3. BLEKNIUS. 223 



Blennius artedii, Cm: ^- Val. xi. p. 231; Guichcn. Explor. Alg^r. Poiss. 



p. 72 ; Lowe in Trans. Zuol. Soc. iii. p. 9. 

 injequalis, Loice in Trmts. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 185. 



D-T^r A. 17-18. 



Snout short, with the anterior profile straight and very oblique. 

 A strong curved tooth in the lower jaw, none in the upper. Only 

 one tentacle between the eyes, above their posterior part ; a series 

 of very small tentacles behind. The dorsal commences in the ver- 

 tical from the extremity of the operculum ; the spinous and soft 

 portions of the dorsal fin separated by a distinct notch ; the latter 

 not continuous with the caudal. Brownish-grey, spotted with darker ; 

 back sometimes with blackish cross-bars ; a series of silvery spots 

 along the lower part of the sides. 



Mediterranean. Sea of Madeii'a. South coast of England. 



a, b-d, e-l. Adult and half-grown. Falmouth. 

 m-p. Adult. South Devonshire. Museum Leach. Typical speci- 

 mens of Montagu's description. 

 q-r. Adult. Madeira. Presented by the Eev. H. Methuen. 

 s. Adult : skin. From Mr. YarreU's Collection. 



There can be no doubt that this species is intended by Artedi's 

 diagnosis, '• Blennius crista capitis transversa, cutacea." Linne, when 

 he introduced his Bl. galerita into the system, not only quoted Artedi, 

 but used his very words, confounding it, however, with a Blennioid 

 fish described by Strom {BJenniops ascanii). Therefore the specific 

 denomination of galerita is applied with much more right to the 

 present species than to the fish described by Strom ; and the meaning 

 of the name itself denotes the peculiar crest of this Blennius far 

 better than the orbital tentacles of the other. 



26. Blennius cristatus. 



Blennius, sp., Grojiov. ZoopJu/l. n. 203. tab. 6. fig. 4 ; Klein, Pise. Miss. 

 V. p. 32. n. 3. 



cristatus, L. Sijst. i. p. 441. 



uuchifilis, Cicv. e^ Val. xi. p. 253. 



Adonis cristatus, Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray, p. 95. 



D.||. A. 16. 



The height of the body is nearly equal to the length of the head, 

 and one-fifth of the total. Snout obtuse, with the anterior profile 

 abmptly descending ; small curved teeth in the jaws. A single 

 short orbital tentacle ; nape of the neck with a filamentous crest. 

 The dorsal fin begins in the vertical from the upper end of the prae- 

 operculum, is very slightly notched, and not continuous with the 

 caudal. Greyish or brownish, with darker bands across the back 

 and ii'regular spots on the tail. 



Island of Ascension. 



a. Adult : skin. From Gronow's Collection. — Type of the species. 

 The orbital tentacles, being dried, are imperceptible. 



