50 SAtMONIDiE. 



bones. Of the vomerine teeth there remain three on the ridge of its 

 hinder margin, and there is a series of teeth running along the 

 longitudinal ridge, placed in pairs one behind the other, and bent 

 outwards alternately to the right and left. The head of the vomer 

 is triangular, and nearly as long as broad. The last tooth is situated 

 behind the middle of the length of the bone. 



The distance of the nostrils from the eye is equal to three-fourths 

 the diameter of the latter ; the interorbital space is convex, the eye 

 being situated considerably below the upper profile of the head ; the 

 width of this space is three-eighths of an inch shorter than the 

 maxillary bone, and one-eighth of an inch shorter than the space 

 between the eye and the angle of the praeoperculum. 



The praeoperculum has the lower half of its posterior margin di- 

 stinctly emarginate, the lower limb rounded and rather indistinct. 

 The operculum has its hinder margin rounded and the angle a right 

 one. A line taken from the upper end of the gill-opening to the 

 angle of the operculum exceeds in length another line from the 

 latter point to the lower anterior angle of the suboperculum by some- 

 what less than one-third of that line. 



The distance of the origin of the dorsal fin from the occiput, if 

 carried backwards from the hinder end of that fin, reaches to nearly 

 midway between the adipose and the root of the caudal. The dorsal 

 fin is rather higher than long, and composed of fourteen rays, of 

 which the first three are rudimentary and hidden in the skin, the 

 fourth being about half as high as the fifth ray, which is simple and 

 nearly equals the sixth in length, which is branched. 



The anal fin is one half higher than long, and consists of twelve 

 rays, the first two of which are rudimentary and hidden in skin, 

 the third simple and as long as the fourth, which is the first branched 

 ray. The last ray is cleft to the base. 



Pectoral longer by three-eighths of an inch than the length of 

 the postorbital part of the head. Ventral shorter than pectoral by 

 three-eighths of an inch, its length being equal to two-thirds of 

 the distance of its root from the vent : its outer ray is in the vertical 

 from the eleventh of the dorsal. Posterior margin of caudal fin 

 truncated. 



There are about 123 transverse series of scales, counted imme- 

 diately above the lateral line, and twenty-three longitudinal series 

 between that line and the root of the ventral fin. The series de- 

 scending obliquely backwards from the origin of the dorsal contains 

 twenty-five scales • that from behind the adipose forward to the 

 lateral line fifteen. All the scales are obtusely rounded behind. 



Back reddish brown, lighter on the sides and becoming silvery 

 white on the belly. Numerous black spots of a roundish or irre- 

 gular shape, and covering generally four scales, are scattered over 

 the sides of the body, rising upwards to the root of the dorsal fin, 

 but elsewhere confined to the lateral regions : two or three such 

 spots on the opercular bones. Fins immaculate, with a blackish 

 tinge deepening towards the extremity. 



