16S PERCIDiE. 



Description. — In habit similar to the Perch. The height of the 

 body is comprised 3| in the total length, the length of the head is 

 one-thii'd. The head above, in the occipital region, is rather broad 

 and rounded, between the eyes it is much narrower (the distance of 

 the eyes being only two-thirds of their- diameter), and longitudinally 

 grooved. The scales extend to the nostrils, which, forming on each 

 side two roimd openings, are situated entirely on the upper surface 

 of the head. The prseorbital, the snoiit, and the jaws are naked. 

 The eye is 3^ in the length of the head, and the extent of the snout 

 is rather shorter than its diameter. The upper maxillary reaches 

 to below the centre of the eye. The proeoperculum exhibits rather 

 a coarse serrature at the posterior limb, some strong teeth at the 

 angle, which is rounded, and three recmwed spines at the lower 

 limb, the anterior of ^^■hich is the strongest and very long. The 

 sub- and interoperculum are entire. The operculum is provided 

 with three conspicuous spines, remote from one another, and the 

 middle one most projecting. The suprascapula with two or thi'ee 

 spinoiLS teeth. 



The soft portion of the dorsalis is rather higher, and one-third 

 shorter, than the spinous. The spines become longer to the fourth, 

 which is the longest, together with the fifth and sixth, and then gra- 

 dually diminish in size to the last, which still somewhat exceeds the 

 second spine. The soft poi-tion has a roimded superior margin, the 

 anterior rays being one-third longer than the last spine. Caiulalis 

 roimded. The anulis is distinguished by the very long and strong 

 second spine ; it is longer than any of the dorsal spines, and 

 exceeds even half the height of the body ; the first spine is rather 

 more than one-half the length of the third. The six rays fonn 

 together a very short fin -with a rounded margin ; none of the rays 

 exceed the second spine in length. The pectorcdis, rounded, and 

 composed of 16 rays, extends as far as the ventral — that is, a little 

 beyond the vent. The ventndis, of moderate size and form, is sup- 

 ported by a spine more than half the length of the fin. 



There is not the slightest vestige of a canine tooth in any of the 

 specimens ; the vomerine teeth are arranged in a triangular group, 

 those on the palatine bones in narrow bands. 



The coloration appears now to be brownish olive, being covered 

 all over with round whitish (in life probably blue), dark-edged specks 

 of the size of a scale. 



Length of the largest specimen 7". 



29. POLYPRION. 



Polyprion, C'ln: Rcf/ne Aiiim. ; Ciiv. 8f Val. ii. p. 21. 



Seven branchiostegals. AU the teeth villiform ; without canines ; 

 teeth on the palatine bones and on the tongue. One dorsal, with 

 eleven spines ; the anal fin with three. Opereles denticulated ; a 

 strong, rough longitudinal ridge on the operculum. Scales small. 



Mediterranean, and the European part of the Atlantic. 



