422 SCOPELID^E. 



d. Fine specimen. Madeira. Presented by J. Y. Johnson, Esq. 



e. Contents of the stomach of specimen f: viz. Alepidosaurus ferox 



(young), Trachurus trachurus, a dozen of young Capros aper, 



one young Brama, and several Octopods, Crustaceans, and 



Ascidise. 

 /. Adult, skeleton. Madeira. Presented by the Rev. R. T. Lowe. 

 g. Front part of a skull. Van Diemen's Land. Presented by Sir 



J. Richardson*. 



The structure of the intestinal tract is very similar to that of 

 Paralepis, as described by Cuvier. The stomach forms a very long 

 sac, the blind end of which extends backwards to the level of the 

 pubic bones. The membrane between its outer coating and its 

 inner mucous membrane is of a deep black colour ; the inner sur- 

 face of its upper portion is longitudinally folded, whilst a number 

 of transverse folds cross the longitudinal ones in the posterior por- 

 tion. The pyloric aperture is situated quite at its upper end, be- 

 hind the humeral arch. The commencement of the intestine has 

 extremely thick walls, with a great number of cells imbedded in it, 

 which give a reticulated appearance to its internal surface ; its ap- 

 pearance recalls the cellular structure of the lung of a reptile. 

 There is no pyloric appendage. The membranes of the intestine 

 become gradually thinner on the level of the sixth or seventh ver- 

 tebra, and the remainder of its course is almost straight to its end, 

 which is behind the ventral fins 



All the bones are extremely thin, light, and flexible, containing 

 very little earthy matter, with the exception of the palatine and 

 dentary bones, which, being armed with strong teeth, are firmer and 

 more solid than the others. Almost all the bones have prominent 

 ridges radiating from the centre of ossification. The intermaxillary 

 is very thin, styliform, being only slightly dilated at its anterior 

 extremity. Maxillary needle-shaped, with an elliptical supplemen- 

 tary bone at its posterior extremity. The frontal and parietal bones 

 do not form sutures along the lines of their junction, but are merely 

 in juxtaposition. The suboperculum is nearly as large as the oper- 

 culum, whilst the interoperculum is quite rudimentary and situated 

 behind the angle of the mandible ; the prseorbital is a long, narrow, 

 tubiform bone, open at its outer surface ; the posterior part of the infra- 

 orbital ring is formed by a chain of about eight rudimentary bones. 

 Posterior process of the humerus long, triangular, with the coracoid 

 attached along its upper margin ; the coracoid is formed of two bones. 

 The vertebral column consists of forty-two elongate vertebras, each 

 being very distinctly of an hour-glass shape and provided with four 

 ridges ; the ribs, neural and haemal spines are very rudimentary, 

 except those of the last four vertebras, which are dilated, and des- 

 tined to support the caudal fin. A system of abdominal ribs, sym- 

 metrically arranged on both sides, runs along the whole length of the 

 medial line of the abdomen to the origin of the anal fin. 



* I cannot confirm the existence of the characters which are said by Sir J. 

 Richardson lo distinguish this skull from that of a Madeiran specimen. 



