f). THYRSTTKS. 351 



one-sixth of the total length, the length of the head one-fourth. 

 The lateral line nearly straight. Coloration uniform. 

 Coast of Brazil. 



3. Thyrsites pretiosus. 



Ruvettus pretiosus, Cocco, Giorn. Sc. Lett. Sicil. xlii. p. 21, and Nuov. 



Giorn. Lett. Pisa, fasc. Ixxiii. p. 32 ; Bonap. Faun. Ital. Pesci, 



cum tab. 

 Tetragonurus (?) simplex, Lotve, Proc. Zool. Sue. 1833,. p. 143. 

 Aplurus simplex, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 180. 

 Rovetus temminckii, Cantr. Joiirn. Acad. Sc. et Belles-Lettres de Brux. 



18.35, X. pi. 1. 

 Thyi'sites acanthoderma, Lowe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 78. 

 Rovettus temminckii, Valenc* in Webb ^- Berthel. Poiss. p. 52. pi. 2. 

 Thyrsites scholaris, Poey, Memor. Cuba, p. 372. t. 32. f. 1, 2. 



D. 14-15 I 16-18 I II. A. 16-18 | II. V. 1/5. C»c. pylor. 14. 



Lateral line none. Skin with many bony dermal productions, each 

 terminating in several spines. Abdomen keeled. The height of the 

 body is one-sixth of the total length, the length of the head one- 

 foui'th. Uniform purplish -brown or violet-black. 



Mediterranean ; Seas of Madeira and of the Canary Islands ; 

 Caribbean Sea. 



a. Fifty-four inches long: stuffed. Fi'om the Collection of the 



Zoological Society. 

 h. Adult : stuffed. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 

 c. Adult : stuffed. Mediterranean. From the Senckenberg Museum. 



I am well aware of the slight differences, which, from the accounts 

 quoted, would appear to exist between the fishes from the west and 

 east of the Atlantic, but I have fully convinced myself that they are 

 merely accidental in the individuals. 



4. Thyrsites prometheus. 



? Gempylus prometheus, Ciiv. 8f Val. viii. p. 213. pi. 222. 

 Prometheus atlanticus, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Soc. ii. p. 181, and Pi'oc. 



Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 78. 

 Gempylus prometlieus, Webb 8f Berthel. lies Canar. Poiss. p. 51. 



pi. lit. 



D. 18 I 21 I II (III.). A. 16 I II. (III.). 



The ventral is reduced to a small spine, and placed a Httle before 

 the pectoral. The height of the body is eight times in the total 

 length, the length of the head 4|. The lateral line descends in a 



* " Ayant appris par M. Cantraine qu'il avait le projet de faire cette dedicace 

 a ce savant, je me suis fait un vrai plaisir de donner aussi a M. Temminck cette 

 nouvelle preuve de moii amitie en conservant ce nom sptcifique a ce poisson, ne 

 regardant pas la publication anterieure comme assez repandue pour faire autorite 

 sur cette matiere." — Va/cncicvvcs, I.e. 



t Tliis figure differs from that of Cav. 8f Val. in representing a fish with a 

 relatively shorter head, and with two spurious fins above and beneath ; it agrees 

 better with our specimen. 



