318 Zoological Society : — 



jaw, and the upper part of the orbit forms part of the profile. The 

 space between the eyes is rather less than a diameter. The lower 

 jaw is more pointed than the upper, the upper rather longer than 

 the lower. The rictus is long, being equal to the height of the fish, 

 and extending much beyond the eyes. The upper border of the 

 mouth is formed entirely of the strong and thick dentiferous pre- 

 maxillary, the much weaker maxillary lying behind. Both bones 

 are covered, like the bones of the lower jaw, with a thick scaleless 

 skin. In the lower jaw there are two rows of small slender teeth 

 with hastoid apices ; those of the inner row ai'e larger, they are rather 

 distant from each other ; and in the intervals are set some very much 

 shorter teeth of the same shape. All these teeth are directed inwards. 

 In the upper jaw there are also two rows of similarly shaped teeth, 

 which are about equal in size to those of the inner row in the lower jaw. 

 The teeth of the inner row are moveable. On the tongue are several 

 irregular rows of slender teeth, directed backwards. On the palatines 

 are about three rows of acicular moveable teeth, which are more 

 slender than those of the jaws. There are also teeth on the pharyn- 

 geal arches, but none on the vomer. 



The gill-openings are large, and the branchiostegal membrane is 

 supported by sixteen rays on each side. 



The^r*^ dorsal fin has a trapezoidal shape, and rises from a shal- 

 low groove posterior to the base of the ventral fins. It is short, and 

 terminates over the middle of the body. The two first rays are un- 

 branched ; the longest rays are the second and third, which neither 

 equal the height of the trunk nor the base of the fin. The minute 

 second dorsal fin is adipose, without rays, and is placed over the 

 middle of the anal fin. The pectoral fins are about one-eleventh of 

 the total length of the fish, and about half as long as the ventral fins ; 

 the first ray is shorter than the succeeding three, but longer than 

 the last. The ventral fins are inserted about halfway between the 

 pectoral and first dorsal fins. Their length is about one-fifth of the 

 total length of the fish. The lower rays are longer, the last but one 

 being the longest in the fin. The vent is far behind, being three- 

 fourths of the length of the fish, minus the caudal fin, from the 

 muzzle. The anal fin is short, and rises out of a shallow groove. 

 The caudal fin has eighteen rays, besides short external rays. On 

 each face of this fin there are two scale-like appendages, such as are 

 seen in Saurus Lacerta (" un appendice ecailleux prolonge en une 

 petite palette." — Valenciennes). 



The lateral line is straight, and is placed rather above the middle 

 of the body. 



This description has been drawn up from a single specimen, ob- 

 tained in the month of April, which has been sent to the British 

 Museum. Another example, taken in May, only a trifle more than 

 3 inches long, had fourteen rays in the first dorsal fin, and ten rays in 

 the anal fin. There was a distinct dark spot at the tip of the muzzle. 



The fish described by Mr. Lowe, in the 'Trans. Zool. Soc' vol. ii. 

 p. 183, under the name of Saurus griseus, is not to be distinguished 

 from 5. Lacerta, as defined by Valenciennes (Hist. Nat. des Poiss. 



