262 BLENNIlDiE. 



and a few rays, without a detached anterior portion ; anal spines 

 two ; vcntrals jugular, composed of a small sjjine, hidden in the 

 skin, and of two or three rays. Tentacle above the orbit more or 

 less developed. Gill-opening wide ; pseudobranchia) ; branchioste- 

 gals six ; air-bladder and pyloric appendages absent. 



Seas of the temperate regions ; Atlantic coasts of Tropical America. 



The viviparous nature of these fishes was known long before the 

 time of Ou\'icr, Bloch having verified it in CUnus superdl'wsus (Bl. 

 Schn. p. 170). 



1. Clinus nuchipiimis. 



Clinus nuchipinnis, Quoy if Gain:. Voy. Uranie, Zool. p. 255. 



pectinifer, Cuv. 8f Val. xi. p. .')74 ; Casteln. Anim. nouv. mi rares, 



Poiss. p. 26. 



capillatus, Cuv. &f Val. xi. p. 377. 



Lepisoma cirrhosum, Dekay, New York Fauna, Mshes, p. 41. pi. 30, 



fig. 94. 

 Labrosomus pectinifer, Gilt, I. c. pp. 21 & 105. 

 capillatus, Gill,, I. c. p. 107. 



^■'^- ^-h- ^^-l/S- Vert. 12/22. 



The height of the body is contained three times and two-thirds or 

 four times in the total leng-th, and equals the length of the head. 

 The snout is of moderate extent, rounded, with the lower jaw some- 

 what the longer. The vomerine teeth form an angular band ; the band 

 on the palatine bones rather short. The interorbital space is rather 

 flat, and its width Ls less than, or equal to, the diameter of the orbit. 

 A small fringed tentacle at the nostril ; that above the orbit is short, 

 but broad, formed by many hair-Uke filaments (in old specimens very 

 small). On each side of the neck a long series of hair-like fila- 

 ments. Scales rather small, more or less irregularly arranged. 

 The dorsal fin is continuous, and has the soft portion nearly twice 

 as high as the spinous ; spines of moderate strength. Dorsal not 

 united with the caudal. Brown or brownish, with more or less 

 distinct darker vertical bands ; generally a black, sometimes white- 

 edged spot on the operculum. Fins and cheeks sometimes dotted 

 with brown. 



Coast of Gorea. Atlantic coasts of Tropical America, 



a. HaK-grown, West Indies. From Mr. Scrivener's Collection. 



b. Adult; skin. Jamaica. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



3. Clinus canariensis, Valenc. in Webb If Berth. lies Canar. Poiss. p. 60. pi. 17. 



fig. 3. — Canary Islands. This species, very insufficiently described, is 

 probably provided with tentacles, although the figure does not show 

 any. 



4. fasciatus, Casteln. Anim. nouv. ou rares. Poiss. p. 26. pi. 12. fig. 2. — 



Rio de Janeiro. Very insufficiently described, and probably also pro- 

 vided with tentacles. 



5. fernandezianus, Guichen. in Gay, Hist. Chile, Zool. ii. p. 282. — Island 



of Juan Fernandez. 



