234 THACUINIDJE. 



s. Adult. Lanzai'ote. Presented by the Rev. E. T. Lowe. 



t. Advilt. Europe. Presented by the Zoological Society. 



■if, V. Large specimens : skins. Euroj^e. From Mr. Yan'cU's Col- 

 lection. 



IV. Large specimen. Europe. From the Haslar Collection. 



.r. Large specimen : skeleton. Europe. 



y. Half-grown : skin. From Mr. Yarrell's Collection. 



z. ? Adult : bad state. Coast of Guinea. From Mr. Frank's Col- 

 lection as TracMims annatus. 



a. Large specimen : stuffed: bad state. Cape Seas. Presented bj 

 Sir A. Smith. 



jG, y. Large specimens : skins. Sine patria. 



B. Adult : skin. From Gronow's Collection. 



In the specimens r, s, and z, the spines of the prsefrontal and prae- 

 orbital are rather pointed, and more distinct than in the others. I 

 do not think this peculiarity sufficient to regard those specimens as 

 forming a separate species, and the follo^^^Jlg description will show 

 how closely allied they are to the specimens from more northern 

 coasts. 



The height of the body is 5| in the total length, the length of the 

 head 4|. The cleft of the mouth is very oblique, wide, the upper 

 maxillary reaching beyond the vertical from the posterior margin of 

 the orbit. The snoiit is obtuse, and shorter than the eye, armed -with 

 two spines, pointing forwards. There is a pair of spines above the 

 anterior angle of each orbit; the anterior spine is the strongest. 

 The space between the orbits is very narrow and concave. The eye 

 interferes with the upper profile of the head, and its diameter is 

 nearly one-fifth of the length of the head. The upper surface of 

 the head, behind the orbits, the scapulary, and the infraorbital ring 

 are granulated. The prseoperculum is armed with four flat spines : 

 two at its lower limb, the anterior of which points forward ; the third 

 at, and the fourth above, the angle. The operculum has a very long 

 and strong spine ; suprascapula minutely serrated. 



The distance between the spinous dorsal and the occiput is less 

 than the length of the first spine ; the second and third spines are the 

 longest, one-third of the length of the head, and equal to the height 

 of the soft dorsal. The caudal is subtruncated. The rays of the 

 anal are stouter and shorter than those of the dorsal. The pectoral 

 reaches to the vertical from the sixth anal ray. The ventral is in- 

 serted below the anterior angle of the suboperculum, and does not 

 extend to the origin of the anal. 



inches, lines. 



Total length 7 



Height of the body 1 3 



Length of the head 1 6 



Diameter of the eye 3| 



Length of the third dorsal spine 6 



Skeleton. — The maxillary and intermaxillary are of nearly equal 



