12. CLiNus. 263 



c. Ten inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 



d, e. Adult and half-grown. 



/. Adult male : skeleton. From the Collection of the Zoological 

 Society. 



The intestinal tract is not quite so long as the body. The liver is 

 large, not divided into lobes, and occupies the middle of the abdo- 

 minal cavity. 



Skeleton. — The skeleton resembles much that of the Blennies in 

 the most essential points. The single parts are weU ossified and 

 solid. The crown of the head is much less compressed than in Ble7i- 

 nius, the frontal bones not having any crest. The occipital surface is 

 gently inclined backwards, with a very slight central and lateral crest. 

 The interorbital space is narrow, flat, rugose, its width being nearly 

 one-third of that of the orbit ; nasal bones rather long, soHd, forming 

 together an X-like figure. Jaw-bones strong, but not so broad as in 

 Blennins ; the maxiUary is much longer than the intermaxillary, and 

 dilated at its extremity. Infraorbital ring strong, without sutures 

 between the single bones of which it is originally composed. Bottom 

 of the tympanic groove entirely osseous. Praeoperculum crescent- 

 shaped, operculum triangular ; suboperculimi with a notch to receive 

 the lower angle of the operculum ; interoperculum narrow. The 

 coracoid has a very peculiar form, both its extremities being dUated 

 into broad lamellae, whilst the middle is thin and styliform. Radius 

 and ulna considerably shorter than the lower pair of the four carpal 

 bones. The pubic bones form together a short tube, which is fixed 

 behind the humeral symphysis. 



There are twelve abdominal and twenty-two caudal vertebrce, the 

 latter portion being twice as long as the abdominal ; the vertebrae 

 are compressed, rather higher than long ; the processes and ribs of 

 moderate length and strength, the latter with long epipleurals. 



2. Clinus xanti 

 Labrosomus xanti, CHU, Proc. Acad. Nat, Sc. Philad. 1860, p. 107. 

 D.if. A. A V.3. 



The height of the body is rather less than the length of the head, 

 which is one-fourth of the total. Vomerine and palatine teeth. 

 Superciliary tentacle miiltifid ; one or two transverse rows of fila- 

 ments across the nape. The dorsal commences behind the vertical 

 from the praeoperculum, and the spines gi-adually increase in height 

 towards the middle of the spinous portion, and thence slightly do- 

 crease towards the soft portion, which is nearly twice as high as the 

 last spine. Brown, with about ten darker cross-bars ; h«ad with 

 blackish dots ; two oblique bands proceed from the orbit to the prae- 

 operculum. Dorsal with a blackish basal spot between the first and 

 thii'd spines. (Gill.) 



Cerro Blanco (Mexico). 



