ichthyology, a genus of fishes of the order of thoracii. The head is compressed, and declines, the upper lip being vaulted over by a transverse membrane; the tongue is tubulated; there are seven rays in the gill membrane; and the body is compressed.—The species are eight; of which the most remarkable is the dorée or dorée. It is of a hideous form, its body is oval, and greatly compressed on the sides; the head large; the snout vastly projecting; the mouth very wide; the teeth very small; the eyes great, the irides yellow; the lateral line oddly distorted, sinking at each end, and rising near the back in the middle; beneath it on each side is a round black spot. The tail is round at the end, and consists of 15 yellow rays. The colour of the sides is olive, varied with light blue and white, and while living is very resplendent, and as if gilt; for which reason it is called the dorée. The largest fish we have heard of weighed 12 pounds.

Superstition hath made the dorée rival to the haddock, for the honour of having been the fish out of whose mouth St Peter took the tribute-money, leaving on its sides those incontestible proofs of the identity of the fish, the marks of his finger and thumb. It is rather difficult at this time to determine on which part to decide the dispute; for the doctrine likewise affords an origin of its spots of a similar nature, but of a later date than the former. St Christopher, in wading through an arm of the sea, having caught a fish of this kind en passant, as an eternal memorial of the fact, left the impressions on its sides to be transmitted to all posterity. In our own country it was very long before this fish attracted our notice, at least as an edible one. We are indebted to the late Mr Quin for adding a most delicious fish to our table, who, overcoming all the vulgar prejudices on account of its deformity, has effectually established its reputation. This fish was supposed to be found only in the southern seas of this kingdom, but it has been discovered likewise on the coast of Anglesey. Those of the greatest size are taken in the Bay of Biscay, off the French coasts; they are also very common in the Mediterranean; Ovid must therefore have styled it rarum salter, on account of its excellency, not its scarcity.