LABRAX LINEATUS. 19 



tongue are also armed with small teeth. The pharyngeal bones are thickly cov- 

 ered with teeth, similar in size and form to those of the upper jaw. 



The preropercle is rounded at its angle, and is serrated throughout its free 

 border, though minutely so above. The opercle is sub-triangular, with its apex 

 behind, crescentic, and ending in two spines. The sub-opercle is very long, 

 narrow, and covered with a single row of large scales ; the inter-opercle is narrow, 

 and rounded below. The whole head above, as well as at the sides and posterior 

 extremity of the superior maxillary bones, is covered with scales, except in front 

 of the eyes. The gill-openings are large ; there are seven branchial rays. The 

 supra-scapular and humeral bones are slightly serrated. 



There are two dorsal fins; the anterior begins rather behind the root of the 

 ventral, and has nine spines, of which the third is longest, and all are partially- 

 received in a groove when the fin is closed. The posterior dorsal is more elevated 

 than the anterior ; it is slightly crescentic at its superior border, and has two spines 

 and twelve soft rays, covered with a few scales near its base. The pectoral arises 

 very near the gill-openings, and extends to the root of the sixth dorsal spine ; it is 

 broad, very long, and has fifteen rays. The ventral begins at the anterior 

 fourth of the pectoral, extends one fourth of its length beyond it, and has one 

 spine and five branched rays. The anal fin commences with the middle of the soft 

 dorsal, and temiinates beyond it ; its inferior margin is sub-crescentic, and it has 

 three spines, the anterior very short, and eleven soft rays. The caudal is large, 

 crescentic, and has seventeen rays, the connecting membrane of which is covered, 

 for some distance, with scales. 



The scales are nearly semicircular, with the diameter in front, round and finely 

 ciliated behind. The lateral line begins at the supra-scapular, and runs straight 

 to the tail ; its scale is sub-pentagonal, round and ciliated behind, with the ex- 

 cretory duct nearly in its middle. 



Colour. The body above is a dusky silver-grey, the sides and belly are shining 

 silvery-white, and marked Avith seven or eight longitudinal dark bands, one of 

 which includes the lateral line. 



