DEALFISH. 249 



studded with minute spines. There are several rudimentary 

 rays at the extremity of the tail. Firm papillary warts along 

 the abdominal margin. The lateral line is armed as in J. tceniay 

 and is confluent with that of the other side beneath the end of 

 the tail: a stronger spine indicates the point of junction. The 

 vent is situated somewhat behind the middle of the length. 

 Silvery, with two blackish spots; fins reddish; the anterior spot 

 is situated at the commencement of the second fourth part of 

 the whole length of the fish, the posterior being near the 

 middle. 



The above characters have been taken from the excellent 

 accounts of Professor Reinhardt and Nilsson; but as the latter 

 gives a comparative description of what he supposes a nearly 

 allied, but, as he judges, a different species, which perhaps may 

 more closely resemble the fish described by Dr. Fleming, it is 

 thought best to add the description given by the last-named 

 Swedish naturalist. 



The example described was sent to Lund from Tromso, by 

 Professor Lilljeborg, and measured six feet in length from the 

 extremity of the snout to the root of the tail; and from the 

 former also to the hindmost border of the gill-cover nine 

 inches; from thence to the vent forty inches. Behind the 

 head the depth was eight inches, which increased to ten inches 

 above the pectoral fins, and to fourteen inches at thirty-four 

 inches from the snout, which was the greatest, and after which 

 it suddenly slopes away backward, and at the distance of eight 

 inches from the caudal fin it was only four inches; close in front 

 of the tail it Avas only four iines and a half. The body is 

 thickest along the middle of the sides, and thin along the back 

 and belly; gill openings wide; the body covered with a rough 

 and firm skin, which is studded with rough protuberances, 

 numbering from twelve to fourteen to the inch. On the sides 

 of the back these are large and more distantly placed, and along 

 the sides of the lower edge of the body they form high and 

 hard conical warts. The lateral line at first passes up to the 

 side of the neck, and then is bent down behind the pectoral 

 fin; behind this it is straight, but at last drops nearer to the 

 lower border, which it joins under the root of the tail. It is 

 formed of a row of small flat oblong and rough plates, each 



having a small spine at its middle, directed forward; and at the 

 VOL. 11., 2 K 



