1. CENTRISCPS. 519 



Centriscus scolopax, L. Syst. Nat. i. p. 415; Briinn. Pise. Mass. p. 8; 



Bl. i. p. 55. taf. 123. tig. 1 ; Bl. Schn. p. 112 ; Lar^p. ii. pp. 86, 95, 



i. pi. 19. fig. 3 ; Donov. Brit. Fishes, iii. pi. 63 ; Turton, Brit. Faun. 



p. 117 ; Shatc, Nat. Misc. xiv. pi. 584, and Zool. v. p. 459. pi. 181 ; 



Fleni. Brit. Anim. p. 220 ; Cuv. Regne Anim. ; Jenyns, Man. p. 400 ; 



Yarr. Brit. Fishes, i. p. 302, 2nd edit. i. p. 346, 3rd edit. ii. p. 190; 



Guerin, Iconogr. Poiss. pi. 45. fig. 2 ; Martens, Reise nach Venedig, ii. 



p. 436 ; Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray. p. 138. 

 Solenostomus, no., 1, Klein, Miss. Pise. iv. p. 24. 

 Silurus corniitus, Forsk. p. 66. 

 Centriscus, sp., Gronov. Zoophyl. no. 395. 

 Macrorhamphosus comutus, Lacep. v. pp. 136, 137. 

 Snipe-nosed Ti-umpet-fish, Penn. Brit. Zool. edit. 1812, iii. p. 190. 

 Solenostomus scolopax, Risso, Ichth. Nice, p. 80. 

 Skeleton : Rosenthal, lehthyot. Taf. tab 10. figs. 11, 12 ; (incorrect : 



copied hy Yarrell). 



B. 4. D. 5|]2. A. 20. P. 16. V. 5. 0.6 + 4 + 5 + 7. 

 Vert. 8/16. 



The height of the body is contained once and three -fourths to twice 

 and one third in the distance of the operculum from the base of the 

 caudal. The second dorsal spine is very strong, and serrated pos- 

 teriorly, its length being contained once and two-thii'ds to twice and 

 two-thirds in the distance of the opercle from the caudal. 



This species appears to be peculiar to the 3klediterranean and to 

 the neighbouring parts of the Atlantic ; it extends northwards to the 

 south coast of England. 



a-b. Fine specimens. Adriatic. 



c. Adult. 



d-g. Adult : bad state. From the Haslar Collection. 



h-n. Young. From the Haslar Collection. 



0, p, q, r. Adult and half-grown : stuffed. 



Description. — The length of the head equals its distance from the 

 caudal fin ; it is produced into a long compressed tube, terminating 

 in a very small mouth ; it is rather elevated posteriorly, and strongly 

 compressed like the body. The cleft of the mouth is sUghtl)^ ob- 

 lique, with the extremity of the lower jaw somewhat prominent. 

 The jaw-bones are very short, the intermaxillary feeble and styli- 

 form, the maxillary broad and tnungular. There are no teeth 

 whatever. 



The eye is large, equal in width to the extent of the part of the 

 head behind it ; the skin of the head passes over it as in all fishes, 

 and that part which covers the posterior half of the iris is provided 

 with small ctenoid scales ; the margins of the orbit are minutely 

 crenulated ; the interorbital space is smooth, slightly convex, and 

 equal in width to one-half of the diameter of the eye. The nostiils 

 are close together, situated one before the other, on the side of the 

 head, at a small distance froni the orbit. The praeoperculum has 

 the posterior margin obliquely descending forward, pai-tly continent 

 with the orbit, and minutely denticulated ; its angle is somewhat 

 produ<;cd backwards ; the whole space between ])ricoperculura, orbit 



