8. I'TKROIS. 123 



1, m. Half-grown. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



n, 0. Half-grown : veiy bad state. Cape Upstart. Presented by 



.J. B. Jukes, Esq. 

 p. Half- gro wn : very bad state. Sydney. From the Haslar Collection. 

 q. Adult "Stuffed. Australia. 

 r, s. Adult and half-grown. Old Collection. 

 t. Adult. 



Skeleton. — The structure of the skeleton does not differ in any 

 essential point from that of Scorpcena, or, in fact, from that of the 

 typical Percoid fonns. The extraordinary development of the rays 

 of the fins is not accompanied by a similar development of the bones 

 to which they are attached, simply because these fins appear to have 

 no peculiar function, as in flpng fishes, or in fishes where the spines 

 of the fins are effectual weapons ; they are, in Pteruis, merely orna- 

 mental. 



The maxillary bone is stylifonn in its upper half, spatuliform in 

 its lower ; the intennaxillary has a very broad prominence on its 

 descending branch, which is longer than the posterior process. 

 There is a free, cleft between the dentaiy and articular parts of the 

 mandibula ; its muciferous channel is rudimentary. The anterior 

 margin of the head of the vomer is prominent, and armed with a 

 band of villiform teeth. The palatine bones are rather broad, hori- 

 zontally situated. The turbinal bone is thin, tubiform, armed pos- 

 teriorly with a feeble spine. The praiorbital and the infraorbitals 

 are thin and rather bi-oad; the foi-mer has a rough surface, pro- 

 duced by ridges and grooves radiating from a centre, — the latter 

 have a feeble, toothed, longitudinal ridge. The prajoperculum is a 

 crescent-shaped bone, with a distinct muciferous channel ; its margin 

 is armed with four spines, of which two, opposite to the infraorbital, 

 are the most prominent ; the two others, one at the angle and one 

 at the lower margin, are rather obtuse. The other opercular pieces 

 are thin, flexible ; the operculum has a feeble ridge on its inner 

 surface. The anterior frontals are rather narrow, pi'oduced back- 

 wards, and terminate posteriorly in a very feeble spine. The 

 principal frontals diverge anteriorly to receive the ethmoid ; their 

 orbital margin is provided posteriorly with a spine, and elevated, thus 

 rendering the space between the orbits concave ; there is, moreover, 

 a longitudinal groove along the middle of the intraorbital space. 

 The crown is rather nan'ow, oblong, flat, Avith a ridge on each side, 

 which terminates posteriorly in a spine. The scapula is spiniferous, 

 the coracoid not. The basal portion of the brain-capsule is neither 

 compressed nor swollen ; the basisphenoid without groove or ridge. 

 The glossohyal small and styliform ; the urohyal triangula*-, with 

 the posterior side notched. Each pubic bone is formed by three 

 lameUse, the intei-ior of which is the most developed and closely 

 adherent to its fellow. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebrae, the length 

 of the fonner ])ortion of the verteliral column being to that of the 

 latter as 1 : 1 -7. The centre of the second vertebra only is slightly 



