150 Miscellaneous. 



the third and fourth form the lower part of the orbit ; the fourth 

 and fifth touch the lower postorbital ; the sixth and seventh are 

 equal in size. Two posterior oculars ; two temporals, one behind 

 the other. The median lower labial is triangular ; six lower labials, 

 the first pair forming a suture behind the median shield ; two pairs 

 of chin-shields, the anterior pair being twice the size of the posterior ; 

 there are four pairs of scales between the chin-shields and the first 

 ventral. The scales are smooth, rhombic, in fifteen series. Ventral 

 shields 1 72 ; anal bifid. The posterior quarter of the tail is muti- 

 lated. The ground-colour of the upper parts is shining black ; the 

 anterior part of the snout, a spot on the fifth upper labial, the rings 

 of the body, and all the lower parts, are brownish-yellow. The rings, 

 in this specimen, are one-fourth or one-fifth of the width of the 

 black interspaces, and occupy two or three transverse series of scales ; 

 they are sometimes irregular and interrupted ; all those on the tail 

 are interrupted, the halves of one side alternating with those of the 

 other ; the first ring forms a collar, crossed by a narrow black 

 streak. 



inches. 



Length of the head 0\ 



of the trunk 17 



of the tail (restored) 4 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On Alepidosaurus, a Marine Siluroid Fish. 

 By Dr. Albert Gunther. 



In his Family Scomberoidei Cuvier has brought together many 

 dissimilar fishes, whilst he has omitted others which approach very 

 closely to the typical forms. Other species discovered by subsequent 

 zoologists, and exhibiting some agreement with a Scomberoid fish, 

 went to increase the unnatural group. Amongst the latter is 

 Alepidosaurus fer ox, described by Lowe (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1833, 

 p. 104 ; Trans. Zool. Soc. i. p. 124, pi. 19, and p. 395, pi. 59; 

 vol. ii. p. 181). This profound naturalist, to whom we are in- 

 debted for our best information upon the fauna of Madeira, de- 

 ceived himself in this case as to the structure of the rays of the 

 dorsal fins. These are not the inarticulate bones of the Acan- 

 thopterygii, but they are soft, and their division into joints ap- 

 pears indistinct only because the individual joints are separated 

 from each other by great spaces, and each ray, notwithstanding its 

 length, only consists of a few joints. It is true the absence of the 

 spiny fins would be of itself no proof of the position of our fish 

 amongst the Malacopterygii : this is wanting in several true Acan- 

 thopterygii ; but then other characters aid us in recognizing their 

 natural position, and the place where the spiny fin should stand is 

 not occupied by the soft dorsal, as is the case in Alepidosaurus ; in 

 them the spiny fin is merely reduced to a rudimentary condition 

 (Brama). If to this we add the presence of the adipose fin in Ale- 



