416 The Rev. R. T. Lowe on the Fishes of Madeira, 



in size and form of body, no less than in the peculiar lowness of the 

 spiny portion of the dorsal fin, and abrupt production of the soft 

 part of the same, and of the anal fin, as well as in the number of the 

 rays of all the fins, there is a strong agreement. It will, I think, 

 however, ultimately prove merely a dark variety of that species. The 

 colour is peculiarly sombre ; being a dark brown, approaching on the 

 back almost to black ; the whole beautifully reticulated with dark 

 chesnut-brown lines, forming a border to each scale, and leaving the 

 Centre pale. The preoperculum was scaly. A single individual 

 occurred in March 1 838, and measured sixteen inches in length. Its 

 fin-formula was, 



D. 19 + 11; A.3 + 9; P. 14 ; V. 1 + 5 ; C.^4t^4=; B.M.5. 



This individual has been deposited in the Society's collection. 



JuLis MELANURA. J, ohlougus, postice mgresceus : capite superne 

 dorsoque olivaceo-fuscis : laterihus perpendiculate strigatis ; strigis 

 posterioribus nigricantibus : pinna dorsalis antice altiores rudiis 

 tribus primordialibus longioribus, operciilique angulo lato truncato, 

 basique primarum pectoralium cceruleo-nigrescente notatis : pinna 

 dorsali analique fasciatis, basi nudis ; caudali rotundato nigri- 

 cante : squamis parvis : dente solitario majore ad canthum oris 

 utrinque, antrorsum porrecto. 



D.9 + 12; A. 3+ 12; P. 14v. 15; V. 1+5; C. |^^' ; M. B. 6 ; 



Vert®. 25. 



Julis speciosa, nob. in Syn. Mad. Fish 186 ; baud Rissoi. 



, Cuv. and Val., Hist. 13. 375 ; quoad tantum ex- 



empla Canariensia, et forsan quidem Maderensia. 



On re-examination and a close comparison of this fish with MM, 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes' description of the true Mediterranean /. 

 speciosa, of Risso, I find that it is properly distinct ; although a Ca- 

 narian individual at least of it has been referred by Valenciennes, as 

 the Maderan fish was formerly by me, to Risso's species. It differs 

 chiefly in the elevation of the three first rays of the dorsal fin, the 

 spot on which is small, not large ; in the deep blackness of the 

 caudal fin and hinder part of the tail or body ; and, lastly, in being of 

 considerably larger size (8-10 inches in length) than the true Medi- 

 terranean /. speciosa, Riss. Not having met at present with any 

 other fishes in Madeira which agree so nearly as /. melanura with 

 that species, I cannot help suspecting that in M. Valenciennes' Ma- 

 deran specimens of his /. speciosa may exist the principal peculiari- 

 ties which he has expressly noted in Mr. Webb's Canarian example, 

 i^nd which are precisely those of Julis melanura. 



