408 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



plain. Snout blunt, rounded, and depressed, projecting beyond the 

 upper jaw ; nostrils rather large, placed underneath, about half-way 

 between the point of the snout and the anterior part of the orbit, and 

 immediately in front of the upper lip, mostly concealed by a prolonga- 

 tion of skin, so as to form a sort of valve over each aperture ; each 

 valve is somewhat of a triangular form, extending over and partly 

 concealing the anterior part of the piouth ; under the outer margin 

 of each valve and partly concealed^ is a small truncated lobe of a 

 square form, not extending beyond the lip. Mouth large, the angle of 

 which extends as far as in a line with the middle of the orbit ; under 

 jaw shortest ; teeth small and sharp pointed, placed in three or more 

 rows in each jaw ; each tooth is furnished with a small denticulation 

 on each side of its base. Eyes rather large, of an oblong oval, placed 

 as far from the point of the snout, as the distance is between each ; 

 branchial openings five, arranged in a longitudinal series on each 

 side of the neck, the four first nearly of equal size, about half the 

 size of the orbit ; the fourth situated immediately over the anterior 

 extremity of the base of the pectoral ; the fifth, which is the smallest, 

 placed rather beyond that point. Behind each eye, a little below the 

 posterior angle, is a small temporal orifice, communicating witli the 

 mouth. Skin rough, with small denticulated scales, allowing the 

 hand to be passed from head to tail, but not in the opposite direc- 

 tion ; the extremity of the snout perfectly smooth, appearing as if the 

 points of the scales had worn down. First dorsal fin, situated over 

 the middle of the space between the ventral and anal fins, and mid- 

 way between the fourth branchial opening and the end of the tail ; 

 the anterior margin oblique ; the posterior margin vertical ; the 

 height rather more than equals the base. Second dorsal, about the 

 same form as the first dorsal, but rather smaller, situated nearer it 

 than to the end of the tail, and a little behind the termination of the 

 anal fin. Caudal, truncated or very slightly rounded at the end ; the 

 upper lobe commencing at first low, a little behind the second dor- 

 sal, gradually expanding and terminating abruptly ; the anterior 

 lower lobe somewhat of the same form as the anal fin, but rather 

 larger ; the posterior lower lobe much smaller, of a triangular form. 

 Anal fin, placed a little in advance of the second dorsal, and half-way 

 between the commencement of the ventrals, and the termination of 

 the anterior lower lobe of the tail ; the form somewhat triangular, the 

 base more than twice the length of the height ; the lower end free. 

 Ventrals in advance of first dorsal, situated about mid- way between 

 the end of the pectorals and the anal fin ; the lower portions acute and 

 free ; the posterior margins more oblique than the anterior margins. 

 Pectoral broad, truncated behind, its length equalling the space be- 

 tween the point of the snout and the first branchial aperture. " The 



