THE DISCOBOLI. 49 



upper lip, on each side, there is a second curved series of six pores, of 

 which the last one is close behind the eye. Three of these pores are in 

 the edge of the fold, forming notches or scallops; the fourth is just above 

 its end, and the fifth is on the cheek below the eye. There are three pores 

 near the upper edge of the gill opening, at the extremity of the lateral 

 line. Eye small, half as long as the snout, one sixth as long as the head, 

 or two fifths as wide as the flattened interorbital space. Posterior nostrils 

 between the eyes, with very short tubes ; anterior in front of these, with 

 longer ones. Gill opening narrow, little wider than the eye, entirely above 

 the base of the pectoral. The nape and the lower portions of the cheeks 

 are somewhat swollen. Skin thin and but slightly attached, though close 

 fitting ; on the male in breeding season it is roughened with numerous 

 small papillas, each bearing a minute styliform sj)ine (Plate VII. Fig. 19); 

 on the females and young it is more smooth. The dorsal and the anal 

 are distinct, but connected with the caudal by a low membrane ; they are 

 rounded posteriorly, and rise gradually from the foremost rays. The greatest 

 height of the dorsal is not quite half that of the body. In the breeding 

 season the outer ends of the rays are prolonged beyond the membrane 

 more than at other times. This is especially the case with five or six of 

 the anterior, in front of the shallow notch separating the fin into two 

 portions. Six or eight of these rays are apparently unsegmented ; on these 

 the nuptial growth is long and flexible. The first ray of this fin is about 

 opposite the hinder edge of the disk. The first ray of the anal is opposite 

 the eighth or ninth of the dorsal; the fin extends back a trifle farther 

 under the caudal. Caudal not quite as long as the head, subtruncate or 

 rounded posteriorly, median rays entirely behind the end of the anal. Disk 

 subround, two thirds of the length of the head, equalling the distance from 

 the first ray of the anal or three fourths of its distance from the chin. The 

 vent is nearer to the disk than to the first anal ray, and the distance from 

 the latter to the base of the caudal is one and one half times its distance 

 from the end of the snout. 



Pectorals broad, rounded posteriorly in the upper portion, with the rays 

 prolonged beyond the margin in a short fringe (more pronounced in the 

 nuptial season) ; lower fringe longer, several of the rays at the side of the 

 disk longest, producing the appearance of a notch in the fin. A low fold 

 of the skin connects the pectorals in front of the disk. The nuptial exten- 

 sion of the rays is to be seen on all the fins of some specimens ; it is less on 



7 



