CitHi/ }far{itc Lahorntory^ St. Andrews. (jU 



tliis view Mr. ]^)ulciip^rr coiiicidrs. It agrees witli P/iijris 

 in the condition of the dorsal and anal fins, in the snout, in 

 the elevation of the pcetorals, and in the long ventrals 

 hcinf? jujjular and haviufj .3-4' thread-like rays. It diti'ers 

 from the present form in heinj; silvery with a greyish-green 

 back, in the np|)er jaw overhanging the lower, in having 

 only six rays to the first dorsal, and in having at this early 

 stage a snhtrnneated caudal. 



It is notcMorthy that Couch * was fortunate in securing a 

 young example of Pliycis blennoides measuring 4 inches 

 in length, which was drawn up in the shell of a living 

 Pinna from 10 fathoms, and the outline of this specimen 

 alfords an inten^sting contrast with that from the surface at 

 iMessina. In Couch's example of !• inches the first dorsal 

 has long anterior rays with black pigment, and the propor- 

 tions of the second dorsal and anal agree with those of the 

 younger form, but the dark pigment of both fins is marginal, 

 V, hereas it is within the margin in tl:e preparation of th(! 

 younger. The pectoral is represented as jjassiug to the fiftii 

 ray of the second dorsal, and therefore consideraljly longer 

 than in the younger. The ventrals only reach the anterior 

 rays of the anal and are bifid. The caudal is rounded 

 posteriorly, the tail in the figure being almost lozenge- 

 shajjcd, a form perhaps partly due to preservation. It 

 would appear, however, to be the slightly modified tail of 

 the younger fish from Messina, and thus differs from the 

 truncated tail of the adolescent and adult at St. Andrews t> 

 though Day in this connexion says " caudal rounded or 

 square." The size of the barbel is considerable, and the 

 upper jaw now projects beyond the mandible. From the 

 diminished proportional size of the eye and other changes 

 the distance in front of the eye is greater in proportion to 

 that in rear of it than in the younger. The maxilla also 

 reaches to a vertical behind the eye. The body is more 

 massive, the depth at the pectorals especially being marked. 

 The lateral line is not indicated. In coloration the specimen 

 was " light grey, anterior portion and end of the first dorsal 

 black, its posteri(>r border bright white, border of the second 

 dorsal and tail black." In the woodcut a black border is 

 also present on the anal, and Day describes the anal as 

 " edged svith black with a narrow white outer edge." 



Luigi Faeciola J, in November 1882, described a young 



• Brit. Fiybes, iii. p. 128, and woodcut, p. V2\) (1864). 

 t ^'ide also CIoucli, Brit. Fishes, ii. p. 30;{ (plate). 

 \ * U Naturalitita Siciliauu,' Auiio ii. uo. J, p. l'.). 



