of two New Fishes. 59 



The vertical gape of the mouth, is two inches in extent ; 

 the jaws are equal ; the jaws, palatine bones, and pharynx 

 are armed with numerous fine teeth, placed like those of a 

 card. The tongue is large, smooth and white. Suspended 

 from the chin is a cirrus one and a half inches in length. 



The lateral line commences above the operculum, and 

 very gradually curving downwards, does not reach the middle 

 of the body, until beyond the middle of the dorsal fin. 



The dorsal, pectoral, anal, and caudal fins are colored, as 

 well as the sides of the fish, with bluish blotches, and are 

 margined with black. The ventral fins are white beneath, 

 and fulisinous above. 



The first dorsal fin is situated eleven inches back of the 

 snout ; it is two inches long, one inch high, the posterior por- 

 tion barely higher than the anterior. 



The second dorsal fin commences half an inch back of 

 the preceding ; it is less than an inch high at its commence- 

 ment, and is half an inch high at its posterior extremity. 

 This fin is continued nearly to the base of the tail. 



The pectoral fins are situated directly behind and beneath 

 the posterior angle of the operculum ; they measure three and 

 a half inches across, when extended, and are rounded at their 

 posterior extremity ; they are an inch deep at their base. 



The ventral fins are situated in front of the pectorals ; the 

 rays are fleshy ; the first ray is an inch long, the second ray 

 is continued an inch beyond this ; the remainder of the rays 

 are shorter than the first ray. 



The anal fin commences half an inch back of the vent, 

 and terminates on a line with the second dorsal fin ; the rays 

 are of equal height throughout. The vent is large. 



The caudal fin is three and a half inches in length ; when 

 expanded, it is three and a half inches high, and rounded at 

 its extremity. 



The weight of this specimen was five and a half pounds. 

 B 7; D. 10—71; P. 16; V. 6; A. 68; C. 34. 



In the oesophagus of this fish I found a blade of grass, and 

 the stomach contained numerous bones of a fish, too far di- 

 gested to be determined ; a large quantity of viscid mucus 



