59 
strong spine whose acute point reaches back to the middle of the orbit. 
The second suborbitar in crossing the cheek to the hollow of the 
preoperculum forms a stout ridge of oblique, somewhat twisted and 
striated eminences, none of them spinous. The preoperculum has a 
smooth vertical upper limb, which shows as a narrow, slightly ele- 
vated ridge. At its curve or angle there is a strong spine, longer 
than the preorbitar one, but not reaching quite to the gill-opening. 
A short thick spine is adnate to its base above, and a little way below 
it there is an acute spine half as long, which is followed by three 
other angular or spinous points on the lower limb of the bone*. Two 
prominent but smooth ridges exist on the eill-plate without any spi- 
nous points. On the suprascapular region there are two ridges, the 
upper one having three thick, striated eminences with acute points, 
and the lower one has two such eminences, with two small points 
more posteriorly. 
There are no scales on any part of the head, and there is a smooth 
space along the base of the dorsal, which is widest towards the shoul- 
der ; the space between the ventrals and the breast anterior to them, 
with the base of the pectorals and their axils, are scaleless; the rest 
of the body, including the belly and integuments adjoining the anal, 
is densely covered with small scales. The lateral line is marked by 
a series of small eminences and is straight. 
Judging from the numbers given in the ‘ Histoire des Poissons,’ and 
also from the examination of several species not described in that 
work, the branchiostegous rays seem to vary in the Apistes from five 
to seven. In the species now under consideration there are seven 
rays, but the lowest one is very slender, and so closely applied to the 
following one that it can be detected only by dissection. 
The dorsal commences between the second points of the supra- 
scapular ridges and extends to near the caudal. Its spinous portion 
is much arched; the spines are strong and acute, and the seventh one 
is the tallest, being equal to two-thirds of the greatest height of the 
body ; the other spines are slightly graduated, but the foremost three 
diminish more abruptly. The last spine is rather more than one-half 
as long as the soft rays or than the tallest spine. The last soft ray is 
bound at its base to the back by membrane, but this membrane does 
not reach to the base of the caudal. The anal terminates rather further 
from the latter fin, and has three strong spines, the second being the 
stoutest and as long as the third one; the soft rays surpass them by 
about a fourth part. The pectorals are large and obliquely semi- 
oval, the lower rays being the shortest. Their rays are forked, which 
is a characteristic mark of the genus, and is not common in the Cot- 
toid family. The ventrals are also rather large, exceeding the anal a 
little in length and in spread. Their spine stands behind the pecto- 
ral axil and under the fourth dorsal spine. 
The length of the head exceeds the height of the body, and is 
contained thrice and one-half in the whole length of the fish, caudal 
included. Length of specimen 53 inches. 
* In the figure, the angle of the mandible being strongly represented, looks 
like a fourth angular point. 
