?.40 



SCANDIXAVIAX FI.SHES. 



Mugil cephahis, p. p.. LlN., iSijst. Nat., ed. X, toiii. I, p. ;')1G. 



M'ligil Clip/to, Cuv., li.egii. Aiiim., ed. 2, toin. II, p. 232; 

 BoNAi'., Fii. It'll. Pcid, fiib. No. !)2; Cuv., Val,, HiH. Nat. 

 Foiss., vol. XI. p. 3l">. tab. 308; Kroy., iJanm. Fislr, vol. I, 

 p. 30(1; C4thi:, Cat. Brit. Jfiis.. Fish., vol. III. p. 4311. ■ 

 Steisd., Stzber. Akad. Wiss. AVieii, Math. Naturw. (_']., LVII, i 

 (1868), p. 680; Coll., Forh. Vid. Selsk. Cbrist. 187!), No. 1, 

 p. 60; Moil., Hist. Nat. Foiss. Fr., toiii. Ill, p. 188; Day, 

 Fisli. Gt. Brit, Ird., vol. I, p. 230, tab. XLVI; Lill.i.. 

 6'i-., Noi-g. FisI,'., vol. I. p. 408. 



This species perhaps attains tlic sainc size as the 

 Thick-lipped Gray Mullet, and is just as little distin- 

 guished from it l)y any strikinii' difference in form or 

 colour, as the preceding species. The most distinct 

 characteristic of the Gray Mullet is that, among the 

 Scandinavian species of this genus, it has been arrested 

 at the lowest stage in tlie common course of develop- 

 ment. This development, although it does not seem 



to have start(-d immediately from the Mediterranean 

 Mugil cejjlittliis, distinctly points to an original form 

 that essentially cori-esponded to it, both in the com- 

 l^aratively great length of the head — more than ^/^ 

 the distance between the first dorsal hn and the tip of 

 the snout — and in the even, arched palate, not yet 

 furnished with lateral ridges like the roof of tlie pha- 

 rynx, l)ut, on the other hand, with papilli*, partly 

 hardened into teeth, on the lateral parts. We have 

 endeavoured to show the remaining characteristics of 

 this original form in the appended table of averages, 

 ba.sed on four specimens, from 196 to .SGS mm. long, 

 of Mugil rapifo, three, from 251 to 455 mm. long, of 

 Mngil iiitratiis, and six, from 2()7 to 452 mm. long, ot 

 Mugil ehclo. In tliis table arc also inserted the changes 

 of growth that have appeared in the last-mentioned 

 species in the respects under considei-ation. 



.\ver:ii:e in Iht* <':ise ol" 



Mufjil Muf/U 

 •njiito. 



.Muf/ii chfln. 



Lenjith of the body expres.ieil itj inilliinelrey ._ 



Length ot the heail in °,; of thiit of the body 



„ ,, ,, ,. i)eliinil the eyes „ ,, ,, .. ,, ,, „ ,,. , _ 



„ ., , „ „ „ the distanee between the first dorsfil tin .Tud tlie tip of the snout. 



,, ,. .. .. Ijeliind I be eyes ,, ., ,, .. .. .. .. .. ., ,. ., .; ., ,, ,, ,, 



Breadth of the uioiilb in % of Ihe length of the lieml 



Least breadtli of tlie iulerorbital spnee in °h of the Ieni,'th of the head behind the eyes 



Length of the suont ,, ,, ,, ., , _ 



., ., ., lower jaw __, „ ,, „ ., .. .. .. 



Least depth of the tall _. ., .. .. ., .. .. .. „ ,, ,, _ 



Length of the base of the anal tin in 'i of the least depth of the tail 



Height of the upper lip in % of the length of the head _ 



„ ., „ ., ,, ,. „ ., ,. ,, ,, ,, ., behind the eyes 



„ ,, ,, ,, ,. ., ,, „ .. ,, ,, ,, snout 



,, , ,, ,, .. ,. , lower jaw _ _ 



,, ., ., ,, ., ,, ., ., ,, l>readth of the mouth 



Length of the base of the seeond dorsal tin in % of the length of the head behind the eyes 



Length of Ilie peetoral tins in "■!> of the length of tlie ijody 



,, ,, ,. ,. ., ,, ,, ,, the distnnee between the ventral tins and the tip of the snout 



,, „ ,, ventral .. ,, ,, ,, the length of the peetoral fins _ _ 



Least depth of the tail ., ,, ,. ,, ,, „ ,, ,, ,, _ 



267 

 22, s 



13.8 

 51.9 



30.9 



31.4 



70.8 

 49.3 

 53,8 

 68.8 



112.9 



5.8 

 9.9 



20.0 

 18,8 



18.7 



55.3 



14.G 

 42,9 



86.8 

 63.5 



337 



21.2 



12.1 

 48.2 

 27.3 

 32. G 

 75,9 

 51,1 

 54.5 

 70,8 

 106.9 



6,7 

 11.8 



23,0 



21,6 



20,7 

 67.2 

 17.0 

 50. .5 

 64,5 



I .'.0.,5 



271 

 20.9 

 11.0 

 46.9 

 24.9 

 35.0 

 62.9 

 60.5 

 63.0 

 88, G 

 97.9 



10.5 

 19.G 



32.5 



31,2 



29,9 



73,8 



15.4 



45.3 



80.0 

 64.1 



363 



20.6 



10,9 



46,3 

 24,7 

 35.6 

 86.8 

 60.9 

 64,4 

 88,9 

 95,9 



9,8 

 18.6 



30.7 

 29.1 

 28.0 



71.4 

 15.3 



46.1 

 76.7 

 63.5 



in al 



the first ten of the above I'elations the series stafting-point of the common development. The next 



I 



advances in tlie same direction, ami is followed b}^ the 

 changes of growth in Mugil c/irhi. A comparison be- 

 tween the first ;in(l tht 



five relations (11 to 15 inclusive) show the mo.st dis- 

 tinctive character of Mui/il chela: luit it is singular that 



third columns, in which the ' here the changes ol' growth in this species — as though 



length ot the body is almost the same, shows the dis- ' it underwent a retrograde development — run in the 



tinctix'c cliaractcristics of Mugil cnpifo, as well as o])posite direction to the form-sei'ies, which, on the 



of the su])po.sed origin wliich may iiave l)ecn the other hand, follows the direction of the changes of 



