BY DR. E. P, RAMSAY, F.R.S.E., AND J. DOUGLAS-OGILBY 633 



originates beneath the middle of the base of the pectoral ; its 

 spine is midway in length between the longest of the dorsal and 

 anal fins, and is one-third of the first ray, which is elongate, 

 reaching to the origin of the anal, and equal in length to the head . 

 the second ray is much shorter than the first, and, while the third 

 is but little more, the fourth and fifth are considerably less, than 

 the spine. The pectoral fins are short and rouuded, two- thirds of 

 the length of the head, and reaching to the vertical from the 

 seventh scale of the lateral line. The caudal fin is rounded, and 

 is of equal length with the head : the length of the free part of the 

 tail is three-fifths of its height between the terminations of the 

 dorsal and anal fins. Scales — those on the opercle are almost as 

 large as those on the body, and form three irregular rows, while 

 those on the cheek are much smallei", and comprise about ten scales 

 in a single row, which does not quite cover the cheek, and extend 

 from behind to beneath the middle of the eye : there are three 

 sets of scales between the occiput and the origin of the dorsal fin, 

 and a similar number between the dorsal and caudal fins. The 

 bases of the dorsal and anal fins are naked, but the caudal is 

 clothed for fully half its length with small oblong scales. The 

 lateral line rises with a gentle curve to beneath the fourth dorsal 

 spine, and from thence has an almost imperceptible downward 

 slope to beneath the tenth ray, where it drops suddenly down to 

 the centre of the tail, leaving four scales on the latei-al line 

 between the flexure and the caudal fin, the last of which is on 

 that fin, and is much enlarged. The anterior scales are simply 

 branched by a single off'shoot rising near the middle of the main 

 tube on each side and thus forming an almost rectangular cross : 

 from thence to the end of the flexure they bear from five to eight 

 (and even ten) branchlets, most of which lise from the upper side 

 of the main tube ; behind this the branching again decreases. 

 Fores — the upper sui'face of the head is studded with small 

 circular pores, while the preorbital and preopercle are supplied 

 with raised tubular pores, which are frequently arbuscular. 

 Colors* — upper half of body dark green, lower half yellow with 

 * Taken from the living fish. 



