3. BLENNIUS. 223 



Blennius artedii, Cui\ i^'- Val. xi. p. 231 ; Guichen. Exj^Ior. Algir. Poiss. 



p. 72 ; Lowe in Trans. Zool. Soc. iii. p. 9. 

 ineequalis, Loioe in Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 185. 



D-iS-r A- 17-18. 



Snout short, with the anterior profile straight and very oblique. 

 A strong curved tooth in the lower jaw, none in the upper. Only 

 one tentacle between the eyes, above their posterior part ; a series 

 of very small tentacles behind. The dorsal commences in the ver- 

 tical from the extremity of the operculum ; the spinous and soft 

 portions of the dorsal fin separated by a distinct notch ; the latter 

 not continuous with the caudal. Brownish-grey, spotted Avith darker ; 

 back sometimes with blackish cross-bars ; a series of silvery spots 

 along the lower part of the sides. 



Mediterranean. Sea of Madeira. South coast of England. 



a, b-d, e-l. Adult and half-grown. Falmouth. 

 m-p. Adult. South Devonshire. Museum Leach. Typical speci- 

 mens of Montagu's description." 

 q-r. Adult. Madeira. Presented by the Rev. H. Methuen. 

 s. Adult : skin. From Mr. YarreU's Collection. 



There can be no doubt that this species is intended by Artedi's 

 diagnosis, ** Blennius crista capitis transversa, cutacea." Linne, when 

 he introduced his Bl. galerita into the system, not only quoted Artedi, 

 but used his very words, confounding it, however, with a Blennidid 

 fish described by Strom (Blenniops ascanii). Therefore the specific 

 denomination of galerita is applied with much more right to the 

 present species than to the fish described by Strom ; and the meaning 

 of the name itself denotes the pecuhar crest of this Blennius far 

 better than the orbital tentacles of the other. 



26. Blennius cristatus. 



Blennius, sp., Gronov. Zoophi/l. n. 203. tab. G. lig. 4 ; Klein, Pise. Miss. 

 v.p. 32. n. 3. 



cristatus, L. Si/st. i. p. 441. 



uuehifilis, Cuv. ^- Val. xi. p. 253. 



Adonis cristatus, Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray, p. 95. 



D. i?. A. 16. 



15 



The height of the body is nearly equal- to the length of the head, 

 and one-fifth of the total. Snout obtuse, with the anterior profile 

 abruptly descending ; small curved teeth in the jaws. A single 

 short orbital tentacle ; nape of the neck with a filamentous crest. 

 The dorsal fin begins in the vertical from the upper end of the prae- 

 operculura, is very slightly notched, and not continuous with the 

 caudal. Greyish or brownish, with darker bands across the back 

 and irregular spots on the tail. 



Island of Ascension. 



a. Adult : skin. From Gronow's Collection. — Type of the species. 

 The orbital tentacles, being dried, are imperceptible. 



