124 Dr. Richardson's Contributions to 



spine is however as tall as the highest dorsal spine, and it is flattened 

 or grooved behind for the reception of the first soft ray, which is 

 closely applied to it and overtops it, but does not equal the second 

 spine. The other rays are successively shorter, and the fin termi- 

 nates sooner than the dorsal, leaving consequently more space be- 

 tween it and the caudal. It contains five articulated rays, the 

 last one deeply divided, and its base is scaly like the dorsal. 

 The caudal terminates evenly with rounded corners, and contains 

 twelve or thirteen forked or branching rays, with three visible, in- 

 cumbent, simple but jointed ones above and below. The pectoral is 

 rounded and is attached low down, the lower rays partly overlapping 

 the ventrals. All its rays are twice or thrice divided at the tips, 

 but the branches remain in contact without spreading through the 

 membrane that connects one ray to another. The ventrals are at- 

 tached near each other, entirely on the ventral aspect of the fish, and 

 open horizontally. The spine is one-third shorter than the soft 

 rays. 



Scales. — The scales, in situ, have a striking resemblance to those 

 of Scorpana porcus. They are individually truncated at the base, 

 with parallel rectangular sides and an elliptical exterior edge, which 

 is finely ciliated by slender rigid teeth and narrowly bordered by a 

 shagreened surface. From five to nine furrows originate in a point 

 close to this border and run in a fan-like manner to the basal edge, 

 but do not occasion crenatures thereon. The scales on the head are 

 about one-third smaller than those on the body, and appear to be 

 rougher. They are smallest on the bases of the fins, the snout, and 

 tip of the gill-cover ; the cheek ones nearly equal those on the oper- 

 culum in size. They do not extend far on the pectorals and cau- 

 dal, and there are none on the ventrals. The lateral line is less 

 curved than the back, and opposite to the posterior third of the 

 soft dorsal, it takes a straight direction through the tail to the 

 membrane between the two middle caudal rays, proceeding as far on 

 the fin as the scales do. The scales composing it are smaller than 

 the adjoining ones, and of a different shape, being wider at the base 

 than at the exterior edge, which is rough and ciliated like the rest ; 

 each has a simjile tube on its exposed disc. There are forty-two 

 or forty-three scales on the lateral line. 



Colovrs. — The patterns of colour ajipear to be equally well pre- 

 served in the dried skin and in the specimens kept in spirits, the 

 ground-tint being however much lighter in the latter. It is honey- 

 yellow approaching to wood-brown, and the dark parts are deep um- 

 ber or liver-brown. The dark tint prevails on the top of the head, 

 mottles the cheek, and forms four round blotches along the summit 

 of the back, partly encroaching on the dorsal fin. There is an equal 

 number of spots on the lateral line not so well defined, and some 

 shadings on the sides, particularly at the base of the anal. The lips, 

 lower jaw, margin of the eyeball, and soft dorsal, exhibit the dfirk 

 colour in form of small rectangular spots ; the spinous dorsal shows 

 it in round spots, which form three rows and occupy more space than 

 the ground-colour. The posterior surface of the pectoral is regu- 



