26 GRYSTES SALMOIDES. 



the superior facial line when the mouth is shut. Both jaws are armed with 

 numerous small, conical, pointed, recurved, card-like teeth ; they are all nearly of 

 the same size, except some in the upper jaw, which are directed inwards and 

 backwards. The vomer has in front a large arrow-headed group of minute 

 villiform teeth ; and the palate bones have, on each side, a long and rather broad 

 patch of similar teeth. The pharyngeal teeth resemble those of the jaws in size 

 and form. The tongue is large and thick behind, thin, narrow, and rounded in 

 front, smooth, and tolerably free. 



The pre-opercle is nearly semicircular at its angle, Avhich is smooth, or not ser- 

 rated, but the ascending border is slightly emarginate above the angle. The oper- 

 cle is sub-triangular, with its base before and its apex behind, and emarginate. 

 The sub-opercle is quadrilateral, and extends as far back as the opercle. The 

 inter-opercle is rounded below, and ascends for some distance between the pre- 

 opercle and the opercle. The head is covered with scales above, and at the sides 

 as far as the posterior margin of the orbit ; but the superior maxillary bone is 

 naked. The gill-openings are very large ; there are six branchial rays. 



The dorsal fin is very large and long ; it begins rather behind the base of the 

 pectoral, and is single, though deeply emarginate ; its anterior portion has nine 

 spines, partially received in a groove ; the posterior or soft portion of the dorsal 

 fin is much more elevated, and has fourteen articulated rays. The pectoral is 

 broad, but short, and rounded behind ; it arises rather before the tennination of 

 the opercle, and has fourteen rays. The ventral begins nearly with the pectoral 

 fin, and is shorter ; it has one spine and five soft rays, the internal of which is 

 bound to the belly for half its length. The anal arises nearly in a line vertical 

 with the root of the third dorsal soft ray, and has three spines and twelve branched 

 rays. The caudal is large, broad, slightly crescentic, and has nineteen rays. 



The scales are nearly semicircular in shape, with the diameter in front, 

 straight, and marked with twelve radiating lines. The lateral line is concurrent 

 with the back, and runs along the superior fourth of the body ; its scale is nar- 

 rower behind than the others, and its excretory duct is placed obliquely. 



