NOMENCLATURE AND MORPHOLOGY. 99 



which :s moderately prolonged ; scales large, truncate and with 

 radiating plaits at the radical portion ; the free portion small, 

 rounded, concentrically striate, minutely denticulate on the mar- 

 gin; scales on the opercle large, with a single series on the sub- 

 opercle, much smaller on the preopercle, and ascend high up on 

 the membrane of the soft dorsal and caudal fins ; the intraorbital 

 region and the jaw scaleless; lateral line concurrent with the 

 back; eyes moderate; nostrils double, vertical, contiguous; the 

 anterior on its posterior border with a membranous valve, near 

 these a few open pores; opercles pointed with a loose membrane; 

 lower jaw somewhat advanced with a single series of from eight 

 to ten distant pores beneath ; both jaws armed with a broad patch 

 of minute conic acute recurved teeth ; an oblong patch of rasp- 

 like teeth on the vomer, and a long band of similar teeth on 

 the palatines; a transverse membrane on the anterior part of 

 both jaws ; a small patch of minute teeth on the center of the 

 tongue, which is free and thin on the margins ; branchial arches 

 minutely toothed ^n the upper surface near the tongue, with 

 long serrate, spinous processes above; pharyngeal teeth in rounded 

 patches; branchial rays six. Dorsal fin commences slightly be- 

 hind the pectorals; the anterior portion consists of nine stout 

 spines, received into a sheath below; the first is shorter than 

 the second, which again is not so long as the third, and this 

 latter is subequal with the remainder ; a small and not very evident 

 depression separates it from the other portion, which consists of 

 1 spinous and 14 branched rays; it terminates above the end of 

 the anal; this portion of the dorsal fin is high, and somewhat 

 rounded; the second simply articulated, not branched, and the 

 three posterior rays successively shorter ; the pectorals under the 

 posterior angle of the opercle broad and obtusely pointed; it 

 contains 18 ray?, of which the 5, 6, and 7 are the longest; 

 ventral fins placed slightly behind the pectorals and composed 

 of 5 robust branched rays ; anal fin higher than long, commenc- 

 ing under the third soft ray of the dorsal and composed of '3 



