454 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



gutta to the commencement of the anal fin ; one large gutta 

 in a line with the upper abdominal series is placed slightly 

 anterior, but above the commencement of anal fin ; between 

 the anterior commencement of anal and base of caudal 

 twenty-four, but between the eiglith and ninth from the 

 caudal fin there is a space where a spot appears to have 

 been obliterated. About midway between the anterior 

 commencement of the dorsal and base of caudal, but rather 

 nearer the latter, there is a slight elevation where appa- 

 rently the fleshy fin has its ox'igin ; but in the specimen 

 under description it is scarcely perceptible, being, even with 

 the aid of a lens, only like a slight membranous ridge. 



" The formula of the fin rays appears to be, D. 9; P. 17 ; 

 V. 8; A. 20; C. 18. 



" Mr YarrelFs formula is, D. 9 ; P. 17 ; V. 8 ; A. 15 ; 

 C. 19. 



" ]\Ir Yarrell remarks, ' the figure of tliis fish referred 

 to in Risso's work, represents the anal fin as containing 

 many more rays than are represented in the figure of Pen- 

 nant.' The fish obtained by me possesses more rays than 

 Pennanfs would appear to have had, judging from the fi- 

 gure which he has published. 



" Length of head compared with whole length of 

 fish as one to four ; diameter of eye to length of head as 

 one to three ; first dorsal fin commences midway between 

 end of nose and tail ; depth of body to whole length of fish, 

 as one to five and a half ; nostrils double, situated in a de- 

 pression midway between the eye and centre of intermaxil- 

 lary bone. The operculum is extremely large, and appears 

 to be developed at the expense of the free operculum, which 

 is very small, and joins the former by a straight moveable 

 suture running in a line perpendicularly downwards from 

 posterior margin of the orbit ; it forms an obtuse angle tri- 

 angle with the obtuse angle pointing downwards and back- 



