304 GOBI AD E. 



The prevailing colour is a reddish brown, which in young 

 specimens is varied by a few dark spots on the sides of the 

 body ; the dorsal fins are pale brown without stripes ; all the 

 under surface of the body, pectoral, ventral fins, and head, 

 uniformly white ; anal fin even whiter than the belly. The 

 intestines in the Dragonets are so transparent that their con- 

 tents may frequently be ascertained without further exposure. 

 They have no swimming-bladder. 



In proof of the distinction of the species, it may be stated 

 that the colours of the body and fins are decidedly different ; 

 that in C. lyra, the head is to the whole length as one to 

 four ; the eyes removed two diameters from the end of the 

 nose ; the head elongated and elevated ; the distance from 

 the point of the nose to the posterior edge of the orbit, and 

 thence to the origin of the first dorsal fin-ray, equal ; the 

 mouth large ; the lateral line prominent. In C. dracunculus, 

 the head is to the whole fish as one to five ; the eyes but one 

 diameter above the snout ; the head depressed, strictly trian- 

 gular ; the distance from the eye to the first dorsal fin-ray 

 double that of the distance from the point of the nose to the 

 eye ; the lateral line much less distinct, and the mouth only 

 half as deeply divided. The vignettes show the comparative 

 form of the upper surface of the head in two specimens of 

 nearly equal size. This species has been taken on the south 

 coast of Ireland. 



