MUGIL AURATUS. 167 



drawn out to its full extent, requiring to be pulled out of itself: hence, on a 

 cursory examination, it appears much less protractile, as it is represented in 

 fig. II. of the accompanying plate. The lower lip and jaw are as in M. corruga- 

 tus, and there is no appreciable difference about the opercles and interopercles 

 as to shape and size ; but the edges of the interopercles, instead of nearly meet- 

 ing underneath continuously in straight and parallel lines, touch only in one 

 point below the hinder edge of the eye ; receding mutually forwards, and then 

 again meeting at the tip of the jaw, so as to include a wide distinct elliptic 

 space ; with only one or two obscure, instead of five or six distinct pores on each 

 side the symphysis in front. 



The mouth is much less strong in all its parts than in the common Grey 

 Mullet of Madeira. The suborbitaries are narrower and weaker, yet much more 

 coarsely crenulate at their obliquely truncate ends : their front margin is generally 

 perfectly straight and even; but sometimes, in adult fishes, faintly waved or 

 sinuate.* The maxillaries are much finer or more slender, and straighter ; 

 scarcely at all twisted, and with their lower ends not sensibly recurved : when 

 the mouth is closed, these ends most frequently remain exposed, like little knobs 

 or buttons, just below and obliquely behind the corners of the mouth ; but occa- 

 sionally, both in young and full-grown fishes, they are quite concealed beneath the 

 edge of the suborbitary.t The palatines far back, in adult fishes, feel slightly 

 rough, or scobinate, with a few minute teeth ; but the vomer, with all the rest 

 of the roof of the mouth, and the tongue, are quite smooth, though appearing 

 often in young fishes granulose or pustulose. The tongue has a raised ridge or 

 keel down the middle, fitting into a con-esponding hollow in the palate. This 

 ridge is neither particularly sharp, nor the palatinal groove for its reception 

 deep.:}: 



The eye, except in being rather smaller, and having the top of the eyeball 

 not so black or dark-coloured, resembles that of M. corrugatiis ; having the orbit, 

 especially in front, gelatinous, but without any particular obducted veil or 

 eyelid. 



The nostrils are close together, but considerably forwarder, or farther from 

 the eye, than in the common rough-lipped Grey Mullet ; and, in adult fishes, 

 the anterior round orifice has frequently a beautiful bright lilac-coloured lining, 

 projecting a little, like a funnel.. In M. corrugatus there is the same funnel- 

 like projection ; but the lining is dusky or plain-coloured, and the orifice is not 

 so exactly circular. 



The fins, as to their shape and position, resemble generally those of M. cor- 

 rugahis : but they are altogether more pointed, slender or elegant, and shapely ; 

 especially the pectoral, the ventral, and the forks of the caudal fin. The pec- 

 toral fins, indeed, are considerably longer, and inclining to lanceolate: being 

 contained only from five to six times, instead of seven, in the whole length of 

 the fish. The first dorsal fin is lower and more triangular; its height but 

 little exceeding the length of its base, and being contained from twice to twice 

 and a half in the depth of the body below it. The three first spines are of gra- 

 dually decreasing length ; and the fourth, though much weaker, is not dispropor- 



* I find nothing about the siiborbitary, eitlicr in the present fish, or in M. corrugatus, answer- 

 ing to MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes' expression (Hist. xi. 43) " releve d'une arete." It appears to 

 me quite flat or simple. See M. hreviceps, Cuv. et Val. xi. 106. 



•f* A large majority in young examples has them exposed. Of five full-grown fishes, three had 

 them exposed ; which was the case also with a sixth half-grown example. 



X Confer M. falcipiimis, Cuv. et Val. xi. 1 05. — It would seem questionable, whether either M. 

 hreviceps, or M. fulcipinnis, Cuv. et Val., is really distinct from at least the Madeiran M. auratus. 



