THE PERCH. 305 



of tlie belly whitish. Nine or ten dark bands descend 

 from the back to the sides, and taper away toward the 

 belly ; the alternate ones are shorter, and on the tail and 

 shoulders they are less distinctly defined ; the longest 

 band is opposite to the posterior part of the first dorsal 

 fin, on which there is a large black mark. 



Form. The body is moderately compressed, its great- 

 est thickness being somewhat more than one half of its 

 depth. Its profile is oblong, tapering more toward the 

 tail, which is nearly cylindrical : its greatest depth is at 

 the ventrals, and rather exceeds one-fourth of the total 

 length, caudal included. 



The head constitutes two-sevenths of the total length, 

 and its height, at the eye, is equal to one-half its length 

 from the tip of the snout to the point of the gill-cover. 

 The forehead is flat, but .appears depressed, owing to the 

 convexity of the nape. The snout is a little convex. 

 The orbits are lateral, distant more than one of their own 

 diameters from the tip of the snout, and more than two 

 diameters from the point of the gill-cover. The jaws are 

 equal. The mouth descends as it runs backward, its 

 posterior angle being under the centre of the orbit. 



Teeth. The intermaxiliaries, lower-jaw, knob of the 

 vomer, and edge of the palate-bones, are covered with 

 very small, straight or slightly-curved, densely-crowded 

 teeth (en velours.) The vault of the palate, posterior 

 part of the vomer, and the pointed tongue, are smooth. 



GilLcovers. The preoperculum is narrow ; its upper 



