12 Fisher 1/ Board for Scotland. 



The anal fin, like the dorsal, stands in a groove, the lip of which is 

 formed posteriorly of scales which are continued in a process upon 

 the proximal part of the last two raj's. The first three rays are spines. 

 The last two rays are close together at their bases. The first two 

 spines and the last two rays arise from a single iiiterspinous bone in 

 each case. The angle between the last i-ay of the dorsal and anal fins 

 respectively and the edge of the body is not filled up with a 

 membrane. 



The pectoral fin has 1(5 rays. 



The ventral fin has G raj's ; the first of these is a spine. Only a 

 very small portion of the angle between the last ray and the ventral 

 surface of the body is filled up with a membrane. 



The anus and the apertures of the genital organs and urethra are 

 in a slit-like depression on the ventral edge — the cloacal slit. It is 

 indicated at a. 



The teeth in a centrodontas 4U cm. in length were small. The}* were 

 of two distinct kinds. On the premaxillaj there were at the 

 symphysis about four rows of small curved sharp teeth. Posteriorly 

 there were three rows ; of these three the outer row were tusk-like, 

 while the inside row consisted of rounded-topped molar-like teeth. 

 In the lower jaw (Fig. 37) two rows of teeth were made out in the 

 dentary at the symphysis ; the outer row of curved teeth, the inner 

 row of teeth with blunted tips. All the teeth were small, but the 

 outer row contained the largest. Posteriorly the inner row showed 

 the rounded molar-like teeth. . 



The upper lip is papillated ; the papillte dip in between the teeth 

 of the outer row. The papillation occurs in the lower jaw only to a 

 slight extent. 



Inside both upper and lower jaws there is a pouch formed by a 

 horizontal membrane joining the premaxillae and dentaries respectively. 



A longitudinal strip of red muscle is present on the side just 

 beneath the skin. 



The peritoneum is black. 



The urinary bladder is in a little chamber cut off from the end of the 

 abdominal cavity by a septum of peritoneum crossing the cavity 

 between the oviduct and the urinary bladder. The chamber is lined 

 with peritoneum. The urinary bladder is wide ; it is sometimes 

 covered with a layer of fat. A mass of fat is sometimes found in the 

 posterior end of the abdominal cavity. The ureter (ur, Fig. 6) 

 comes down medianly in front of the first heemal spine, and crosses 

 over the left side of the swim-bladder to join the urinary bladder. 



The swim-bladder is large. A thick yellow matter was found in 

 the hind end of the swim-bladder of a fish 46 cm. long in November. 

 Posteriorly the swim-bladder is firml}^ attached to the first haemal 

 spine. The fii-st haemal spine ends the abdominal cavity and also the 

 swim-bladder. The first and second haemal spines touch one another. 

 The interspinous bones are long (int., Fig. 2). 



The number of vertebrae in one specimen was 23. The first hsemal 

 arch was on the tenth vertebra. 



Spams cantharus, L. — The Black Bream. 



This species is landed by trawlers at Aberdeen from time to time. 

 One example examined in November in the fresh condition measured 



