4. OBLATA. 423 



b. Adult. Mediterranean. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



c. Many young spcuiniens. Malta. From the Haslar Collection. 



d. Fine sijccimen. Madeira. From the llcv. R. T. Lowe's Collection. 



e. Adidt. Lanzarote. From the Rev. li. T. Lowe's Collection. 

 /. AdiJt male : skeleton. Madeira. From the Hasltir Collection. 

 (/. Adidt. From Mr. Yarrell's Collection. 



h, i. Hali'-grown : bad state. 



k. Half-grown : stuffed : not good state. From Mr. Yarrell's Col- 

 lection. 

 I. Litestines of specimen /. 



SJceleton. — The occipital crest is very elevated, triangular, and 

 extends anteriorly to a transverse protuberance of the frontal bones 

 between the eyes ; the lateral crests are moderately developed, and 

 terminate posteriorly in a short free process. The frontal bones 

 have a very rough siuface with many larger and smaller pores and 

 a broad impression in fi"ont. The intermaxillaries are moderately 

 developed, and have the posterior processes shorter than the descending 

 branches. The maxillary is slightly curved, and not much broader 

 at its free extremity than at its base. The mandibula is longer than 

 the prffiorbital, with a free interspace between the dentaiy and 

 articular bones. The turbinal bone is transformed into a half- 

 channel. The prffiorbital is porous, and tapers slightly at its pos- 

 terior extremity ; the other infraorbital bones form a very narrow 

 ring, with a narrow interior plate for supporting the eyeball from 

 beneath. The anterior portion of the vomer is flat and broad. The 

 system of muciferous channels is more developed in this species than 

 in Box : there is a praaopercular channel with very distinct openings ; 

 the limbs of the pritoperculum are inconspicuously striated, and the 

 stria) do not terminate in denticulations ; the inferior limb is shorter 

 than the posterior. The operculum is Ig as high as broad, and 

 irregularly quadrangular ; the upper side is oblique. There is a ridge 

 at the inside of the bone, nuining towards the posterior angle, and 

 not terminating in a prominent spine. The sub- and interoperculum 

 are very thin, and the former is situated in a very oblique direction. 

 The basisphenoid has a very wide opening before the occipital joint, 

 and ascends in a curve from the brain-capsule to the nasal vertebra. 

 The glossohyal is elongate, styliform ; the urohyal triangular, ele- 

 vated, and without posterior notch. Each pubic bone is fonued by 

 three lamellaj of nearly equal development, as in Box ; it is of 

 moderate length and much shorter than the coracoid. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebra, the length 

 of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that of the 

 latter as 1:1-4. The neiu-al and hamial spines are slender; the 

 longest are those belonging to the eighth vertebra to the fifteenth. 

 The haemal spines are miich longer than the ncurals. The inter- 

 neurals of the spinous dorsal are dilated, and not shorter than the 

 neurals. The th-st interimemal is slender and has a narrow ridge 

 anteriorly ; it is attached to the eleventh vertebra. The ribs are 

 moderately strong, and some of them bear epipleural spines. 



