THE ARMED BULL-HEAD FAMILY. 147 



slender body by the huge breast-fins which project outward 

 like a pair of fans. The black pigment on the under surface is 

 less marked, except at the vent. A V-shaped series of these 

 specks occurs at the breast-fins. The larval tail with the 

 up-turned notochord is still present above the permanent caudal. 

 The dorsal and anal fins, in which true rays are developing, are 

 connected by a broad marginal fin with the tail, and are not so 

 distinctly differentiated as in Prof. Prince's figure (Plate VI, 

 fig. 2). No trace of ventral fins yet exists. In colour this 

 stage approaches the figure just mentioned. 



When 12 mm. long (in spirit) the breast-fins are larger, so 

 that they form great fans which fold backward and envelop 

 nearly a third of the body, like those of the young gurnard. 

 Moreover, while they are boldly speckled with black, the sides 

 of the body which they cover when adpressed, are pale. The 

 ventrals (pelvic fins) are now present on the flattened abdominal 

 surface. The head reminds us of that of the Moloch lizard of 

 Australia from the great development of spines and tubercles 

 besides the ocular and occipital crests. The double row of 

 dorsal tubercles in the adult is here represented by prominent 

 rows of soft conical spines and so with the two lateral and 

 abdominal rows, the latter making the sides coarsely dentate. 

 Only papillae are still visible on the chin and neighbouring 

 region (branchiostegal). The permanent rays of the caudal are 

 complete and the larval tail at the upper border has disappeared. 

 This stage is also somewhat less than that figured by Prof. 

 Prince but it resembles it in coloration. The little fish is a 

 truly pelagic one and finds safety and food amidst the swarms 

 of minute forms carried about by every current. 



Those from 14 to 18 mm. (May to July), which are also 

 truly pelagic, fall under the stage represented in Prof. Prince's 

 figure (Plate VI, fig. 2). The spines retain the character of 

 the previous (12 mm.) stage, though they are now considerably 

 harder. Thus from the occiput to the tail the body is armed 

 with four lateral rows of tooth-like processes which are directed 

 backward. In those which have reached 18 mm. the breast- 

 fins seem to be shorter, from the elongation of the body. The 

 papillae on the chin are longer, but do not project much. The 



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