276 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



Avith a darker blue, and one broken iij) into spots, 

 running nearest the upper mai-gin of the fin. Tliese 

 l)ands begin at the first ray in the form of large, ex- 

 tended spots, advance in a somewhat winding course, 

 and posterioi'ly bend upwards, towards tlie upj^ei- mar- 

 Hin of the fin. The loAvest ones are the darkest, the 

 others growing gradually lighter in colour tlie nearer 

 they approacli the margin of tlie fin. Caudal fin green 

 at the base, shading into yellow towards tlie hind mar- 

 gin, and marked with irregular, longitudinal, inter- 

 rupted bands, which are blue at the l)ase of the fin 

 and violet at the margin. Anal fin of a uniform drab, 

 but in certain lights shading into a handsome violet. 

 Ventral fins yellow at the base and green at the tip, 

 marked with a varving number of handsome blue spots. 

 Pectoral fins of a lighter yellowish gray, marked Avith 

 spots forming transverse bands of several colours across 

 the rays, and with a few, bright blue sjjots at the base 

 of the latter. 



Tills description is generally true of the coloration 

 of the males, which is subject, however, to innumerable 

 individual variations. It is seldom that we find all the 

 parts of an individual specimen e(|uall)' j^erfect in co- 

 lour; now one part comes out, and now another, seem- 

 ingly at the expense of the others. The beautiful co- 

 lours which adorn this fish during life, are also highly 

 evanescent, and in most cases I'apidly disappear after 

 death. 



2. Female (Plate XIV, figs. ?). Head shoi-t and 

 triangular, with pointed snout. In a female, 235 mm. 

 long, the head measures about 18 % of the length ol 

 the body, in another, 185 mm. long, 20 ?a thereof. 

 Eyes set about half-way along the head. Length of 

 the snout in old specimens about 9 or 10 % of that of 

 the body, in young T'/o or 7 %, and always less than 

 the distance between the anterior margin of the eye and 

 the gill-opening, or than the distance between the pos- 

 terior margin (jf the eye and the margin of the oper- 

 culum. Dorsal fins some distance apart at the base, 

 and their mutual relation in respect to height the con- 

 trary of that existing in the males, the first being not 

 only knver than the second, but so low that the first 

 and longest ray measures onh' \/j(, of the length of 

 the body. The tip of this ray, when depressed, ex- 

 tends onl)' to the base of the first ray of the second 

 dorsal fin. The anterior rays of the latter are longer 

 than the last ray, the branches of which, when de- 

 pressed, do not extend to the base of the caudal fin. 



The last I'av of the anal fin is someA\'hat longer than 

 the first, but, when depressed, falls far short of the 

 base of the caudal fin. Behind the vent there is only 

 a rudiment of the conical jiapilla. 



The whole of the upper ])nrt of the body, aljove 

 tlie lateral line, and the head are of a, yelloAvish brown 

 colou]', marbled Avith greenish spots of A-arying size and 

 shape and lirown dots. The spots are encircled by dark 

 brown rings, which at certain points coalesce, assume 

 a darker colour, and foi'iii as it Avere faintly traced 

 transverse 1)ands across the back. The usual number 

 of these transverse bands is three, the first, Avhich is 

 also the narroAvest, Iieing situated at the beginning of 

 the second dorsal fin, the second, Avliich is also the 

 broadest and most distinct, at the end of this fin, and 

 the third just in front of the base of the caudal fin. 

 Sides beloAv the lateral line \vhitish and semi-trans- 

 ])arent, Avith a fcAv, large and scattered, broAvn (some- 

 times blackish liroAvn) spots, which are arranged in t^vo 

 someAvhat irregular roAvs and surrounded bv a liroad 

 strip of bright, brassy yelloAv. Belly milk-Avhite, and 

 the loAver part of the tail as clear as Avater and almost 

 transparent. Along the lateral line a dark liroAvn, 

 ))roken streak. Iris Avitli a narroAV, golden ring round 

 the pupil, Avhicli is black, shading into blue. First ray 

 of the first dorsal fin yellowish broAvn, Avith a fcAV 

 greenish transverse bands, and the membrane uniting 

 the last three rays deep black and covered, as it Avere, 

 Avitli a net of fine, dense, broAvnish acHoav veins. This 

 singular marking is peculiar to the female and highly 

 characteristic. Second dorsal fin marked Avitli three 

 broA\-n bands, Avhicli are often interrupted, the first 

 along the base of the fin, the second, Avhich is the 

 broadest and most distinct, along the middle of the fin, 

 and the third at the margin. BetAveen them tAvo other, 

 faint, bluish bands may be traced. The rays of this fin 

 are Avhitisli and transparent, the first being marked Avitli 

 seA'eral broA\'n transverse bands, the second Avitli only 

 three at the tip, the next rays Avith tAvo and the last 

 rays Avith only one. Anal fin of a uniform, Avhitish, 

 almost milky colour, ^'^entral fins of the ground-colour 

 of the body, Avith a fcAV irregulai-, broAvn spots, inter- 

 spersed Avith one or tAvo of liluisli green. Membrane 

 of the pectoral fins pale gi'ay and traiispai-ent, and the 

 rays spotted alternatelj' Avith yellow and broAvn, these 

 spots forming broken transverse bands across the fins. 

 Caudal fin Avith yelloAvish rays and three large, indis- 

 tinct, light broAvn, transvei'se bands, strewn Avith spots 



