117 



velours ', and are irregularly crovvded on the maxillaries. Those 

 towards the angle of ihe mouth are somewhat longer. The lines of 

 ossific granulations, vvhich, passing t'orwards f'rom the supercihary 

 ridges, unite in an angle on the forehead, are mucli more distinct : 

 the appearance of those clustered on the posterior suborbitary and 

 temporal bones is much the šame in both species. The upper divi- 

 sion of the border of the operculum approaches nearer to a semi- 

 circular form. 



" The attachment of the pectorals and ventrals, as well as their 

 general form and number of rays, is also alike. The dorsal presents 

 some variations ; the height of the first spine being only t\vo fifths 

 of that of the second, the latter and the fourth equal, and the third 

 somewhat the longest of all. The emargination in the membrane be- 

 tvveen the second, third, fourth, and fifth spinous rays is obviously 

 deeper. The number of soft rays exceeds that of ^gr. torvus by 

 one, being fourteen in number. The anai has also one additional 

 ray. 



D.21 + 14; A. 1 + lOj P. 1 + 8; &c. 



The caudal has nothing vvorthy of nota, unless its termination is 

 raore lunated ; but this distinction mušt be received vvith caution^ 

 as the injury commonly sustained in this part by dried specimens 

 renders its character equivocal. 



" The skin is smooth, eąually free from scales, vvarts, tubercles, 

 or protuberances of any kind, with the exception of the granulations 

 on the head before menlioned. It is of a yellovvish brown colour 

 throughout, darker on the upper part of the head, and above the 

 lateral line ; lighter below, the lightest part being immediately 

 posterior to the operculum. This description is taken from the 

 dried specimen ; what variations occur in the fresh subject I have 

 no means of ascertaining. Towards the superior edge of the dorsal, 

 and over the ventrals and caudal, the colour becomes yet darker : 

 the pectorals incline to blackish. The black bars and blotches 

 which prevail throughout the darkground colour of^^r. ioruMS are 

 entirely absent in this species. The lateral line is nearly straight, 

 marked as it passes along the anterior part of the body by distant 

 and obscure tubercles, all traces of which disappear at the com- 

 mencement of the soft dorsal. These are the principai distinctions 

 betvveen this fish and Agr. torvus, vvith vvhich it has probably hi- 

 therto been confounded. 



"A remark of Cuvier and M. Valenciennes in the ' Histoire Na- 

 turelle des Poissons,' supposes the existence of other species, al- 

 though the little there said is not applicable to this : ' Parmi nos 

 individus, ii s'en trouve un dont la peau est toutebrune,' (so far only 

 it accords vvith our description) ' mais relevėe partout en petites 

 bosselures arrondies, comme des verrues peu saillantes. Nous ne 

 savons s'il appartient a une espece diffėrente, ou si ce n'est qu'une 

 varietė.' lt may not unreasonably be assumed from the above 

 description that this is a distinct species, under vvhich impression it 

 has been brought under the notice of this Society. 



" It is an inhabitant of the Cape seas, from vvhence the preseilt 



