388 PISCES (OSSEI) ACANTHOPT. [CALLIONYMUS. 



Apparently a new species ; though probably of not less frequent occur- 

 rence than the last, with which it may be easily confounded. My spe- 

 cimens were obtained from Colchester, and were supposed to have been 

 taken somewhere off the Essex coast. 



GEN. 31. CALLIONYMUS, Linn. 



65. C. Lyra, Linn. (Gemmeous Dragonet.) Distance 

 from the end of the snout to the posterior margin of the 

 orbit, and thence to the first dorsal fin-ray, equal: first 

 ray of the first dorsal greatly prolonged. 



C. Lyra, Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 433. Block, Ichth. pi. 161. 

 Don. Brit. Fish. vol. i. pi. 9. Flem. Brit. An. p. 208. Dracun- 

 culus, Will. Hist. Pise. p. 136. tab. H. 6. f. 3. Gemmeous 

 Dragonet, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 164. pi. 27. Id. (Edit. 

 1812.) vol. in. p. 221. pi. 31. Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 261. 

 Le Savary ou Doucet, Cuv. Reg- An. torn. n. p. 247. 



LENGTH. From nine to twelve inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Head depressed, oblong-triangular, broader than 

 the body, equalling one-fourth of the entire length : body elongated, 

 gradually tapering from the nape to the caudal : eyes approximating, 

 directed upwards, removed twice their diameter from the end of the 

 snout ; the distance from the end of the snout to the posterior margin 

 of the orbit equalling the distance from this last point to the first dorsal 

 fin-ray : gape wide : intermaxillary very protractile : upper jaw longest : 

 both jaws with velvet-like teeth ; none on the vomer or palatines : pre- 

 opercle prolonged backwards, and terminating in three short but strong 

 spines, the two innermost of which are directed upwards : opercle con- 

 cealed beneath the investing skin, which is carried all round and nearly 

 closes the branchial aperture, leaving only a small round hole on each 

 side of the nape for the egress of the water : lateral line at first slightly 

 descending, but afterwards straight : skin smooth and naked : first dorsal 

 commencing at a little less than one-third of the whole length, caudal 

 excluded ; first ray prolonged into a slender filament, varying in length, 

 but often reaching, when laid back, to the base of the caudal ; the three 

 succeeding rays much shorter, and rapidly decreasing, the last scarcely 

 equalling the depth of the body ; membrane of the fin extending beyond 

 the last ray, and terminating at the base of the first ray in the second 

 dorsal : this last fin three times as long as the first ; all the rays arti- 

 culated but simple ; of moderate and nearly equal height, the last two 

 only being a little the longest : both dorsals rise from a shallow groove 

 which is continued on to the caudal : this last rounded ; the uppermost 

 ray and the two lowermost simple, the rest branched : anal similar to the 

 second dorsal, but placed rather more backward, and with the rays not 

 quite so long : pectorals somewhat pointed ; the middle rays longest ; all, 

 except the first, branched : ventrals jugular, very far asunder, broader 

 than the pectorals, to which they are partly united at the base by a 

 membrane; first ray short and spinous; articulated rays very much 

 branched : 



D. 410 ; A. 9 ; C. 10, and 2 short ; P. 20 ; V. 1/5 : 



vent rather before the middle ; furnished with a conical papilla as in the 

 last genus. (Colours.) " Predominant colour a fine pellucid brown, with 



