14/^ LARGER LAUNCE. 



I 



by Nilsson as known along the coasts of Scandinavia, and it is 

 also met with, as we have seen, in the IMcditerranean ; but it is 

 not mentioned by Lowe among the fishes of Madeira, although 

 it is reported as having been obtained on the coasts of America 

 The usual length of this species is about a foot, but th( 

 measure assigned by Jago to the specimen of which he has 

 given a figure, was almost sixteen inches, and an example of 

 that full length is preserved in the British Museum. Its general 

 form is lengthened, and only a little compressed at the sides; 

 the shape continuing uniformly from the head for about three 

 fourths of the length, but becoming gradually more slender 

 towards the tail. The head in front of the eye tends to a 

 point, which when the mouth is shut ends in the lower jaw, 

 where there is a projecting cartilage by which this fish is able 

 to pierce its way into the sand. The gape is wide, and is 

 rendered the more so by the faculty it possesses of lifting the 

 upper jaAv into a right angle with the front of the skull. The 

 mystache is wide and reaches far back, but scarcely to the 

 front border of the eye. No teeth in the jaws, but there are 

 some in front of the palate. Several specks like perforations on 

 the head. Eyes conspicuous; the gill covers project backward 

 above the root of the pectoral fins. There are five longitudinal 

 lines on each side, one of which is near the back; another is 

 the true lateral line, and is marked with the insertion of muscles; 

 and three are on the belly, of which two appear to unite at 

 the vent. This orifice is about two thirds of the whole length 

 from the snout, excluding the caudal fin. There are no scales, 

 but the skin is marked with oblique transverse folds, which, 

 according to Dr. Gunther, are one hundred and seventy in 

 number. Pectoral fin moderate and low down; the dorsal begins 

 a little behind the termination of the pectoral, and passes at an 

 uniform height to a little short of the tail; as does the anal 

 from near the vent. Tail concave with rounded borders. Colour 

 of the top of the head and back, down the sides to the true 

 lateral line blue; tail bluish: all below, with the cheeks, brilli- ^ 

 ant white; dorsal and anal fins pale white. At the root of the 

 tail, during life, there is a circulating vessel, which appears to 

 have some connection with the faculty of burying in the sand, 

 since something of the same nature is perceptible in other fishes 

 which are endued with a similar propensity. 



