CORYPHENA E(iUISETlS. 73 



is very short, the third or fourth the longest ; the fifth or sixth abruptly shorter. 

 The tips of all its rays, except the two or three first simple rays, are also still 

 more free and branched than any in the dorsal fin. It is lowest at about two 

 thirds of its length, opposite the corresponding lowest part of the dorsal fin. 



The last ray of both the dorsal and the anal fins is connected to the body 

 partly by a web. It is very rarely double. 



The pectoral fins are remarkably small, short, and ovato-falcate ; their length is 

 only about one tenth of the whole length. They are placed nearly halfway up 

 the sides, and have a peculiarly neat compact appearance, from the closeness and 

 flatness of their rays ; which seem as if they had been planed on each side. 



The ventral fins are very large, broad, ovate, with the edges irregularly jagged, 

 and the three or four hinder rays much branched and strong. They are considerably 

 longer as well as larger than the pectoral fins, reaching halfway to the origin of 

 the anal fin, and being one eighth of the whole length of the fish. Their first ray 

 is weak and flexible though simple, and nearly as long as the first branched ray : 

 the second of this last sort is the longest ; the last is webbed to the body. Each 

 of the branched rays is also curiously webbed to the preceding at the base, by a 

 short lateral membrane, as in the Tunny. 



The caudal fin is deeply forked : its forks are equal, narrow, long, acuminate, 

 and furnished at their outer base with several short accessory rays. The longest 

 outer ray of each fork is also simple. 



Colour light silvery-lead, darker and steelly on the back ; dead white, washed 

 more or less with citron-yellow on the flanks, beneath the lateral line, and on the 

 belly ; immaculate, but the sides here and there, chiefly beneath the lateral line, 

 sprinkled with minute, angular, distinct, remote, jet-black specks, like grains of 

 sand, of different sizes. The dorsal fin is very dark, approaching to black, with- 

 out spots or patches, but with rich blue iridescent tints, and a sort of pruinose 

 bloom ; the whole most curiously marked with darkei-, rivulose, anastomosing, 

 forked and wavy veins or lines, running across the rays obliquely backwards. 

 The anal fin is white at the base, blackish towards the edge, fimbriated with 

 white ; and the produced tips of the rays in both the dorsal and tlie anal fins are 

 white or colourless. The pectoral fins are pale bluish-slate, with the tips and first 

 ray blackish. Ventral fins blackish inside or above, especially towards the tips ; 

 white outside or beneath. Caudal fin pale bluish-silver ; brownish or olive towards 

 the tips of the forks. The mouth inside and tongue are white ; except the plates 

 of teeth, which are brownish flesh-colour. Iris silvery-glaucous or pearly apple- 

 green. 



The yellow wash upon the under-parts of the body and base of the anal fin 

 is very evanescent, and removes by slight rubbing, coming off upon the fingers. 



In a single female individual, taken full of spawn, and brought to me in fine 

 condition at the end of June, was observed a row of seven or eight faint dusky 

 spots, about the size of peas, extending forwards from the end of the dorsal fin 

 along the ridge of the back. The flanks and sides were specked as usual, but 

 otlierwise immaculate. The base of the dorsal fin itself was of a bright blue 

 colour, with a faint dusky mark or spot behind each ray : the blue reached up 

 about one third of the fin's height ; the remaining two thirds being inky-black. 

 The sides and belly in this fish were less washed with yellow than usual. 



In the dissection of another individual, a male, in the month of October, the 

 stomach was found to be very large and long ; extending to the vent, and dis- 

 tended with food : it contained a Chicharro {Caranx Cuvieri, nob.) seven and a 

 half inches long, or one third the length of its devourer ; and many horny orbits 

 and crystalline lenses of other fishes. The cfem were capillary, very fine and 

 numerous, uniting the lower end of the liver into one uniform bunch or mass with 



