388 CYPKINID.E. 



of the head compared Avith the length of the body was as one 

 to three ; the head small, the nape depressed ; the diameter 

 of the eye, compared to the length of the head, as two to 

 seven, or considerably less than one-third, leaving the space 

 between the eye and the edge of the preoperculum broad ; 

 the irides yellow ; the body deep and flat, the dorsal and 

 abdominal lines very convex ; the head and the fleshy por- 

 tion of the tail being small and acuminated, produce an 

 appearance of neatness in shape : the scales of the body 

 small ; of the two representations of scales forming the 

 vignette, that on the right hand belongs to this species ; the 

 number of scales forming in succession the lateral line, about 

 fifty-six ; the lateral line itself low down on the side, two- 

 thirds of the space below the dorsal line ; the number of 

 scales in an upright direction nineteen, of which one punc- 

 tured scale is on the line itself, with twelve above it, and 

 six below it ; the first ray of the dorsal fin arises -at half the 

 distance between the point of the nose and the end of the 

 short central rays of the tail ; the first ray shorter than the 

 second, the second frequently the longest in the fin, both sim- 

 ple, — that is, not divided or branched, — the third ray nearly 

 or quite as long as the second, and about twice as long as 

 the whole base of the fin ; this and all the eight other rays of 

 this fin branched. The fin-rays in number are — 



D. 11 : P. 17 : V. 9 : A. 29 : C. 19. 



The first ray of the pectoral fin the longest and simple, 

 all the others branched ; the ventral fins placed in a vertical 

 line in advance of the dorsal fin, the first ray simple, the 

 others branched ; the anal fin begins on the line of the origin 

 of the last ray of the dorsal fin, the first ray short, the second 

 longer, half as long as the third, which is the longest ; these 

 three rays simple, all the other rays branched, diminishing 



