4'J2 GOBIESOCID.E. 



sanguineus ; it is as broad as long, and its length is one-fourth of the 

 entire length of the fish. 



This species is uniform reddish rose-coloured, and attains to a size 

 of ten inches. 



' The internal organs are very similar to those of Gobiesox cephalus as 

 to structure and situation, differing however in the following points. 



The liver is divided into a right and left half, joined only by a 

 narrow bridge, as in the other species, but it is the right half which 

 is bilobed. The omentum is reduced to a narrow fold between the 

 hver and intestinal tract, several strips of fat being deposited in it. 

 The kidneys commence in the uppermost part of the abdominal 

 cavity, being rather voluminous ; they become thin in the middle, and 

 both halves are united posteriorly. 



There is a very singular formation in the orbita. Lacrymal organs 

 have never been found in the class of fishes, yet the organ which I have 

 observed is very similar to a saccus lacryinalis. It is a round, blind, 

 white sac of the size of a pea, situated below the antezior corner of 

 the orbit, between the maxUlaiy bone and the muscles of the cheek, 

 communicating by a rather wide foramen with the orbital cavity. 

 The membrane by which it is formed is contiguous with that coating 

 the orbital cavity. It must be mentioned that the integuments of 

 the head are stretched over the eye without becoming much thinner, 

 and without making any orbital fold. 



Skeleton. — The bones are well ossified, solid, and strong ; the ci'own 

 of the head is very broad, but short, without prominent ridges. The 

 principal frontal bones are much depressed between the orbits, 

 forming a broad quadrangular groove in which the intermaxillaries 

 move. The prefrontal occupies its usual place. The intermaxillary 

 has a long and comparatively slender posterior process ; its denti- 

 gerous portion is short, thick, trihedi'al : its strong anterior teeth are 

 replaced at certain periods by others which are developed in the 

 anterior and exterior portion of the bone ; they are not replaced by 

 teeth growing from the inside of the jaws. The maxillary is stout, 

 slightly dilated at its extremity, and provided with an exterior 

 longitudinal ridge. The mandibula is rather depressed and of mode- 

 rate length: there is a narrow open slit between the dentary and 

 articulary ; the latter portion has an impression in which the ex- 

 tremity of the maxillary is received. The vomer is broad and smooth, 

 gradually passing into the basis cranii, which is nearly flat, without 

 any ridges. The palatine is reduced to a small styliform bone, and 

 the pterygoid is quite rudimentary, half the size of the palatine. 

 Entopterygoid absent. Turbinal bones tubiform and slightly curved. 

 Of the infraorbital bones only the prajorbital is present ; it is di- 

 rected forwards and downwards, and dilated at its extremity. The 

 tympanic is a strong bone, with a sharp longitudinal ridge, continued 

 into that of the prajoperculum ; meso- and pre-tympanic small, the 

 latter being received into a deep notch of the tympanic ; there is a 

 Avide free space between the mesotympanic and the pncoperculura. 

 The epitympanic is large, with a strong oblique crest. The pracoper- 



