156 fishes-. 



Callionymus*, Lin. 



The Callionymes or Dragonets have two strongly marked characters: 

 first, in their branchiae having but a single aperture, consisting of a hole 

 6n each side of the nape : and, secondly, their ventrals, which are placed 

 under the throat, are separate, and larger than the pectorals. Their head 

 is oblong and depressed, their eyes approximated and directed upwards, 

 their intermaxillaries very protractile, and their preopercula elongated be- 

 hind, and terminating in some spines. Their teeth are small and crowd- 

 ed, but there are none in the palate. They are pretty fishes with a smooth 

 skin, whose anterior dorsal, supported by a few setaceous rays, is some- 

 times very elevated. The second dorsal is elongated as well as the anal. 

 They have the same post-anal appendage as the preceding ones. There 

 is no cul de-sac to their stomach, and the natatory bladder and caeca are 

 wanting. One of them is common in the British Channel, the 



Call, lyra, L. ; Bl. 1G1; Lacep. II, x, 1. (The Gemmeous 

 Dragonet, the Savory, or Doucet). The first dorsal elevated, and 

 the second ray extended into a long filament ; orange spotted with 

 violet. The Call, dracunculus, Bl. 162, only differs from it in the 

 first dorsal being short and without the filament; several authors 

 consider it the female. Some others are found in the Mediterra- 

 nean, such as 



Call, lacerta, Cuv. (The Lacert). Rond. 304, and not so well, 

 Call, pusillus, Laroche, Ann. Mus. XIII, xxv, 16. First dorsal 

 low; the second much elevated in the male; silvery points, and 

 white, black-edged lines on the flanks ; the caudal long and pointed f. 

 The 



Triciionotus, Schn. 



Appears to be a mere Callionymus with a very elongated body, whose single 

 dorsal and anal have a corresponding length. The two first rays of the 

 dorsal, extended into long setae, represent the first dorsal of the common 

 Callionymus. The branchiae, however, are said to be considerably cleft J. 



Comethorus, Lacep. 



Have the first dorsal very low; the muzzle oblong, broad, and depressed; 

 gills much cleft, with seven rays; very long pectorals, and what consti- 

 tutes their distinguishing character, a total absence of ventrals. 



But one species is known, from Lake Baikal, the Calliovymus bai- 

 calensis, Pall. Nov. Act. Petrop. I, ix. 1 ; a foot long, of a soft 



* CaUiovymiis (beautiful name), one of the names of the Uranoscopus among the 

 Greeks. Linnaeus applied it to the present genus. 



f The Call, diacanlhus, Carmich., Lin. Trans. X 1 1, pi. xxvi, does not appear to me 

 to belong to this genus. The Call, indlcus, Lin., is nothing more than the P/aii/ce- 

 pkalus spatula, Bl. 42 k Add, Call, cithara, Cuv ; — C.jaculus, and other new Medi- 

 terranean species; and of species foreign to Europe, the C orientalis, Schn., pi. vi; 

 C. oceUatus, Pall. VIII, pi. iv, f. 13; — C. sagitla, Id. lb., f. -t, 5; and some others to be 

 described in our Icthyology. 



+ Trichonotus se tiger us, Bl., Schn., pi. 39. 



