354 Dr. Richardsoir's Contributions to 



in various characters from any of the Cossyphi described in the 

 1 Histoire des Poissons/ 



Head short and obtuse. Two long obtuse nearly cylindrical teeth 

 stand near the symphysis of each jaw (in all four above and four 

 below), followed by a series of nine short conical ones. The edges 

 of the jaws are naked and crenated, with some small granular teeth 

 bursting through. [Part of the upper jaw is concealed by the dried 

 incurved lip. The vomer and palate bone are cut away.] There is no 

 canine tooth at the angle of the mouth. The snout, under-jaw, sub- 

 orbitar and top of the head to the occiput, are naked. The cheek is 

 covered by small, vertical-oval, remote, impressed scales, which form 

 seven rows before the curve of the preoperculum, but diminish to 

 two towards the temples, the scales at the same time increasing 

 in size. The hinder edge of the preoperculum is free and quite 

 smooth. The anterior border of the operculum is also smooth and 

 is vertically striated ; the rest of the bone is entirely scaly, so as to 

 conceal its junction with the suboperculum : the scales form five 

 rows, and increase in size towards the gill-opening. A row of still 

 larger scales protects the suboperculum, and five rows of smaller 

 ones, though not so small as those on the cheek, cover the interoper- 

 culum, the lower edge of this bone being smooth. The free edge of 

 the gill-cover is rounded, its tip being formed by the rounded, scale- 

 less, membranous lobe. The situation of the suprascapular bone is 

 denoted by the peculiar form of the scales, and there is a patch of 

 smaller scales on the temple, which does not reach to the top of the 

 head. The scales of the body are large, there being forty in a lon- 

 gitudinal row, including two rows of smaller ones on the base of the 

 caudal*. The lateral line is very slightly arched, and becomes quite 

 straight under the end of the dorsal. It is formed by a raised tube 

 on each scale, ending in a bushy cluster, the branches of which are 

 not very distinct. 



Rays:— D. 11|10; A.3|10; C.14f; P.17; V. 1|5. 



The spinous part of the dorsal is slightly arched and is lower than 

 the articulated portion, which ends in a point formed by the penul- 

 timate and two preceding rays, the eighth soft ray being the longest. 

 The spines are much compressed with thin edges and a round tip, 

 except the three last, which are more cylindrical and acute. The 

 membrane is notched behind each spine. The soft part of the anal 

 resembles the corresponding portion of the dorsal : the spines are 

 much wider and more thin and rounded at the ends than the dorsal 

 ones ; the membrane forms a broad edging to each spine. The caudal 

 is moderately rounded. The pectoral is also rounded off. The ventral 

 is pointed ; its greatly compressed spine is shorter than the fifth soft 

 ray, and has only half the length of the second and third rays, which 

 are the longest. 



* There are twenty or twenty -one scales in a vertical row, of which seven 

 are above the lateral line. A few small scales exist on the base of the articu- 

 lated portions of the dorsal and anal, but none on the spinous parts. The 

 edges of the scales are rounded, thin and membranous. 



