2. itox. 421 



Plmelepterus, &c. The niandibiilary is stout, elevated, and short, 

 shorter than the praiorbital, and relatively much shorter than in Box 

 vulgaris. The vomer has a broad and fiat head, and its posterior 

 portion compressed and narrow. The prrcorbital has its upper anterior 

 poi-tion rather produced, and its inferior edge slightly emarginatc. 

 The infraorbital ring is not much narrower than the posterior part 

 of the prajorbital, and has no interior plate. The angle of the prae- 

 operculum is regularly rounded and not produced. The operculum 

 is quadrangiUar, t^^'ice as high as broad; the anterior side is the 

 longest, the supenor the shortest ; it has no spine at all. The sub- 

 operculum is obliquelj' situated, and much naiTower than the inter- 

 operculum. The basal portion of the brain-capsule is very compressed, 

 and the basisphenoid has a wide and elongate foramen before the 

 occipital joint. The glossohyal is very short, triangular. The uro- 

 hyal not only has a very deep posterior incisure, but the lower of 

 the two processes formed by that incism-e is again deeply forked. 

 The pubic bones are formed by three lamella) of equal extent, as 

 in Box vulgaris, but they are relatively longer, and not much shorter 

 than the coracoid. 



I find one vertebra more than stated by Valenciennes, namely 

 ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebrae, the length of the former 

 portion of the -vertebral column being to that of the latter as 1 : 1-18. 

 The single vertebras are strong, but not distinguished by their length. 

 The neural and hasmal spines are narrow, remote from each other, 

 except those of the fii'st three vertebraj, which are dilated. The 

 interueiu'al spines are rather short, and do not extend very far 

 between the neurals ; those of the spinous dorsal are dilated. The 

 interhaemal spines are very feeble ; the first is sti'ongor and longer 

 than the others, with a short anterior ridge, and is attached to the 

 haemal of the eleventh vertebra. The ribs are of moderate strength, 

 and some have epipleiu-al spines. 



The iiifisors are similar to those of Phneleptcrus ; there are nine 

 on each side of the upper jaw, and twelve on each side of the lower. 

 Each has a free vertical portion and a horizontal one, by which the 

 tooth is auchylosed to the bone. The vertical portion has a shallow 

 outer longitudinal groove, terminating in a notch at the cutting 

 margin ; the horizontal portion is compressed, and has a verj- deep 

 groove for the soft parts of the tooth. The teeth are replaced from 

 time to time by others, ivliicli enter their lilaca from the outside of the 

 scries, whilst wo observe, in other fishes of this family, that the teeth 

 replacing the old ones are developed on the interior side of the cavity 

 of the mouth. The pharj-ngeal teeth form broad cardifonu patches, 

 and are stronger beneath than above. 



3. Box goreensis. 

 Cur. ^- Vol. vi. p. 364. 



Very similar to B. sal^^i, but without black at the axil. ( T'«/.) 

 A rather doubtful species from Cape Verde. 



