POLYPRION CERNIER. 187 



in wliicli tlie crests and echinulations about the head and fin-rays are 

 either much exaggerated, or at least much stronger tlian in any state of 

 the Madeiran fish. The nearest approach to it was in the small example 

 excellently figured by Mr. Yarrell in his Supplement. But larger adult 

 fishes are uniformly very plain about the head, and have the fin-spines 

 nearly unarmed : and under this their usual aspect, they can only be dis- 

 tinguished from Serranus generically by their short deep unwieldy shape, 

 by the subserrate opercular keel ending in a single strong spine, and by 

 the grooved or striated fin-spines. 



Shape oblong, suddenly contracting at the end of the dorsal and anal fins, short 

 or deep in proportion to the length; compressed, but thick and bulky. The 

 greatest depth equals the length of the head, and is contained about three times 

 in the length. The greatest thickness equals, or exceeds a little, half the depth. 

 The curvature of the dorsal and ventral outlines is moderate and equal. Head 

 very large, with both the mouth and gape enormous : the muzzle a little varying 

 in length or sharpness, but always blunt and broad. The lower jaw projects 

 beyond the upper, when the mouth is closed, as in Serramis ; but is neither 

 distinctly notched nor tubercled at the tip. Both jaws are furnished round the 

 edges with bands of fine brush-like teeth ; the bands are broadest in the upper 

 jaw. The palatines have a broad ' band, and the vomer a patch of the same ; 

 and at the root of the tongue there is also another triangular rough patch. The 

 tongue is broad, and flat or thin ; and otherwise quite smooth. There is a dis- 

 tinct veil inside, in front of both jaws. 



The nostrils are two simple orifices, close together, in the usual place. 



Eyes of moderate size, rather small ; their diameter about one sixth, sometimes 

 approaching to one fifth, of the length of the head ; often by spasmodic action, 

 or expansion after capture, singularly protruded from their sockets like two blunt 

 horns. Low^er half of the orbit bony, ridged, and roughly serrate : the upper 

 half plain, but with a sort of naked bony echinato-striate eyebrow^ above. 



The upper and lower edges of the suborbitary underneath the eye form two 

 bony echinato-serrate ridges : the former compassing the lower half of the eye, 

 of which it forms the orbit. 



The limb or border of the preopercle is both confusedly scaly and echinato- 

 granulate or striate, with its outer edge spinoso-serrate, and its raised inner rim 

 nearly entire, or only here and there echinato-granulate or serrate. 



The lower part of the edge of the subopercle, like the upper of that of the 

 interopercle, is striato-dentate ; but the remainder of their edges is entire. 



Opercle towards the top with a strong horizontal bony ridge or keel, which is 

 more or less and irregularly echinato-serrate, and is produced into a strong adpressed 

 spine. The upper point or angle of the opercle, and its ridge, are very obsolete. 



The top of the head betw'een the eyes is plain, broad, and flat ; nearly equal- 

 ling in width twice the diameter of the eyes. It is mostly granulato-scabrous, 

 and has two pencils of bony striae converging inwards from a point on a line with 

 the hinder edge of the orbits. Close behind, and almost upon the nape, is a short 

 bony crest-like hump, or ridge, forming a little keel, beginning at a point halfway 

 between the line of the fore-edge of the orbit, and the beginning of the dorsal fin, 

 but extending a very little way towards the latter. 



These ridges, crests, or keels about the head, are more prominent and rough, 

 or cchinate, in young than in full-grown examples. But in all cases the head 

 has a plain unarmed appearance, like Serranus rather than Scorpcena. 



