430 SPAKID^. 



is obtuse and broad ; the upper maxillary (which, wlu-ii the mouth is 

 closed, is entirely hidden) reaches to the vertical from the anterior 

 marjiin of the eye. The pra^orbital is higher than long, and entirely 

 scalcless. The eye is situated near the upper profile of the head, 

 without interfering with it ; it is of moderate size, its diameter being 

 4'i in tlie length of the head. The cheeks are covered with very 

 small scales extending nearly to the pra^opercular margin, which ex- 

 hibits some_ minute serrature at the angle. The operculum is scaly 

 on its upper angle only ; the remainder is naked, like the sub- and 

 interoperculum. The suboperculum is narrow, and tapers vcrj- much 

 posteriorly; its lower margin is nearly straight ; the interoperculum 

 is broader and crescent-shaped. Thf; suprascapula is not visible 

 externally. 



The dorsal fin begins vertically above the root of the pectorals, 

 and ends in the vertical from the 38th scale of the lateral line. 

 Streaks of minute scales ascend between the spines and raj's to about 

 one-half of the height of the fin. The spines are of moderate size ; 

 they gradiudly become longer to the sixth, the seventh to the four- 

 teenth being nearly equal in length, about 2^ in the length of the 

 head ; the anterior rays arc rather more elevated, but the posterior 

 ones decrease again, and the last is about one-third of the length of 

 the head. The distance between the dorsal and caudal fins exactly 

 equals that })etween the end of the snout and the pncopcrcular mar- 

 gin, or the depth of the tail beneatli the end of the dorsal. The 

 caudal fin is nearly scalelcss, emargiiiate, with acute lobes ; one of 

 the middle rays is about two-thirds of the upper lobe. The ayial fin 

 begins a little behind tlie soft portion of the clorsal, and ends a little 

 before it ; its base is scaly, and streaks of minute scales extend on be- 

 tween the rays to about one-third of the depth of the fin ; the lower 

 margin is very convex. The spines are rather strong ; the first is 

 one-half the length of the second ; the second three-quarters of the 

 third, the free poi'tion of which is 2J in the length of the head ; the 

 following rays become longer to the fourth, fifth, and sixth, which are 

 about two-thinls of the length of the head ; and the last ray is ono- 

 hfdf only of the sixth. The pectoral fins are scaly in their basal third ; 

 they have a rounded posterior margin, and are of moderate length, 

 not extending to the vent. The root of the vcnh-ah is placed at 

 some distance behind the vertical from the })ase of the pectorals ; 

 they extend to the vent, and are com])osed of one spine and five rays, 

 the former of which is about one-half the length of the first ray. 

 There is no elongate scale at the base of these fins. 



The sc(des are distinctly ciliated, and rather longer than high, 

 their basal portion being much larger than the free. Many beau- 

 tifully arranged fine streaks radiate from the centre to the basal 

 mai-gin. One of the largest covers one-half of the eye. 



15oth jaws arc furnished in front with a transverse band of deli- 

 cate, tricuspid, narrow tectli, arranged in three or four series. An- 

 other (posterior) band of teeth is s(>parated from the foimer by a 

 groove; this band contains teeth, by which the anterior ernes jnay 

 be re])laced ; (licy are tlierefore in a less develo])ed condition, having 



