4. OHLATA. 423 



b. Adult. Mediterranean. Purchased of Mr. Frank, 



c. Many young specimens. Malta. From the Haslar Collection. 



d. Fine specimen. Madeira. From the Kev. R. T. Lowe's Collection. 



e. Adult. Lanzarote. From the Rev. R. T, Lowe's Collection. 

 /. Adult male : skeleton. Madeira. From the Haslar Collection. 

 g. Adidt. From Mr. YarreU's Collection. 



h, {. Half-grown : bad state. 



k. Half-grown : stuffed : not good state. From Mr. YarreU's Col- 

 lection. 

 /. Intestines of specimen /. 



SJceleton. — The occipital crest is very elevated, triangular, and 

 extends anteriorly to a transverse protuberance of the frontal bones 

 between the eyes ; the lateral crests are moderately developed, and 

 terminate posteriorly in a short free process. The frontal bones 

 have a very rough surface -with many larger and smaller pores and 

 a broad impression in front: The inter maxdlarics are moderately 

 developed, and have the posterior processes shorter than the descending 

 branches. The maxillary is slightly curved, and not much broader 

 at its free extremity than at its base. The mandibiila is longer than 

 the praeorbital, with a free interspace between the dentary and 

 articular bones. The turbinal bone is transformed into a half- 

 channel. The praeorbital is porous, and tapers slightly at its pos- 

 terior extremity ; the other infraorbital bones form a very narrow 

 ring, with a narrow interior plate for supporting the eyeball from 

 beneath. The anterior i)ortion of the vohier is flat and broad. The 

 system of muciferous channels is more developed in this species than 

 ifi Box : there is a pra^opcrcular channel with very distinct openings ; 

 the Hmbs of the praeoperculum are inconspicuously striated, and the 

 striae do not terminate in denticulations ; the inferior Umb is shorter 

 than the postei'ior. The operculum is 1| as high as broad, and 

 irregularly quadrangular ; the upper side is oblique. There is a ridge 

 at the inside of the bone, running towards the posterior angle, and 

 not terminating in a prominent spine. The sub- and interoperculum 

 are very thin, and the former is situated in a very obU(]ue direction. 

 The basisphenoid has a very wide opening before the occipital joint, 

 and ascends in a cui've from the brain-capsule to the nasal vertebra. 

 The glossohyal is elongate, styliform ; the urohyal triangular, ele- 

 vated, and without posterior notch. Each pubic bone is formed by 

 three lamellae of nearly equal development, as in Box ; it is of 

 moderate length and much shorter than the coracoid. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebrae, the length 

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

 latter as 1 : 1'4. The neural and haemal spines arc slender ; the 

 longest are those belonging to the eighth vertebra to the fifteenth. 

 The haemal spines are much longer than the neurals. The? inter- 

 neurals of the spinous dorsal are dilated, and not shorter than the 

 neurals. The first interhaemal is slender and has a narrow ridge 

 anteriorly ; it is attached to the eleventh vertebra. The ribii are 

 moderately strong, and some of them bear ei)ipleural ispines. 



