20 RIBAND-SHAPED. 



The lateral line, commencing from the nuchal region, de- 

 scends nearly vertically opposite the middle of the orbit, from 

 whence it proceeds obliquely downwards, until behind the 

 pectoral fin, it reaches a distance from the ventral profile 

 somewhat shorter than the distance of the dorsal profile. It 

 now continues straight towards the extremity of the tail, 

 approaching the lower caudal margin. This line is covered 

 by a series of small oblong osseous shields, from the middle 

 of which rises a small spine directed forwards. The shields 

 and their spines increase in size towards the thin part of the 

 tail, from whence they again decrease, although the last shield 

 is much larger than those of the central part. 



The short pectoral fins are situated nearer the ventral 

 margin than to the lateral line, and nearly opposite the apex 

 of the gill-cover. The number of the rays is in the right 

 pectoral fin eleven, in the left only ten. 



Of the ventral fins, there remain only some short roots of 

 the rays, situated close to the ventral margin, in a direction 

 nearly parallel with, but a little further back, than the pecto- 

 ral fins. The number of the rays is six. 



Of the rays of the anterior dorsal fin only five roots are 

 left, the first of which is somewhat thicker than the rest, and 

 situated five inches eight lines from the edge of the closed 

 jaws. The interval between this fin and the commencement 

 of the posterior dorsal fin, is twice the distance between two 

 rays. The posterior, or long dorsal fin, has one hundred and 

 seventy-two rays, of which the first ray is situated six inches 

 and one line from the point of the jaw ; the last ray half an 

 inch from the last vertebra. The anterior part is very low, 

 increasing in height by degrees, until it reaches the com- 

 mencement of the last fourth part of the total length, where 

 the height of the present specimen amounts to three inches 

 eleven lines, or about one half of the greatest height of the 

 body ; from thence it decreases rapidly, so that the last ray 



