228 NEW SPECIES OF FISHES. (May. 



Platirostra 6'(/(?;2^?^/a. Snout not so long as one 

 third of the body, dilated and rounded at the end. 



Body neai'ly round, pointed at the tail; sJcin rather 

 smooth than rough, covered with small irregular osselets, 

 which are more abundant on the head. The head and 

 snout covered with long osseous plates, which are radiat- 

 ed, and interlocked at their extremities: these are in pairs, 

 two on the head, and about six other pairs along the 

 snout. Between the extremities are other smaller plates 

 so as to fill the vacancy. The orbiculars are strong, 

 forming the base of the snout, and extend to about half 

 its length. Both its sides are occupied with small stelli- 

 form discs, the rays of which cross each other and pre- 

 sent the appearance of an osseous reticulation, support- 

 ing the membranous skin of the snout. 



Eijes small, oblong, above the articulation of the up- 

 per jaw; nostrils small, double, one above the other, in 

 front of the eyes, but a little more elevated. 



Jaxvs equal, without teeth, maxillar and intermaxillar 

 close together, and in length equal. Inferior mandibles 

 simple and narrow; opening of the mouth large; spiracles^ 

 as in sturgeons, behind the eyes, and in front of the arti- 

 culation of the analogue of the prse operculum. At the 

 other extremity is an opercular plate, radiating backwards, 

 and below this, the analogue of the sub operculum and 

 interoperculum, which articulate with each other. A 

 large skin supports all these bones, expanding and atten- 

 uating to a point posteriorly almost to the end of the pec- 

 toral fin, and covering the wide branchial aperture on 

 each side. 



Branchia large: the arcs have two rows of long rigid 

 bristles, in close connexion, directed towards the front. 



