400 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



each side of the abdominal ridge ; they are indistinctly seen on the 

 back, those on the sides being very conspicuous ; belly pale yellow. 

 First ridge commencing immediately over the gill-opening, and run- 

 ning down the side of the back, where it becomes gradually lost as 

 it approaches the extremity of the tail ; second ridge commencing at 

 the posterior margin of the operculum ; and takes a Course down the 

 side as far as the vent, where it suddenly bends, after which it passes 

 down towards the end of the tail where it, like the first, becomes lost ; 

 third ridge takes its origin at a little below the commencement of the 

 second ridge, and, after running parallel with it as far as under the 

 middle of the dorsal fin, disappears at the side of the anal aperture ; 

 the fourth or abdominal ridge is more prominent than the rest, it com- 

 mences under the throat, and is lost at the anterior part of the vent. 

 The transverse plates of the tnmk, between the gills and the vent, 

 twentj'-eight in number ; from the vent to the extremity of the tail, 

 sixty-one (about the same number as is observed in the Mquoreal 

 Pipe-Fish). Dorsal fin commencing considerably before the middle 

 of the entire length ; all the rays simple, the middle ones rather the 

 longest, giving the fin somewhat of a rounded form ; the base much 

 longer than the length of the head, being as long as from the point 

 of the snout to the middle of the third shield of the trunk ; the last 

 ray situated exactly in the middle of the whole fish ; vent placed im- 

 mediately in a line under the twenty-eighth ray of the dorsal. Oc- 

 ciput on the same level as the back, gradually sloping in front as far 

 as to the anterior part of the orbits, from thence to the tip the snout 

 becomes slightly sinuous ; under jaw shortest, ascending obliquely 

 to meet the upper; chin rounded ; tip of the snout about the depth 

 of the diameter of the orbit ; mouth very small, placed at the extre- 

 mity ; jaws without teeth ; gill-cover in form very much resembling 

 a small mussel -shell, closed on all sides by a continuous membrane, 

 except on each side of the nape, where there is a small gill-opening; 

 eyes placed half-way between the tip of the jaws and the origin of 

 the second plate of the trunk. Number of fin rays — 

 D. 43 ; C. 7 ; P. and V. wanting. 



The only examples of this fish I have seen, were taken in 

 the Firth of Forth at North Berwick, in the month of 

 Julv, when two specimens were found under sea- weed in 

 a small pool of water which had been left on the recess 

 of the tide. Their stomachs were filled with a minute spe- 

 cies of shrimp, and apparently eggs of Crustacea. Mr 

 Yarrell has found tliis species of Pipe-Fish not uncommon 



