^66 



CYCLOPTERID.E. 



and even to the hand that seizes it, — a circumstance which 

 has also been noticed by Colonel Montagu. " It is sluggish 

 in its habits ; but seems to wander, since it is sometimes 

 abundant, and at others rare. Its usual haunts are about 

 low-water mark, where it is often left by the tide, concealed 

 beneath a stone. I find it," says Mr. Couch, " large with 

 spawn in March. Its food is crustaceous animals and marine 

 insects, which it swallows entire." 



The whole length of the specimen described was two 

 inches and a half; the distance from the point of the nose 

 to the end of the gill-cover was equal to one-third of the 

 whole length of the fish : the head depressed ; mouth pro- 

 duced ; very much flattened ; narrower than the head ; has 

 been aptly called spatula-like ; gape elongated : numerous 

 small teeth in both jaws, forming a band in each : under 

 surface of the head very flat ; the first disk before the line of 

 the opening of the gill-cover ; the second disk behind it : 

 upper surface of the head smooth ; before the inner corner of 

 each eye a small flattened filament, about equal in length to 

 the diameter of the eye itself; behind this a second, but 

 much shorter ; both of a bright carmine colour ; behind the 

 eyes, which are widely separated, are two distinct, red, eye- 

 like spots : the dorsal fin commences about half-way between 

 the eyes and the end of the tail ; the anal fin begins still nearer 

 the tail, and both are joined to it by a membrane ; the tail 

 rounded ; the posterior part of the body compressed. The 

 pectoral fin large, with an extension underneath of four 

 stronger rays, which with the connecting membrane form the 

 sides of the most anterior disk of the two ; an extension of 

 the membrane only, without rays, being continued along the 

 front. Immediately behind the broad swimming portion of 

 the pectoral fin on each side, a membrane arises in the same 

 vertical position, which joining the united ventral fins forms 



