Class'ification of the Order Schroparei. 179 



The vertebrae number 26 (8 + 18), the caudals gradually 

 increasing in length posteriorly ; the first three vertebrse have 

 sessile epipleurals, the next lour or five have epipleuraU 

 inserted on short parapophyses. 



Division 5. Oon'GIOPODIFORMES. 

 Family Congiopodidae. 



Congiopus [Agriopus) and Zanclorhynchus are well distin- 

 guislied externally by the produced snout, small protractile 

 mouth, single nostril on each side, and gill-openings restricted 

 to above the pectorals ; further, the suborbitals are well 

 ossitied, the fin-rays are branched, the pelvics are narrow- 

 based and placed well behind the pectorals, and there are no 

 pungent anal spines. In all these characters they differ from 

 the Pata^cidfe, which they resemble in the few-rayed pectoral 

 and caudal fins. In Zanclorhynchus the dorsal fin has IX 12 

 rays and begins on the occiput, the head is spiny, the mouth 

 toothless, and the pelvic fins far behind the pectorals. In 

 Congiopus there are XVII-XXI 12-14 dorsal rays, the fin 

 begins above the eye, there are villiform teeth in the ja*ws, 

 and the pelvics are further forward. 



In Congiopus torvus the skull is essentially similar to that 

 of the Scorp£3enida?, except that the epiotics unite behind the 

 supraoccipital, as in Gnathanacanthus ; this character by 

 itself cannot be taken as evidence of relationship to the 

 Patsecidae, for the epiotics are but narrowly separated in 

 some Scorpsenids in which the dorsal fin extends forward on 

 the head. The post-temporal is not forked and is solidly 

 united to the epiotic, pterotic, opisthotic, and exoccipital ; the 

 last emits a process which forms the inner wall of the groove 

 in which the head of the supra-cleithrura articulates ; other- 

 wise the pectoral arch is Scorpsenid. 



The hyo-palatine and opercular bones are all present and 

 there arc three separate pairs of toothed upper pharyngeals. 

 There are 39 vertebrse (18 + 21); parapophyses bearing the 

 ribs are developed on the prsecaudals from the sixth. 



Division 6. Cottiformes. 



Opisthotic small ; basisphenoid absent. One or two pairs 

 of dentigerous upper pharyngeals, the third and fourth united 

 with each other and sometimes with the second. Post- 

 temporal forked ; pectoral radials plate-like, the foramina 



