FISH. id 
and Valenciennes, except in having two soft rays less in the dorsal, and one less 
in the anal. Their description, however, is not very detailed. 
Famity.—ATHERINIDZ. 
1. ATHERINA ARGENTINENSIS. Cuv. et Val.? 
Atherina argentinensis, Cuz. e¢ Val. Hist. des Poiss. tom. x. p- 350. 
Form.—Depth exactly one-sixth of the length, measuring this last to the end of the middle caudal 
rays. The length of the head is five and a-half times in the same, measuring this last to the end 
of the caudal lobes. Thickness of the body at least half the depth. Head broad and flat, its 
breadth across the crown behind the eyes equalling three-fourths of its depth. Snout rounded 
horizontally, but sharp vertically. ‘The profile is perfectly horizontal; and one uniform straight 
line extends from the extremity of the upper jaw to the commencement of the second dorsal. 
Ventral line swelling a little outwards, with its greatest curvature about the middle. Upper 
jaw a very little longer than the lower, which ascends to meet it at an angle of 45°: gape not 
reaching more than half-way to the eye, at first horizontal, afterwards deflexed. In each jaw 
two rows of teeth, stronger and more developed than usual in this genus, widely asunder, and 
at irregular intervals: in the upper jaw these two rows are equal; in the lower the outer row 
is stronger than the inner: the outer row above contains about thirty-two or thirty-three 
teeth; that below twenty-six or twenty-eight: no teeth on the tongue, and scarcely any that 
can be seen on the vomer or palatines, though a slight roughness can be felt on the last two. 
Eyes moderately large; their diameter a very little less than one-fourth the length of the 
head ; situate a little in advance of the middle point, and also a little above the middle of the 
depth. Cheeks and gill-covers scaly. Form of the scales of the body, as well as the number 
of longitudinal rows, exactly as stated by Cuvier and Valenciennes. ‘The same may be said of 
the lateral line, and the situation of the dorsal fins. The second dorsal and anal terminate in 
the same vertical line. Pectorals exactly the length of the head. Ventrals attached imme- 
diately below the tips of the pectorals. Breadth of the silver band, which runs straight along 
the middle of the sides, exactly one-fifth of the greatest depth of the body. 
D. 5—1/9 A; 1)19:"C.17, &e>:) P. 155 V. 1/5. 
Length 8 inches. 
Cotour.—* Silvery, with a silver lateral band: above bluish grey.”—D. In spirits, it appears 
greenish brown, becoming deeper above the silver band and on the ridge of the back: the free 
margins of the scales are finely dotted with black : the rays of the caudal have been worn at 
the tips, but there is a trace of the dusky edging noticed by Cuvier: the pectorals are also 
stained with dusky. 
Habitat Maldonado. — 
I conceive there is but little doubt of this being the A. Argentinensis of 
Cuvier and Valenciennes; but as the description in the ‘ Histoire des Poissons ”’ 
is short, I have thought it advisable to give a more detailed one of the above 
