430 S1>AUIDJ5. 



is obtuse and broad ; the upper maxillary (which, when the mouth is 

 closed, is entirely hidden) reaches to the vertical from the anterior 

 margin of the eye. The pra^orbital is higher than long, and entirely 

 scalelcss. The eye is situated near the upper profile of the head, 

 without interfering with it ; it is of moderate size, its diameter being 

 41^ in the length of the head. The cheeks are covered with very 

 small scales extending nearly to the prfeopercular margin, which ex- 

 hibits some minute serrature at the angle. The operculum is scaly 

 on its upper angle only ; the remainder is naked, like the sub- and 

 interoperculum. The siibopercnlum is narrow, and tapers very much 

 posteriorly ; its lower margin is nearly straight ; the interoperculum 

 is broader and crescent-shaped. The suprascapula is not visible 

 externally. 



The dorsal fin begins vertically above the root of the pectorals, 

 and ends in the vertical from the 3Sth scale of the lateral line. 

 Streaks of minute scales ascend lietween the spines and rays to about 

 one-half of the height of the fin. The spines are of moderate size ; 

 they gradually become longer to the sixth, the seventh to the four- 

 teenth being nearly equal in length, about 2g in the length of the 

 head ; the anterior rays are I'ather more elevated, but the posterior 

 ones decrease again, and the last is about one-third of the length of 

 the head. The distance between the dorsal and caudal fins exactly 

 equals that between the end of the snout and the pra^opercular mar- 

 gin, or the depth of the tail beneath the end of the dorsal. The 

 caudal fin is nearly scalelcss, emarginate, with acute lobes ; one of 

 the middle rays is about two-thirds of the upper lobe. The anal fin 

 begins a little behind the soft portion of the dorsal, and ends a little 

 before it ; its base is scaly, and streaks of minute scales extend on be- 

 tween the rays to about one-third of the depth of the fin ; the lower 

 margin is very convex. The spines are rather strong; the fii'st is 

 one-half the length of the second ; the second thi-ec-quarters of the 

 third, the free poition of which is 2| in the length of the head ; the 

 following rays become longer to the fourth, fifth, and sixth, which are 

 about two-thirds of the length of the head ; and the last ray is one- 

 half only of the sixth. The i^ectoral fins are scaly in theu- basal thu'd ; 

 they ha\e a rounded posterior margin, and are of moderate length, 

 not extending to the vent. The root of the ventrals is placed at 

 some distance behind the vertical from the base of the pectorals ; 

 they extend to the vent, and arc composed of one spine and five rays, 

 the former of which is about one-half the length of the first ray. 

 There is no elongate scale at the base of these fins. 



The scales are distinctly ciliated, and rather longer than high, 

 their basal portion being much larger than the free. Many beau- 

 tifully arranged fine streaks radiate from the centre to the basal 

 margin. One of the largest covers one-half of the eye. 



Both jaws are furnished in front with a transverse band of deli- 

 cate, tricuspid, narrow teeth, arranged in three or four series. An- 

 other (posterior) band of teeth is separated from the former by a 

 groove ; this band contains teeth, by which the anterior ones may 

 be replaced ; they are therefore in a less developed conchtion, having 



