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 1838, and measured sixteen inches in length. Its 



fin -formula was, 



4 _l i i vi 

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



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



Julis melanura. J. oblongus, postice nigrescens : capiie superne 



dorsoque olivaceo-fuscis : lateribus perpendiculate strigatis ; strigis 



posterioribus nigricantibus : pinnce dorsalis antice altiores rudiis 



tribus primordialibus longioribus, operculique angulo lato truncato, 



busique prim arum pectoralium cceruleo-nigrescente notatis : pinna 



dorsali analique fasciatis, basi nudis ; caudali rotundato nigri- 



cante : squamis parvis : dente solitario majore ad cant hum oris 



utrinque, antrorsum porrecto. 



4 -4- VI 

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



Vert 86 . 25. 



Julis speciosa, nob. in Syn. Mad. Fish 186 ; haud 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 J. 

 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 J. speciosa, Riss. Not having met at present with any 

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

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

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

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

 and which are precisely those of Julis melanura. 



