6. THTKSITES. 351 



one-sixth of the total length, the length of the head onc-fonrth. 

 The lateral hne nearly straight. Coloration uniform. 

 Coast of Brazil. 



3. Thyrsites pretiosus. 



Ruvettiis pretiosus, Cocco, Gioni. Sc. Lett. Sict'l. xlii. p. 21, and Nuov. 



Giorn. Lett. Pisa, fasc. Ixxiii. p. 32 ; Bonaj). Faun. Ital. Pesci, 



cum tab. 

 Tetragoniirus (?) simplex, Loive, Proc. Zool. Soc. 183-3, p. 143. 

 Aphrnis simplex, Lowe, Trcms. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 180. 

 Rovetus temminckii. Cant?: Journ. Acad. Sc. et Belles-Lettres de Brux. 



1835, X. pi. 1. 

 ThjTsites acanthoderma, Lotve, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 78. 

 Eovettus temminckii, Valenc. * in Webb i^- Berthel. Poiss. p. 52. pi. 2. 

 ThjTsites scholaris, Poei/, Memor. Cuba, p. 372. t. 32. f. 1, 2. 



D. 14-15 1 16-18 I II. A. 16-18 | II. V. 1/5. C^c. pylor. 14. 



Lateral line none. Skin with many bony dermal productions, each 

 terminating in several spines. Abdomen keeled. The height of the 

 body is one-sixth of the total length, the length of the head one- 

 fourth. Uniform purplish-brown or violet-black. 



Mediterranean ; Seas of Madeira and of the Canary Islands ; 

 Caribbean Sea. 



a. Fifty-foiu" inches long: stuffed. From the Collection of the 



Zoological Society. 

 I &. Adult : stuffed. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 

 \c. Adult : stuffed. Mediterranean. From the Senckenberg Museum. 



I am well aware of the shght differences, which, from the accounts 

 [quoted, would appear to exist between the fishes from the west and 

 east of the Atlantic, but I have fully convinced myself that they are 

 [merely accidental in the individuals. 



4. Thyrsites prometheus. 



? Gempylus promethexis, Cuv. 8f Val. viii. p. 213. pi. 222. 

 Prometheus atlanticus, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 181, and Proc. 



Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 78. 

 Gempylus prometheus, Webb ^ Berthel. lies Canar. Poiss. p. 51. 



pi. lit. 



D. 18 I 21 I II. (III.). A. 16 I II. (III.). 



The ventral is reduced to a small spine, and placed a little before 

 the pectoral. The height of the body is eight times in the total 

 • length, the length of the head 4|. The lateral line descends in a 



* " Ayant appris par M. Cantraine qu'il avait le projet de faire cette d^dicace 

 a ce savant, je me suis fait un vrai plaisir de dormer aussi a M. Temminck cette 

 nouvelle preuve de mon amitie en conservant ce nom sp^cifique a ce poisson, ne 

 regardant pas la publication anterieiire comme assez repandue pour faire autorite 

 sur cette matiere." — Vahncicnncs, I.e. 



t This figure differs from that of Cuv. Sf Val. in representing a fish with a 

 relatively shorter head, and with two spurious fins above and beneath ; it agrees 

 better with our specimen. 



