OF ORTHAGORISCUS MOLA. 237 



There is another bony scale 6 inches below the inferior 

 maxilla, which is 2 inches long and 1 inch broad. 



The aperture of the eye is somewhat oval, 2 J by 2 inches 

 in the long diameter from before backwards. The eyes have 

 a deep blue colour, the iris silvery white, \ of an inch wide ; 

 when the eyeball was pressed inwards, a white membrane, 

 resembling the membrana nictitans, appeared, and could be 

 made completely to cover the eye. 



The branchial aperture is situated an inch anteriorly to the 

 pectoral fin, its length is 3 inches, its breadth 2 inches, the 

 long diameter being from above downwards ; it is closed by 

 a loose fleshy valve. 



The dorsal and anal fins are very long and pointed, their 

 anterior margin straight and thick, their posterior thin and 

 rounded, and continuous with the caudal portion. 



The pectoral fins are much smaller, have a rounded figure, 

 narrower at the base, they are attached horizontally ; the 

 pectoral of right side is a little larger than that of left. 



The caudal portion of the animal consists of nine semicir- 

 cular lobes, the convexity directed backwards, the central lobe 

 the largest, measuring 4J inches from above downwards ; be- 

 tween each pair of these lobes is a deposit of bony matter, 

 firmly connected to the integuments ; these are eight in num- 

 ber; they are nearly an inch in length; their concave edge 

 looking backwards. 



The palate and tongue were provided with a few sharp 

 curved teeth. 



The alimentary canal measured 1 1 feet 6 inches in length ; 

 its coats were strong and thick ; there was no apparent dis- 

 tinction between stomach and intestine : the alimentary canal, 

 near the cesophagus being little wider than at its termination. 

 As there was no mark by which to distinguish the junction 

 of the stomach with the intestine, it could not be said whe- 

 ther the biliary duct opened into the stomach or duodenum. 



The gall bladder was very large, as also its duct. The 

 liver was of a considerable size. The urinary bladder was 

 large and thick ; its interior surface plicate. 



The stomach and intestines contained some fi"agments of 

 corallines, with much viscid mucus. 



The alimentary canal contained, in addition, several spe- 

 cies of Entozoa, which are new, I believe, to the British 

 Fauna. In the stomach and intestines I found great numbers 

 of the Botlwiocephalus microcephalus, and of the Disioma 

 nigrqflavum, besides a species of Distoma which does not 

 appear to have been described. In the liver and peritonceum 

 were several of the Anthocephalus elongatus, and upon the 



