6. SCORPJENA. Ill 



ever, only a single very strong, hooked prickle, halfway between the 

 eye and the lower suprascapulary spine, and none immediately behind 

 the eye on the posterior frontal. The lower of the two suijrascapu- 

 lary spines is much the strongest. The scapulary is inconspicuous, 

 being very closely adpressed. The liinder of the posterior pair on 

 the nape, and the two opercular spines are very strong and pro- 

 minent. The two upper prseopercular spines slender, but strong and 

 produced ; the three lower ones strong and broad, but short. The 

 humeral forms a single strong, flattened, adpressed point above the axil. 



" The pectoral fins are enormously large and wide, with the ten 

 inferior rays simple. The ventrals large, and as long as the pecto- 

 rals, rounded at the tips ; the last ray is webbed halfway up to the 

 body. Dorsal just as in Seb. maderensis, viz. with the fourth ray 

 [spine] a little longer than the third, the second one-third longer 

 than the fii"st, the third one-third longer than the second. The last 

 soft ray is webbed to the back nearly all its length. The last ray 

 of the anal free, or webbed only quite in the axil of the base. Caudal 

 simple and fan-shaped rather than truncate. 



" No tentacles, except a smaU one at the back of the anterior 

 nostril. The roughness of the cheeks and opercles is formed by 

 numerous distinct warts or hard fleshy granules, without trace of 

 scales. The scales on the body are large, and in other respects as in 

 Sc. scrofa, but evidently ciliated, and offeiing considerable resistance 

 to the fmger when drawn fi-om the tail forwards ; they end abiniptly 

 at the base of the caudal, as in Sc. scrofa. The lateral line is as 

 usual {e. g. as in Sebastes maderensis), consisting of twenty-four 

 scales*, each marked with a little tooth or point projecting beyond 

 its hinder edge. 



" Colour without bands, mottled vermilion or coral-red and paler : 

 spotted irregularly, chiefly above the lateral line, on the opercles and 

 the muzzle with black specks ; rosy about the lower part of the head, 

 the pectorals, gills, throat, breast and ventrals ; fins mottled red and 

 yellowish, with similar round spots, the ventrals and anal being, 

 however, nearly immaculate. But the great pecuhai-ity of the spe- 

 cies is an iiTCgular chestnut-browTi and blackish mark behind the eye, 

 extending principally over the opercle. In this specimen it even 

 tinges the hind part of the eye. The black spot on the dorsal fin is 

 only faint between the eighth and ninth spines. 



" The third specimen, April 22, 1841, forms a variety. It diff'ers 

 in the colour being black and mottled above, the thi-oat and belly 

 only rosy. Pretty copious, but small and simple lacinise on the body. 

 It answers perfectly to the foregoing description, with the following 

 exceptions : — 



"1. Between the eye and the lower suprascapulary spine there is 

 a pair of prickles (one behind the other), or a single one (on the right 

 side). 



* Mr. Lowe has eTidently counted the small scales only by which the lateral 

 line itself is constituted, whilst I count the transverse series of scales in all cases 

 where the scales of the lateral line are not fully developed. It is to be pre- 

 sumed that the number of the scales will be nearly the same as in -SV. scrofa. 



