13. scoLopsis. 359 



of the snout. The cleft of the mouth is slightly oblique, moderate, 

 the maxillary not reacliing to the vertical from the anterior margin 

 of the orbit. The praeorbital is broadest between the eye and the 

 top of the snout ; it is composed, as in all the species of Scolopsis, of 

 two pieces, the posterior of which is the spiniferous ; i^s width in 

 the middle, or in the suture between the two pieces, is one-half of 

 that of the orbit. The spine is sti'ong, flat, and pointed ; and there 

 are five spinous teeth besides, much smay.er than the spine, but 

 similar in shape : there is no spine pointing forwards. The prse- 

 operculum is scaly to its posterior margin, but part of its inferior 

 limb is naked. There are six series of scales between the orbit and 

 the angle of the praeoperculum. The posterior limb descends 

 obliquely forwards, and is armed Avith about twelve rather distant 

 spinous teeth, the middle of which are sti'ongest ; the ang.e is 

 rounded and projecting, and anhed with, about eight spinous teeth, 

 more feeble than the strongest ones of the limb ; the inferior limb is 

 smooth, without teeth, and as long as the posterior. The operculi^m 

 has a short and prominent spine, and is covered with scales of mo- 

 derate size ; even its basal margin is scaly. The suprascapula is 

 finely serrated, and it can scarcely be distinguished from the sur- 

 rounding scales. 



The dorsal fin begins before the vertical from the base of the pec- 

 toral, and terminates a little behind the anal. The length of the 

 base of the soft dorsal is 1| in that of the spinous. The spines ate 

 moderate, not flexible : the first is two-thirds of the second ; the 

 second is rather shorter than the folio-wing foiu% which are the 

 longest, and one-third of the height of the body. The soft dorsal is 

 rather higher, the sixth and seventh rays being the longest. The 

 distance between the dorsal and caudal fins equals the height of the 

 tail beneath the end of the dorsal. The caiulal is deepl}^ forked, 

 each lobe being produced into a filament, the length of which equals 

 that of the first dorsal ray ; the upper lobe is slightly longer than the 

 lower. The fin is nearly scaleless. The distance between the caudal 

 and anal fins equals the height of the tail above the end of the latter. 

 The anal fin begins beneath the second dorsal ray, and terminates 

 a little before the dorsahs. The spines are rather stronger than 

 those of the dorsal, and on one side broader than on the other : the 

 first is nearly one-half of the second ; the second three-quarters of 

 the third, which is three times as long as the head. The margin of 

 the soft portion is slightly rounded, the postexior rays gradually be- 

 coming shorter : the first ray is 2\ in the length of the head. The 

 pectoral fin is slightly pointed, scaly at the base only, and does not 

 reach to the vent. The base of the ventral fin faUs behind that of 

 the pectoral ; it is shorter, and also does not reach to the vent ; the 

 spine is two-thii'ds of the first ray. 



The scales are of moderate size, finely crenated,- much higher than 

 long, and fii-mly adherent ; one of the largest covers one-fifth of the 

 eye. 



The ground- colour is now greenish olive ; tho fins are colourless, 

 The. bands as described above. 



