FISH. 15 
specimen. The thickness of the body, which he fixes at one-third of the depth, is here nearly 
half the depth. The following characters may be also given, in addition to his. Above each 
orbit are two short crests or ridges which meet at an angle anteriorly, and the interocular space 
between these pairs of ridges is rather depressed ; beyond, or immediately above the upper 
lip, the snout is a little protuberant. The band of teeth in each jaw is narrow, with the outer 
row longer than the others ; and at the sides of the jaw, this outer row is all that is obvious: 
The intermaxillary is slightly protractile. The eye is hardly removed so much as one diameter 
from the end of the snout. The limb of the preopercle is striated; the angle at bottom 
rounded, and much dilated, so that the ascending margin falls in advance of a vertical. The 
contour of the membrane of the opercle is rounded. The cheeks, and all the pieces of the 
gill-cover, with the exception of the broad limb of the preopercle, are scaly: there are also a 
few scales on the maxillary, but none on the crown between the eyes, or on the snout, or lower 
jaw. The dorsal and anal terminate nearly in the same vertical line, but the latter reaches a 
trifle the farthest. Both fins are invested at their base with a scaly membrane, the scales of 
which are of a long lanceolate form. The length of the caudal equals the depth of the body. 
That of the pectorals equals half the depth : these fins are attached a little behind the opercle, 
and a little below the middle. The point of attachment of the ventrals is in a vertical line 
which passes through the middle of the pectorals, and coincides with the commencement of the 
dorsal. They are longer than the pectorals ; and in their axille is a lanceolate membranaceous 
scale half their own length. There is a similar, but shorter scale in the axilla of the pectorals 
also. 
Bai) Oo r A. SiO Coie. vos Veto 
Length 9 inches 10 lines. 
Corour.—Not noticed in the recent state. In spirits, the whole fish appears of a nearly uniform 
dull metallic yellowish-white, tinged with olive on the back and upper part of the sides. 
Mr. Darwin obtained this species in King George’s Sound, in New Holland, 
the same place in which it was discovered by MM. Quoy and Gaimard. GICA? 
‘S) 
APLODACTYLUs puNCTaTus. Val. 
Aplodactylus punctatus, Cur. et Val. Hist. des Poiss. tom. viii. p. 352. pl. 242. 
This very remarkable fish was first sent from Valparaiso, by M. D’Orbigny, 
where it was also observed by M. Gay. Mr. Darwin’s collection contains a spe- 
cimen, which has unfortunately lost the number attached to it; but as he made a 
collection on that coast, it was probably obtained in the same locality. The descrip- 
tion given of it in the ‘“‘ Histoire des Poissons,” is so detailed as well as accurate, 
and the figure so exact, that it is quite unnecessary to annex that of the present 
individual. I may merely observe that the number of simple rays at the bottom 
