8 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. SAMARANG. 



spine of this bone is rather longer than the preorbitar one, is compressed, grooved, quite 

 straight, and very acute. There is one acute corner on the edge of the bone above it and 

 five below, the latter ones being very conspicuous, and the one immediately below it acute 

 enough to be named as a short triangular spine. The operculum is strengthened by two 

 ridges which diverge greatly. The lower ridge and its point can be discovered only when 

 the integuments are suffered to dry ; but the point of the upper ridge projects immediately 

 1 lehind the soft tip of the gill-cover, which is formed of the flexible cartilaginous extremity of the 

 suboperculum ; when the gill-opening is closed beneath, there is a round orifice above this tip, 

 which is seemingly kept open by the direction then taken by the upper ridge and spine of the 

 operculum. The dorsal commences in the occipital notch over the posterior margin of the pre- 

 operculum, and its second ray stands- even with the acute terminations of the lateral cranial 

 crests. The last pair of soft rays of the dorsal and anal fins approximate at their bases, and 

 may prove on dissection to be only one deeply divided ray, so that only ten soft rays ought 

 in that case to be reckoned to each. If an anal spine exists, it cannot be seen through the 

 integuments. The teeth are microscopical, in villiform bands, those on the prominent 

 chevron of the vomer being with difficulty distinguishable even with the aid of a lens. A 

 small white barbel hangs from each limb of the lower jaw, a little behind its middle. 



The colours of the specimen in spirits are nearly the same with those attributed to 

 M. monodacti/lus in the Histoire des Poissons. The ground tint is a pale brown with two 

 darker diffused stripes on the back. The fins are clouded with black and white, and the 

 caudal has two white bars alternating with three blackish ones. Length, 2\ inches. 



Hab. Sea of China. 



CHORIDACTYLUS MULTIBARBUS, Richardson. 

 Radii.— B. 5; D. 13|9; A. 2|8; C. llfj P. 10, III.; V. 1|B. 



Plate II. Fig. 1-3. 



This fish has characters in common with several of the Cottoid genera. In union with 

 the preorbitar spines of Jpistes, or Minous, it exhibits the hollow cheeks, prominent orbits, 

 tall slender dorsal spines, the filaments of the fins, free pectoral rays, and ventrals adnate to 

 the belly of Pelors. It has not, however, the elongated body, depressed head, and horizon- 

 tally protruding muzzle, nor the vomerine teeth of this genus, and the membrane of its dorsal 

 is complete, thick, and spongy, instead of being deficient between the posterior spines. In 

 the lax skin, shape of the head, and general form, it comes nearer to some of the Synanceice, 

 from which it is readily distinguished however by its free, curved, pectoral rays. The generic 

 appellation is derived from ^apis/io?, sejunctio, and haKTvXos, digitus. 



The face of this fish is vertical, as high as the very prominent orbits, behind which there 

 is a deep notch. The height of the shoulder is contained thrice and nearly one half in the 

 total length, and the thickness is equal to three fourths of the height. The back is consi- 



