^6 -ENDEAVOUR' SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Body rather deep ; the profile arched to the first dorsal, 

 thence straight to the tail. Lower profile forming an even 

 curve to the origin of the anal, the base of vi^hich is very 

 oblique. Interorbital space convex. Maxilla reaching to 

 slightly behind the middle of the eye, and covered with large, 

 rough ctenoid scales. Preoperculum with a very strong spine 

 at the angle and one or two weaker ones on each border. 

 Operculum with two very small flat points separated by a 

 broad excavation ; above and close to the upper one are several 

 small points which may be indistinct. Whole head, with the 

 exception of the tip of the snout and the lips, covered with 

 moderately large scales which are mostly cycloid, only those 

 of the preorbital and lower portion of the head being ctenoid. 

 Upper jaw with an outer row of large canines which increase 

 in size as they approach the median toothless excavation ; 

 anteriorly there is an inner row of smaller teeth behind them. 

 Lower jaw with a few large teeth directed outwards anteriorly, 

 and two rows of smaller teeth along the sides which become 

 united into one about half way back. A row of small conical 

 teeth is present on each side of the vomer, and still smaller 

 ones form bands on the palatines. Posterior gill-rakers long 

 and slender, more than one-third the length of the eye ; there 

 are twenty-three on the lower limb of the first arch. 



On the back, in front of the dorsal fin, and also on the 

 ventral surface, except on the bases of and between the ven- 

 trals, the scales are extremely rough and ctenoid ; their edges 

 are turned obliquely outwards from the body, and they are 

 firm and adherent. The rest of the body is covered with large, 

 fiat, cycloid scales which are only marked with very fine con- 

 centric striae, and are very deciduous. The lateral line is 

 continued to the end of the middle caudal rays, and has 60-62 

 scales as far as the hypural and fifteen more to the end. The 

 exposed portion of each scale is smooth and smaller than those 

 on either side of it, and the edges are broken both above and 

 below the canal by small rounded indentations. 



Origin of the dorsal well behind the vertical of the ventral 

 spine ; the distance between it and the end of the snout is 

 slightly less than half that between the same point and the 

 end of the middle caudal rays. The fifth spine is more than 

 two-thirds the length of the second ray, which is equal to 

 three-fourths or more of the length of the head. The base of 

 the anal is 2^ that of the dorsal, and its anterior rays are as 

 long as the last dorsal spine ; the first spine is placed below the 

 last dorsal ray. Third pectoral ray the longest, reaching to 

 above the fourth anal ray. \'entrals placed beneath the 

 pectorals and reaching backwards to the vent. 



