FOUR-BEARDED ROCKLING. 



31 



gape wide ; maxillary extending in a line with the posterior 

 margin of the orbit ; teeth sharp and fine, forming two rows 

 in the under jaw, and five rows in the upper ; a few are also 

 placed in a cluster on the anterior part of the vomer ; bar- 

 bules four, one a little in front of each nostril, one at the 

 extremity of the upper lip, and one on the chin ; tongue 

 fleshy, smooth, and without teeth. Fins : — the first dorsal 

 fin obsolete, scarcely discernible, commencing over the oper- 

 culum, and terminating a little in front of the second dorsal, 

 composed of a number of short, fine, capillary rays, of which 

 the first is by far the largest ; second dorsal taking its 

 origin in a line over the ends of the pectorals, and termi- 

 nating a little in advance of the caudal ; anal fin commencing 

 in a line under the twelfth ray of the second dorsal, and 

 ending under the last ray but three of the same fin, in form 

 similar to the second dorsal, but the rays scarcely more than 

 one half the length ; the first ray simple, the rest branched ; 

 caudal rounded at the extremity, the length of the middle 

 rays equalling the space between the first and the twelfth 

 rays of the anal, the lateral rays simple ; ventral fins jugular, 

 the second rays the longest, about two-thirds the length of 

 the pectorals ; the pectoral fins rounded at the extremities, 

 equalling the length of the caudal ; the first rays stout and 

 simple, the rest branched. The fin-rays in number are, — 



1st D.50 : 2nd D. 50 : P. 16 : V. 5 : A. 43 : C 20. Vert. 52. 



Scales small, smooth, and adherent, covering the head, 

 body, and membranes of the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins ; 

 lateral line formed by a number of oval depressions, placed 

 at intervals from each other, commencing over the oper- 

 culum, taking a bend under the ninth, tenth, and eleventh 

 rays of the second dorsal fin, from thence running straight to 

 the middle ray of the caudal. Colours : — Back and sides of 



