CLASS PISCES. 179 



spinous rays concealed in their anterior edges ; but 

 they have slender, bent teeth, in the jaws, and pala- 

 tines, an elevated profile, very short snout, a forehead 

 descending vertically, and a mouth, when shut, that 

 is almost vertical. The scales extend on to the maxil- 

 laries ; there are seven rays to the branchiae ; a dorsal 

 and an anal, not prominent though commencing in a 

 salient point ; a short stomach ; a small intestine, and 

 only five cceca. 



But one species is known, Sparus rati, Bloch. 273 ; 

 it inhabits the Mediterranean, and sometimes strays 

 into the ocean. An excellent fish of a burnished steel 

 colour, which attains a large size, but is infested with 

 various species of intestinal worms. 



I strongly suspect that it is the Brama, which M. 

 Rafinesque had in view in his Lepodus saragus, Nuov. 

 Gen., No. 144. Shaw makes two species of it, but 

 why, it is impossible to say, the Sp. Rail and Sp. 

 castaneola ; the latter after Lacepede, but Lacepede 

 made his genus only for the species of Bloch and 

 Rav. 



Pempheris, Cuv. 



Have the anal long and scaly, and the dorsal short 

 and elevated, the head obtuse, the eye large ; a little 

 prickle at the operculum, and even teeth at the jaws, 

 vomer and palatine bones. They inhabit the Indian 

 seas \ 



1 Pempheris touea, C, Sparus argenteus, J. White, App. 267., or 



N 2 



