14 BERYCtD^^S. 



vomerine teeth is triangular. The lower jaw is thickened and clumsy 

 at the tip, which projects considerably beyond the upper, and is 

 received iato its notch ; the lateral edge is slightly undulating and 

 fiuuished with a series of small teeth, but the teeth on the anterior 

 prominence are, like the upper ones, larger and conical. The max- 

 iUaries are stylifonn at the interior extremity, but very broad at the 

 exterior ; they are smooth, and not denticulated ; the broad end is 

 overlapped by the supplementary bone, tapering behind and rough- 

 ened above. The gape is oblique, steeply ascending ; the maxillary 

 reaches, when the mouth is closi;d, rather behind the middle of the eye. 



The eye is suiTounded by the infraorbital arch, which is trans- 

 formed into a channel, the outer side of which is covered above by a 

 naiTow, bony, roughened streak, and beneath by a broad transparent 

 membrane ; the lower edge of the arch is slightly sen ated. The 

 prasorbital has not the em-ved and prominent tooth which is to be 

 observed in B. decadactylus and sphndens ; but in this species such a 

 process arises from the maxillaiy, near its upper extremity, in front 

 of the eye. The tiu'binal bones are pecuharly shaped and have 

 curved edges ; they are roughened in front and laterally denticulated, 

 and have a notch, to receive the cm-ved process of the maxiUaiy 

 bone. 



The interspace between the eyes becomes gradually narrower in 

 front, and is one-foiu-th of the length of the head. There may be 

 distingaiished foui' veiy narrow bony lidges ; each of the two external 

 ones fonns the superciliaiy ridge, terminates abruptly in an obtuse 

 extremity just above the nostrils, and is lost behind in the infra- 

 orbital arch. The two internal ridges aiise from one point on the 

 same level -ndth the front end of the two external ones, and on the 

 suture of the fi'ontal bones ; they immechately diverge, receiving an 

 arrow-shaped groove between, and radiate near the nape into three 

 bony ridges, the inner of which is very short, but the two outer ones 

 extend nearly to the suprascapidar. Between all these ridges are 

 cavities covered by a half- transparent membrane only. 



The opercuhun is more than twice as high as wide (the spine 

 included); it is covered vnih scales on its anterior half, the remainder 

 being stiiated ; the strife terminate in marginal points, becoming 

 coarser towards the spines ; there is a slight notch above and beneath 

 the spines. The upper spine is rather stronger, and produces a 

 distinct transverse ridge on the opercle ; both the spines have a 

 parallel direction and are rather distant fi'om one another. The 

 subopcrculimi has a concave posterior margin and has some spinous 

 teeth below. The interoperculum has a very deep notch near the 

 angle of praeopercidum, and is not only serrated along its margin, but 

 has a roughened surface, sometimes with projecting spines. The 

 praeoperculum has two parallel margins with a channel between, 

 covered with a half-transparent membrane. Both the posterior 

 margins have an exceedingly fine serrature ; that of the inferior ones 

 is coarser. The margins meet at a right angle, slightly projecting, 

 and armed 'wiih coarse spinous teeth. The cheek is scaly. The 

 suprascapular has a prominent spine, rather larger than those of the 



