ACANTHOPTERYGII. 171 



nearly as large and common to the Mediterranean and the ocean 

 is the 



M. capito, Cuv.; the Romando of Nice. The maxillary visible 

 behind the commissure of the jaws even when the mouth is 

 closed; much weaker teeth; nasal orifices approximated; the 

 skin of the edge of the orbit not extending to the globe of the 

 eye; the sur-pectoral scale short and obtuse; a black spot at the 

 base of the latter fin.( 1) 



Two smaller species, M. auratiis, and 31. saltator, Risso, ap- 

 proach the capito; the maxillary of the first is hidden under the 

 sub-orbital as in the cephalus, but the nasal orifices are approxi- 

 mated as in the capito; the other, with the characters of the 

 capito, has an emarginated sub-orbital which allows the end of 

 the jaw to be seen. (2) A third large species also common to 

 both seas, is the 



M. chelo, Cuv. Particularly distinguished by its extremely 

 bulky fleshy lips, whose edges are ciliated, and by teeth which 

 dip into their substance like so many hairs; the maxillary is re- 

 curved, and shows itself behind the commissure. 



M. labeo, Cuv., a small, Mediterranean species, has, in pro- 

 portion to its size, still larger lips, with crenated borders. Se- 

 veral of these thick lipped species are found in the Indian 

 Ocean. (3) The 



TetragonuruS; Risso, 



So called from the two salient crests that are found on each side near 

 the base of the caudal, is another of these insulated genera, which 

 seem to indicate particular families. These fishes are partly allied 

 to the Mullets, and partly to the Scomberoides. Their body is elon- 

 gated; their spinous dorsal long but very low, the soft one approxi- 

 mated to it, short but higher, and the anal corresponding to the 

 latter; the ventrals are a little distance behind the pectorals. The 



(1) This appears to us to be the species particularly described by Willoughby 

 and figured by Pennant. 



(2) Add the 31. christian, Voy- Freycln.; M. Ferrandi, lb.; M.parsia, Buch., 

 pi. xvii, f. 71; M. carcasia. Id.; M. peradak, Cuv., Russ. 182. 



(3) M. crenilabis, Forsk.; M. cirrhosthomus, Forst., App. Bl., Schn., 121. 

 N.B. The M. coeruleo-maculatus, Lac^p. V, 389, the same represented under the 



name oi crenilabis, pi. xiii, f. 1, belongs to the same group as the capito. The Mu- 

 gil appendiculaius, Bosc., or Mugilomore Jtme-Caroline, Lacep., V, 398, is nothing 

 else than the elops, which is also the fiict as respects the Mugil salmoneiis, Forst., 

 Bl., Schn. 121; Mugil cinereus, Walbaum, Catesb. II, xi, 2, is a Gerres; the M, 

 chanos, Forsk., belongs to the Cyprinidx. 



