26G PERCID^. 



ascending in an oblique direction. There are, besides, the two usual 

 lateral ridges, moderately developed. The basal portion of the 

 skull is not globose or swollen. The jaw-bones are rather feeble ; 

 the maxillary is styUform in its basal half, and widens at the oppo- 

 site extremity, so that the posterior and anterior margins are equally 

 and shghtly concave. The articulary processes of the intermaxillary 

 bones arc shorter than the bones themselves, and are received in a 

 slight groove of the extremity of the occipital crest. The muciferoiis 

 channel of the lower jaw is little developed, like those of the other 

 part« of the skull. The praeorbital is falciform, and has no denticu- 

 lation whatever ; the suborbital arch is narrow, with an interior 

 ridge reaching into the orbit. The pracoperculum is indistinctly 

 serrated at the angle only ; the posterior edge is nearly vertical, the 

 inferior and the angle slightly rounded. The operculum has a slight 

 ridge at the inner side, terminating in an obtuse point ; the sub- and 

 interoperculum are narrow and slightly curved. The coracoid, the 

 ulna, and the radius arc remarkably broad, the pubic bones rather 

 narrow and very elongate. 



The teeth are very small, and an'angcd in a single series in the 

 upper and lower jaws. The band of vomerine teeth is bent at an 

 obtuse angle, and narrow, like that of the palatine bones. 



Tlierc are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertcbroc, the length 

 of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that of the 

 caudal as 1 : 1-6. The neural and haemal spines are slender ; the 

 first interhasmal is attached to the haimals of the eleventh and twelfth 

 vertebrae by a slender and styliform portion, and forms a broad semi- 

 circular plate, to which the anal spines arc joined. 



60. DULES*. 



Dales, Qiv. ^ Val. iii. p. 111. 



Six branchiostegals. All the teeth villiform, without canines ; 

 teeth on the palatine bones. One dorsal, with ten spines, the anal 

 fin with three. Operculum with two or three points, pracoperculum 

 serrated. Scales moderate, minutely serrated ; chin not very pro- 

 minent ; eyes moderate. 



Seas between the Tropics, some species entering into the rivers. 



1. Dules auriga. 



Cuv. ^ Val. iii. p. 112. pi. 51 ; Dikay, New York Fauna, Fishes, p. 34. 

 pi. 10. f. 54; Jenyns, Zool. of the Bcayle, Fishes, p. IG. 



D.i2. A.}. Vert. 10/14. 

 The third dorsal spino very elongate, filiform, half the length of 



« 1. Dules vanicolcnsie, Cuv. ^- Val. vii. p. 478; Dumont (VUrvillc, Voy. Pole 

 Slid, 7'o/s,s. p. 42. pi. .'5. f. 2 (the (Igiires of species of Dules, quoted from this 

 work, <lo uot appear to be very correctly executed with regard to their coloration) 



