172 tEKClDJiS. 



1. Bhypticius saponacens. 



Parra, p. 61. pi. 64. f. 2. 



Anthiaa saponaceus, Bl. Schn.ja. 310. 



Rypticua saponaceus, Cuv. Sf Val. iii. p. 63. 



D. ^. A. ^. Caec. pylor. 6-7. Vert. 10/14. 



One continuoiis dorsal. The length of the bead equals the height 

 of the body, and rather more than one-fourth of the total length. 

 Dorsalis gradually becoifthig higher behind ; pectoral rounded, mode- 

 rate ; ventral small. Brown. 



Coasts of Tropical America ; Cape of Good Hope ; St. Helena ; 

 Cape Verde. 



a. Adult : stuffed. Cape of Grood Hope. Presented by Sir A. Smith. 

 6. Adult : stuffed. St. Helena. Presented by Gen. Hardwicke. 

 e, d. Adult : stuffed. "W. Indies. From Mr. Scrivener's Collection, 

 e. Adult. St. Vincent's. Presented by the Lords of the AdmimHy. 

 f-h. Adult and half-grown : skins. Jamaica. From Dr. Parnell's 



Collection. 

 i. Adult. America. Presented by the Zoological Society. 

 Jc, Half-grown : skeleton. From the Haslar Collection. 



Skeleton. — The form of the skull deviates in many respects from 

 that of the Serram. The supraoccipital crest is low, and does not 

 extend beyond the supraoccipital bone. The portion of the skull 

 formed by the parietdl and frontal bones is very compressed, smooth, 

 without ridges, and cyUndrically roimded; the space between the 

 eyes is stiU narrower, with a groove in front for receiving the pos- 

 terior processes of the intermaxillary. The praeorbital has an entire, 

 rounded, lower margin, tapering bfehind ; the suborbital arch is very 

 narrow, but supported at the inner side by a long and broad plate, 

 which renders this arch very firm, and supports the eye from beneath ; 

 this plate occupies about one-third of the circle of the orbit. The 

 maxillary bone gradHally widens behind, and has a rather concave 

 posterior and a convex anterior margin. There is a large open space 

 between the dentary and articulary bones of the mandibula. The pne- 

 pperculum is narrow, crescent-shaped, without any prominent angle, 

 and with two equal, flat, and triangular spinous teeth at its upper 

 half; there is another smaller and obtuse tooth above these larger 

 ones. The sub- and interoperculum are entire. The area of the 

 operculum is hardly larger than the eye ; it is provided behind with 

 three prominent spines, the middle of which is the longest, and the 

 continuation of a strong ridge,, visible at the inner surface of the 

 operculum ; the two upper spines are nearer together, and the upper- 

 most is situated at the upper angle of the opercle. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteeu caudal vertebrse. The 

 neural spines of the first seven vertebrae are strong, compressed, and 

 the more recumbent the more posteriorly situated; the posterior 

 ones are also shorter. The ribs are short j but thicker than in Ser-^ 

 ramus. There is only oiie rudimentary anal spine, and consequently 

 the interheemal is very feeble and slender, attached to the eleventh 



