﻿74 
  Description 
  of 
  the 
  Selene 
  Argentea 
  of 
  Laceptde, 
  

  

  lobes 
  of 
  the 
  caudal. 
  In 
  the 
  specimen 
  before 
  me, 
  its 
  length 
  is 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  

   distance 
  between 
  its 
  base 
  and 
  the 
  chin. 
  Closely 
  observed 
  it 
  appears 
  bifid, 
  the 
  upper 
  

   branch 
  longest. 
  The 
  next 
  ray 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  second, 
  and 
  with 
  

   about 
  four 
  branches 
  ; 
  the 
  other 
  rays 
  decreasing 
  suddenly 
  to 
  the 
  sevenlh, 
  whence 
  

   they 
  are 
  subequal 
  to 
  the 
  last, 
  which 
  is 
  connected 
  by 
  a 
  membrane 
  to 
  the 
  back. 
  The 
  

   membrane 
  between 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  fifth 
  rays 
  is 
  covered 
  by 
  scales 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  ex- 
  

   ceeding 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  fin. 
  The 
  base 
  of 
  each 
  ray 
  is 
  set 
  in 
  a 
  de- 
  

   pression 
  at 
  the 
  dorsal 
  ridge. 
  

  

  The 
  anal 
  spines 
  are 
  two 
  low 
  serratures, 
  quite 
  recumbent, 
  placed 
  between 
  the 
  

   vent 
  and 
  anal 
  fin, 
  rather 
  nearer 
  to 
  the 
  former, 
  and 
  close 
  behind 
  each 
  other. 
  

  

  The 
  anal 
  fin 
  resembles 
  the 
  second 
  dorsal 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  outline. 
  It 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  

   one 
  spinous 
  and 
  nineteen 
  articulated 
  rays, 
  extending 
  as 
  far 
  back 
  as 
  the 
  second 
  dor- 
  

   sal. 
  The 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  ray 
  forms 
  one 
  angle 
  of 
  the 
  pentagonal 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  

   body, 
  and 
  is 
  equidistant 
  from 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  base 
  of 
  last 
  ray 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  dorsal. 
  

   The 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  fin 
  equals 
  that 
  of 
  this 
  last 
  mentioned 
  one. 
  The 
  spine 
  resembles 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  dorsal, 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  ray 
  or 
  first 
  articulated 
  one 
  is 
  long, 
  stout 
  at 
  

   the 
  base, 
  and 
  soon 
  divides 
  into 
  two 
  branches, 
  the 
  anterior 
  longest, 
  and 
  the 
  pos- 
  

   terior 
  one 
  again 
  divided 
  ; 
  all 
  three, 
  however, 
  closely 
  joined 
  and 
  tapering 
  to 
  the 
  end. 
  

   In 
  one 
  specimen 
  before 
  me, 
  its 
  length 
  is 
  equal 
  to 
  half 
  the 
  distance 
  from 
  its 
  base 
  to 
  

   the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  jaw, 
  while 
  in 
  another 
  it 
  equals 
  three 
  fourths, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  third, 
  

   four 
  fifths 
  of 
  that 
  distance. 
  The 
  third 
  ray 
  is 
  much 
  shorter, 
  much 
  branched 
  ; 
  while 
  

   the 
  sixth 
  and 
  succeeding 
  ones 
  are 
  subequal. 
  The 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  is 
  exactly 
  under 
  

   the 
  last 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  dorsal, 
  and 
  has, 
  like 
  it, 
  a 
  small 
  membrane 
  connecting 
  it 
  to 
  

   the 
  body. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  rays 
  of 
  both 
  these 
  fins 
  are 
  nearer 
  together 
  than 
  the 
  others. 
  Scales 
  

   are 
  observable 
  between 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  third 
  rays 
  for 
  some 
  distance 
  along 
  the 
  

   membrane. 
  

  

  The 
  caudal 
  fin 
  is 
  strong 
  and 
  deeply 
  forked, 
  with 
  two 
  long 
  and 
  narrow 
  lobes. 
  

   It 
  has 
  seven 
  small 
  outside 
  rays 
  above, 
  and 
  six 
  below, 
  following 
  which 
  are 
  two 
  long, 
  

   stout, 
  broad, 
  single, 
  and 
  articulated 
  rays, 
  tapering 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  lobes, 
  

   and 
  fifteen 
  branched 
  rays, 
  of 
  which 
  eight 
  are 
  above 
  and 
  seven 
  below 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   lateral 
  line. 
  The 
  lower 
  lobe 
  is 
  slightly 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  upper 
  one, 
  and 
  equals 
  the 
  

   length 
  of 
  the 
  pectoral 
  fin. 
  The 
  first 
  branched 
  rays 
  are 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  large 
  single 
  

   ones, 
  the 
  next 
  diminishing 
  rapidly 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  all, 
  except 
  the 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  centre 
  

   ones, 
  closely 
  applied 
  together. 
  

  

  No 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  internal 
  anatomy 
  was 
  made, 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  thought 
  pro- 
  

   per 
  to 
  mutilate 
  the 
  specimens. 
  

  

  Colors. 
  — 
  The 
  iridescent 
  play 
  of 
  colors 
  in 
  the 
  fresh 
  specimen 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  imitated, 
  

   and 
  with 
  difficulty 
  be 
  described. 
  The 
  general 
  ground 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  fish 
  is 
  brilliant 
  

   silvery 
  white 
  or 
  pearly, 
  with 
  reflections 
  of 
  every 
  hue, 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  mother- 
  

   of-pearl. 
  The 
  only 
  distinctive 
  marks 
  deserving 
  particular 
  notice 
  are 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  

   indistinct, 
  broad, 
  transverse, 
  and 
  vertical 
  bars, 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  pale 
  dusky 
  color, 
  visible 
  

   while 
  the 
  specimen 
  is 
  fresh, 
  and 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  sides 
  downwards 
  : 
  

   the 
  first 
  one 
  directly 
  under 
  the-pectoral 
  fin 
  and 
  very 
  faint, 
  the 
  others 
  more 
  apparent. 
  

   The 
  iris 
  of 
  the 
  eye 
  is 
  pale 
  golden 
  above 
  and 
  pink 
  below. 
  The 
  axillary 
  sinus 
  of 
  the 
  

   pectoral 
  is 
  dark 
  dusky. 
  A 
  narrow 
  dusky 
  edging 
  runs 
  along 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  oc- 
  

   cipital 
  ridge 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  groove 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  dorsal. 
  The 
  first 
  dorsal 
  rays 
  are 
  pale 
  

   dusky 
  ; 
  the 
  membrane 
  colorless. 
  The 
  forward 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  dorsal 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  