70 PLUMIER'S SCORPJENA. 



and when closed the lower jaw is in a perpendicular 

 direction : both jaws are armed with numerous 

 small teeth : and the upper is furnished with three 

 cirri, viz. one on each side, and one in the middle : 

 the tongue is large and smooth, but the throat is 

 beset with a great number of small sharp teeth : 

 the eyes are very small, and seated at the base of 

 two large tubercles : the head, body, pectoral and 

 dorsal fins, are beset with numerous abrupt cirri or 

 beards : all the fins are very thick or fleshy, and 

 furnished on the fore part with strong rays: the 

 dorsal reaches nearly the whole length of the back; 

 the pectoral are large and ovate ; the ventral small; 

 and the tail rounded at the end. The general 

 colour of this hideous fish is a ferruginous brown, 

 deepest on the upper parts; the abdomen being 

 much paler. It is a native of the Indian seas, and 

 measures twelve or fifteen inches in length. 



PLUMIER'S 



Scorpaena Plumieri. S. nigricans, capite lineaque laterali cirri* 



plumatis. 

 Blackish Scorpaena., with feathered cirri on the head and lateral 



line. 

 La Scorpeae Plumier. Cepede 3. p. 282. 



DESCRIBED by Cepede from the manuscripts and 

 drawings of Plumier. Upper part, and sides of 

 the head, together with the gill-covers, armed with 



