180 SCORPiENID.E. 



another, over the posterior canthus of the eye ; and then again after a little 

 interval, still backwarder, the two together on the nape ; all being recurved, and 

 the five last acute. Immediately behind the middle of the eye, on the posterior 

 frontal bone, there is, as in Scorpcena Scrofa, a rather strong spine : and Ijehind 

 this again, another, halfway towards the lower, and rather stronger, of the two 

 small superscapulary spines. The scapulary spine, forming the apex of the tri- 

 angle of which these latter are the base, is again a little stronger and more 

 conspicuous : and in the upper axil of the pectoral fins there is a remarkably 

 conspicuous strong oblique flat spine, belonging to the humeral, which is as it 

 were doubled by the addition of a side-tooth on its upper edge. 



The lower jaw is not longer than the upper, and has the usual callous tuber- 

 cle at its tip beneath. 



The pectoral fins are large and broad, but rounded and not truncate ; most 

 resembling those of Seb. Kit/ilii in shape and proportion, but still more those of 

 Anthias formosus, Bl., in having also merely the points of the lower fleshy simple 

 rays free. The first ray, and now and then the second also, is simple; the 

 next two to six are branched ; the lowest eleven to eight simple : the whole 

 number of rays remaining generally constant at fifteen, but sometimes being 

 sixteen. Hence, notwithstanding their variableness in number, the fewness of 

 the branched rays in these fins is characteristic of the species ; evincing also an 

 approximation to Sebastes KuJdii. 



The ventral fins are large, and as long as the pectoral. They are rounded at 

 the tips ; and their last ray is webbed by nearly its whole length to the body. 



The anal fin is rather larger in proportion than in the other Scorptenidous 

 iishes before described ; but differs not in shape or structure. Its last ray is 

 quite free behind, or with merely a slight inconspicuous web quite in the axil. 

 The vent is situated nearly halfway between the origin of the anal and the root 

 of the ventral fins. 



The only peculiarity of structure in the dorsal fin compared with that of 

 ScorpcBna Scrofa, is, that the fourth spine is longest, being rather longer than 

 the third. Hence the whole anterior portion of this fin has a more regularly 

 arched or rounded outline. Behind the tip of each spine the membrane forms 

 a rudimentary point or lacinia. The last soft ray is webbed completely to the 

 back. 



The caudal fin is simple, and fan-shaped rather than truncate. 

 The scales, from the small size of the fish, appear much smaller than they 

 really are ; for in their proportion they are the size of those of Seb. imperkdis, which 

 they resemble also in their disposition. They are not less distinct or conspicuous 

 on the head and opercles than in the Requeime {Seb. Kuhli'i) ; and advance 

 forwards on the cheeks in a narrow band, beneath the suborbitary ridge, quite 

 to the anterior canthus of the eyes : but the maxillaries are perfectly naked 

 and smooth. The top of the head and muzzle is rough or furfuraceous, but 

 not distinctly scaled. The whole of the lower jaw is naked. The breast, and 

 fleshy base of the pectoral fins, are minutely but distinctly scaled quite up to the 

 point of the throat ; but the pectoral fins themselves are wholly naked. 



The soft portions both of the dorsal and the anal fins are minutely scaled 

 a little way up at their base ; but their spiny parts, like all the other fins, are 

 quite naked. 



Out of the water, at first sight, or on cursory observation, this fish appears 

 to be devoid of membranous lacinite : but, on close examination, it is found to 

 be furnished very copiously with them on the head and shoulders ; which, when 

 the fish is alive in the water, appear quite mossy with them. There is a larger, 

 stalked, and toothed, or dilatato-lacerate one at the tip of the muzzle, on each side 



