19* PAaELLXTS. 479 



thrinus. And if we consider, together with this character, the vignette 

 of the same page, representing the molar teeth of the upper jaw in 

 three regular series, as in P. owenii, and never in P, erythrimis or 

 P. acarne, we cannot have any doubt that this description and this 

 vignette were taken from specimens of P. owenii. 



One point only appears to contradict this view, namely the 

 formula of the fins, in which Yarrell attributes eight soft rays to the 

 anal. But I have stated above that there is a misprint in this very 

 number in the Hist. Nat. Poiss., and Yarrell in reproducing it clearly 

 shows that he copied the formula from that work, in order to bring 

 his description more into accordance with that of a work which he 

 appears to have considered as infallible. Thus, Yarrell not only 

 confounds four species of fish, but increases this confusion by pub- 

 lishing figures and descriptions of them, part of which are taken 

 from the work of a better informed author, and part from specimens 

 totally distinct from the one intended to be described. 



The fish from which Yarrell has taken his article on P. erythnnus 

 is again described under the name of " Axillary Bream," p. 122*. 

 The article on that fish is merely a reproduction of Dr. Parnell's 

 observations ; it is, as stated above, different from the Acarne of thd 

 Mediterranean, and I have named it in honour of Prof. R. Owen. 



The general form is very much like that of P. acarne. The head 

 is one-third of the total length, without caudal ; the snout appears 

 to be rather more elongate, the distance between the extremity of 

 the snout and the lower posterior angle of the praeorbital being 2^ 

 in the length of the head. There are five series of scales on the 

 cheek. A large crescent-shaped space' on the angle of the pra^oper- 

 culum is naked. 



The anterior teeth in both jaws are villiform, the outer series 

 being formed by somewhat larger but equal teeth. Fui'ther pos- 

 teriorly the teeth become granular, and, gradually assuming the 

 character of molars, they form three regular series in the upper jaw ; 

 each series contains six or seven molars, and they are all of nearly 

 equal size, except the last two of the inner series, which are one- 

 third larger than those around them. The lower jaw is generally 

 armed with two series only, but occasionally the inner series is 

 broken up in the middle, forming a third series, which, however, 

 does not extend so far as the others ; each series contains six or 

 seven molars, and the posterior ones of the inner series are nearly 

 twice as large as the others. 



The body is rather thick, and its greatest depth is 3| in the total 

 length. 



The spines of the fins are rather slender ; the fourth of the dorsal 

 fin is the longest and 2| in the length of the head ; the soft dorsal 

 is much lower. Caudalis forked. 



The scales are somewhat irregularly arranged, especially on the 

 anterior portion of the trunk nearest to the head ; the posterior 

 margin of most of them has a more or less distinct notch in its 

 upper half. The lateral line is slightly curved, and runs parallel to 

 the back. 



