skin). Height of body in the length to base of caudal fin 2§-2f; length of head 4\ to 4|. L. 1. 60. A. lophotes (spirit). Height of body in the length to base of caudal fin 2i| ; length of head 4g. L. 1. 60. The scales being very deciduous, continental authors have hesitated at recording their exact numbers. Canestrini gives 58 along the lateral line to the base of the caudal rays; the examples of A. lophotes in the British Museum have up to 60. The colours in the Cardiff (or, rather, off Lundy Island) specimen also show the small brown markings existing on the fin-rays of A. grohmanni, with which this specimen agrees in its proportions, colours, and number of scales. The differences ascribed are thus reduced to the fin-rays, which are thus recorded :- Bonap D. 80. A. 52. Canestrini D. 86-90. A. 60-67. Moreau D. 84-90. A. 55-67- Giinther D. 95 (100). A. 77 (80) (A. lophotes). Cardiff example D. 99. A. 79 (A. lophotes). There are few fishes which show greater variations in the number of their fin-rays than pleuronectoids; and to demonstrate this I would refer to the observations of others. Moreau being the most recent author, I give some figures extracted from his very interesting ' Hist. Nat. Poissons.' Turbot (Rhombus maximus) .... D. 61-72. A. 45-56. Brill (Rhombus Icevis) D. 63-83. A. 50-61. Pole (Pleuronectes cynoglossus) .. D. 102-116. A. 87-102. Sole (Solea vulgaris) D. 74-87. A. 60-69. Lemon Sole (Solea lascaris) .... D. 65-89. A. 52-70. The number of dorsal fin-rays in A. grohmanni has been given as from 80 to 90, and in A. lophotes up to 100, or an extreme variation of 20 rays. In the Brill, Moreau has recorded a variation of 20 rays in the same fin, 11 in the Turbot, 14 in the Pole, 13 in the Sole, and 24 |