FISH. 43 
much crowded, curved lines, somewhat undulating behind, with a fan of about twelve deeper 
strie converging to a point considerably in advance of the centre of the scale ; the free portion is 
also marked with several well-marked nearly parallel lines which terminate in denticles at the 
anterior margin. Those on the lateral line have the mucous tubes somewhat ramified, and are 
accompanied throughout its course by some minuter scales, similar to those on the head above 
pointed out. The lateral line is at one-third of the depth, till it arrives beneath the middle of 
the soft dorsal, where it falls to one-half. 
First dorsal of a triangular form, separated from the soft portion by a deep notch ; the first 
spine very small and inconspicuous ; the second somewhat shorter than the third; fourth 
longest, nearly equalling half the depth; all the spines in this fin rather slender. The second 
dorsal commences with a spine somewhat longer than the last spine in the first dorsal, and not 
quite half the length of the first soft ray ; soft rays nearly even throughout, and not equalling 
the highest point of the first dorsal. Anal short and somewhat rounded, commencing beneath 
the middle of the second dorsal, and double the height of that fin ; its first spine very short and 
inconspicuous ; second long and moderately stout, but shorter than the first soft ray by one- 
third ; second soft ray the longest ; third and succeeding ones gradually decreasing. _ Pectorals 
narrow and pointed, shorter than the head ; first ray simple, the rest branched; third, fourth and 
fifth longest. Ventrals attached a trifle backwarder than the pectorals, which they do not 
equal in length ; the spine much slenderer than that of the anal, and rather more than half the 
length of the first soft ray. Caudal squarish, but with the margin a little sinuous. 
Baz se 101/282 <A. 0/8 C2l7 sR i7s Vo lo: 
Length 8 inches 6 lines. 
Co.our.— Above inclining to coppery, with irregular transverse bars of brown; beautifully iridescent 
with violet.’—D. The bars alluded to by Mr. Darwin are some dark lines which, commencing 
at the upper part of the back, pass forwards and downwards in an oblique direction ; they bend 
more and more downwards as they advance, and disappear a little below the middle. The 
whole fish has a metallic gloss, particularly about the cheeks and gill-covers, and very visible 
even in its present state. 
A second specimen, exactly similar to the above, is nearly twelve inches in length. 
Habitat, Maldonado and Monte Video. 
I entertain no doubt of this species being the C. adusta of Agassiz, figured in 
Spix’s Fishes of Brazil. It is not described by Cuvier and Valenciennes, but 
belongs to their second section of the genus, characterized by the small spines 
on the ascending margin, and especially at the angle, of the preopercle. It seems 
to be particularly distinguished by the small scales on some parts of the head, 
and along the lateral line where they accompany the larger ones. These 
characters have not been overlooked by Agassiz. There are two specimens in the 
collection, the larger one taken at Monte Video, the smaller at Maldonado. 
