18 BEEYCII)^. 



descending upwards ; the sub- and iuter-operculum have rounded 

 lower margins, and both are situated in an oblique direction upwards. 

 Tlie prteoperculum has a scaleless portion at its angle, which is 

 rounded and indistinctly crenulated ; the posterior margin descends 

 obliquely towards behind. Of the himieral arch the suprascapula 

 alone is slightly denticidated. 



The two barbels arise in front of the branchiostegals from the 

 basihjal (Owen), and reach as far behind as the base of the pec- 

 toral fin. 



Pseud obrancMce well developed. 



The dorsal Jin arises alcove the middle of the fish (the caudal not 

 included), with five feeble spines, gradually becoming longer behind, 

 but the fifth being about one-half only of the fii'st ray, which is the 

 longest ; the following rays become shorter and shorter to the 

 seventeenth, the remainder being very short and nearly equal in 

 length. The last ray is one-foiuth only of the first. The distance 

 between the dorsal and caudal fins is 3^ in the length of the 

 former. The caudal fin is deeply forked, ^vith pointed and equal 

 lobes ; the length of a lobe is about one-fifth of the total, and that 

 of the middle (shortest) ray is one-fourth of the length of a lobe. 

 The anal fin is similar in shape to the dorsal, but much shorter 

 and lower. The third spine is about one-third of the fii'st ray, 

 which equals the fifth dorsal ray ; the end of the fin falls just below 

 that of the dorsal. The pectorals are short, pointed ; they reach 

 beyond the level of the origin of the dorsal, and are equal in length 

 to that of the first dorsal ray. The ventral fins are very short ; 

 their spine is closely attached to the first ray, and both can be 

 separated from one another by the knife only ; the fii'st ray is not 

 branched, but articulated ; the length equals the diameter of the 

 eye, and the fin reaches scarcely beyond the pectoral. 



The sccdes are rather oblique and irregular, with distinct concentric 

 layers on the free part and wdthout serratiu'c. 



All the teeth are in very broad, velvet-like bands ; that of the 

 intermaxillary is elongate, cuneiform, broadest on its inner extremity ; 

 nearly all the band is not covered by soft parts, and free, outside of 

 the mouth ; the band of the mandibulaiy is naiTower and undulating. 

 One broad band extends on the palatine and pterygoid bones, and con- 

 fluent with it is an exceedingly large and ovate patch of teeth on 

 the entopterygold bone. The vomerine teeth form a narrow band, 

 tapering behind. The tongue and the branchial bones are covered 

 with broad patches of villifonn teeth. Thus this fish offers the 

 most complete dentition in this and the following families. 



inches, lines. 



Total length 9 10 



Height of the body 2 7 



Length of the head 2 8 



Diameter of the eye 11 



Interspace between the eyes 8 



Length of a barbel ... 2 



Breadth of the entopterygold patch of teeth . 5 



