166 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



The genus Amphislle, to which this species belongs, is especi- 

 ally remarkable for a strong bony cuirass covering the entire 

 back and extending beyond the tail ; turning the hinder part of 

 the trunk and the tail downwards in an almost vertical direction, 

 thus making the dorsal fins appear to be on the lower surface of 

 the tail. 



At Baron Maclay's request I give the species from the locality 

 of its capture, the name of 



Amphisile Komis. 



General form elongate, very compressed, tapering in front to the 



extremity of the snout, and behind to the 1st dorsal spine, 



swelling out in the middle both above and below in a very gentle 



curve and slightly curving upwards at each extremity. The 



width is greatest along the middle of the sides where there is a 



ridge, represented in the vertical section — fig. a. b. The snout 



from the eye is twice as long as the height of the body at its 



deepest part, and one-fourth of the total length from the mouth 



to the extremity of the 1st dorsal spine, it is compressed, tapers 



to a very minute mouth, and excepting towards the eye where it 



is of the same bony punctato-striate substance as the crown of 



the head, its integuments are transparent. The nostrils are 



immediately in front of the eyes, the anterior one rather large. 



The orbits are rather large and about their diameter apart with 



a distinct ridge round them, and a short ridge in front, extending 



from near the nostril downwards. The upper part of the head is 



hard and punctato-striate, and may be looked upon as a mere 



continuation of the body cuirass — this bony part commences in 



a very narrow strip near the mouth, and extends along the 



summit of the snout, gradually widening until it joins the first 



dorsal plate. On the vertex between the eyes there is a very 



slight longitudinal depression. Below the eye a blunt spine 



or process extends downwards into the transparent ventral 



membrane. 



The operculum is scarcely longer than high, convex, punctate, 

 rounded behind, and angular beneath, the distance of its posterior 

 margin from the root of the pectoral fin being much greater than 

 its distance from the anterior margin of the orbit. 



