12. CLiNus. 263 



c. Ten inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 



d, e. Adult and half- grown. 



/. Adult male : skeleton. From the Collection of the Zoological 

 Society. 



The intestinal tract is not quite so long as the body. The liver is 

 large, not divided into lobes, and occupies the middle of the abdo- 

 minal cavity. 



Skeleton. — The skeleton resembles much that of the Blennies in 

 the most essential points. The single parts are well ossified and 

 solid. The crown of the head is much less compressed than in Blen- 

 nius, the frontal bones not having any crest. The occipital sm-face is 

 gently inclined backwards, with a very slight central and lateral crest. 

 The interorbital space is narrow, flat, iiigose, its width being nearly 

 one-thii-d of that of the orbit ; nasal bones rather long, soUd, forming 

 together an X-like figure. Jaw-bones strong, but not so broad as in 

 Blennius ; the maxillary is much longer than the intermaxillary, and 

 dilated at its extremity. Infraorbital ring strong, without sutures 

 between the single bones of which it is originally composed. Bottom 

 of the tympanic groove entirely osseous. Praeopcrculum crescent- 

 shaped, operculum triangular ; suboperculum with a notch to receive 

 the lower angle of the operculum ; interoperculum narrow. The 

 coracoid has a very peculiar form, both its extremities being dilated 

 into broad lamella?, whilst the middle is thin and styliform. Radius 

 and iJna considerably shorter than the lower pair of the four carpal 

 bones. The pubic bones form together a short tube, which is fixed 

 behind the humeral symphysis. 



There are twelve abdominal and twenty-two caudal vertehrce, the 

 latter portion being twice as long as the abdominal ; the vertebrae 

 are compressed, rather higher than long ; the processes and ribs of 

 moderate length and strength, the latter with long epipleurals. 



2. Clinus xanti. 



Labrosomus xanti, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1860, p. 107. 

 D.i?. A.^. V.3. 



The height of the body is rather less than the length of the head, 

 which is onc-foiu'th of the total. Vomerine and palatine teeth. 

 Superciliary tentacle multifid ; one or two transverse rows of fila- 

 ments across the nape. The dorsal commences behind the vertical 

 from the pra3operculum, and the spines gradually increa.se in height 

 towards the middle of the spinous portion, and thence slightly de- 

 crease towards the soft portion, which is nearly twice as high as the 

 last spine. Brown, with about ten darker cross-bars ; head with 

 blackish dots ; two obli(|ue bands proceed from the orbit to the prae- 

 opei'culum. Dorsal ^\'ith a blackish basal spot between the first and 

 thii'd spines. {Gill.) 



Cerro Blanco (Mexico). 



