Fishes taken at Madeira. 247 



In front of each smaller orifice there is a conspicuous mucus- 

 pore. The cheeks are flat, and covered with a smooth skin, in 

 which almost imperceptible scales are buried. The opercular 

 pieces are unarmed, but the border of the preopercle is strongly 

 striate, the striae parallel with the margin. The mouth is ex- 

 cessively protrusile, the pedicel of the premaxillary being very 

 long ; and the lips are furnished with thick skin. The ambit of 

 the open mouth is nearly circular. The maxillary is thin, trans- 

 parent, and much dilated below. The jaws are roughened with 

 bands of minute teeth, that in the upper jaw being very broad 

 at the sides. There is a patch of similar teeth on the vomer, 

 but none on the palatines. 



The branchiostegal membrane was furnished in both specimens 

 with seven rays on each side ; small pseudobranchise are present. 



The spinous portion of the dorsal fin is distinctly connected 

 with the soft portion, the former being shorter but higher than 

 the latter, which is more elevated behind than in front. The 

 stout spines are strongly striate at their sides, and carry short 

 filaments at their apices (Mr. Lowe says, "dorsali hand fila- 

 mentosa"). The first spine is only half as long as the third, 

 and the last spine is shorter than the first. This fin commences 

 considerably behind the root of the pectoral fin, and a space 

 equal to the diameter of the eye separates its termination from 

 the base of the caudal fin. None of the rays of the soft portion 

 are branched. 



The pectoral fins are inserted about the middle of the height ; 

 they are rounded and much shorter than the ventral fins, reach- 

 ing back not quite so far as the vertical of the vent. 



The rounded ventral fins are large, reaching back nearly to 

 the middle of the anal fin, and they are inserted under the roots 

 of the pectorals. The abdomen in front of their roots is flat. 

 The vent is placed under the middle of the spinous portion of 

 the dorsal fin. 



The anal fin, like the soft portion of the dorsal fin, which it 

 resembles in shape, rises out of a deep groove, and has none of 

 the rays branched. It commences under the commencement of 

 the first dorsal, and terminates under or a little posterior to its 

 end. None of the rays are branched. The first spine is short, 

 stout, and subtriangular, with ribbed sides. The rounded caudal 

 fin has three short spinous rays at each side. 



The lateral line is high up, and much arched, following pretty 

 nearly the curve of the back, and being straight on the tail. 

 None of the fins are scaly. 



The larger of the two specimens aflForded the admeasurements 

 set forth in the following table : — 



