276 ACANTHOPTERYGII. FAMILY OF GOBIES. 



from all the preceding. When first taken from the 

 water, they were soft and transparent, with large 

 prominent eyes, and large deciduous scales; the 

 lengih was about two inches ; the head large ; the 

 teeth longer and sharper than the other British spe- 

 cies, and placed in one row in each jaw ; the tail 

 was rounded at the end. The first dorsal, pos- 

 sessii*^ but five rays, is sufficient to distinguish 

 this fish from the other British species. In the 

 month of July, when Dr. Pamell had occasion to 

 revisit the Solway, he endeavoured to obtain addi- 

 tional specimens, presuming that by this time they 

 would have somewhat increased in size ; but not 

 a single individual could be found ; nor has the 

 parent fish ever come within the observation of the 

 fishermen. 



Gen. XLV. Callionymus. — This genus belongs 

 to a small group, which, according to M. Valen- 

 ciennes, might properly form the type of a natural 

 family with others nearly allied to it. As, how- 

 ever, the number of ascertained species is not large, 

 he, in the mean time, prefers making it a kind of 

 appendage to the " Gobioidge, to which it is de- 

 cidedly related. It is characterized by the giU- 

 opening being nothing more than a small aperture 

 on each side of the neck, and, by the ventrals, 

 which are situate under the throat, being separated 

 from each other, and broader than the pectorals. 

 The head is oblong and depressed ; the mouth very 

 protractile ; the teeth are like velvet nap on the 

 jawss but not on the palatines; the skin is gene- 



