PISCES. 135 



Xyrichthys Cuv. Maxillary teeth conical, in a single row, 

 with two larger, exsert, incurved in the middle of both jaws. 

 Phaiyngeal bones covered with globose teeth. Head truncato- 

 declivous, with eyes approximate to the back, very remote from 

 mouth. Body compressed, covered with scales mostly large. 

 Lateral line interrupted. Branchiostegous membrane with six rays\ 



Sp. Xyrichthys cidtratus Valenc, Coryphcena Novacula L., Rondelf.t de 

 Piscib. p. 146, Cuv. et Val. Polss. xiv. PI. 391 ; in the Mediterranean 

 Sea. — In some species the first three rays of the dorsal fin are placed much 

 forward and separate from the rest. From the species with small scales 

 under the eyes, on the prceoperculum, Valenciennes forms the sub-genus 

 Novacula. To this belong Xyrichthys pentadactylus, Coi-yphcena pentadac- 

 tyla L. {exl. syn. Willughb.), Block Ichth. Tab. 173, Cuv. et Val. 1. 1. 

 PI. 395, from the Indian Sea, at Celebes. 



Lahrus L. (in part), Cuv. (add Cretiilahrus and Coricus ejusd.). 

 Maxillary teeth conical, in a single row, or in front row, with 

 lesser and crowded teeth forming a second row. Pharyngeal teeth 

 cylindric, globose or conical. U])per lip duplicate, with skin folded 

 transversely in front of suborbital bones. Cheeks and opercula 

 scaly. Lateral line continuous. 



Sp. Lahrus mixtus L., Lahrus variegatus Gm., Lahrus vetula Bloch, Ichth. 

 Tab. 293, male, Lahrus cartieus Bloch, Ichth, Tab. 289, fem. {Lah-us 

 trimaculaius Gmel., Valenc). All these names, to which probably 

 Lahrus ossifragus L. might be added, refer to one species, which occurs in 

 the Mediterranean and in the North Sea, and of which the two sexes are 

 marked very differently ; see the figures of both in the celebrated work of 

 Fries, Ekstroem and Sundevall, Skandi7iarie7is Fiskar, PI. 37, 38. 

 Probably this, like other northern species, occurs now and then on the 

 Dutch coasts, although, as far as we know, it has not yet been observed. 

 As found on our coasts we are alone able to record : Lahrus maculatus 

 Bloch, Lahrus Berggylta Ascan., Valenc, Bloch Ichth. Tab. 294, 

 Skandinav. FisJc. PI. 2 ; this is the largest of the northern species, and 

 attains a length of 15". The lively colours of this, as of many other 

 fishes, change rapidly after death, and in this respect the figures cited in the 

 work on the fishes of Sweden are to be relied on in preference to all the 

 rest, since they were always taken from living specimens. Yaeeel describes 

 1 1 species of Lahrus and Crenih,hi~us as frequenting the British coasts. 



Crenilabrus Cuv. Pneoperculum denticulate. Mouth not pro- 

 tractile. 



Coricus Cuv. Prseoperculum denticulate. Mouth protractile. 



^ In Tautoga also Bleeker found six gill-rays. All the other genera of this family 

 appear to have five. 



