40 MR. J. Y.JOHNSON ON NEW FISHES FROM MADEIRA. [Jan. 13, 



straight ; the egg-sac long and forked ; the liver of moderate size. 

 The stomach of the specimen examined contained the much-digested 

 remains of a small fish and a Cephalopod. 



Only a single individual of this curious fish has occurred. The 

 single species of the genus hitherto known, a Mediterranean fish 

 {Lophotes cepedianus, Giorna), appears to be likewise very rare; for 

 M. Valenciennes (Hist. Nat. des Poiss. x. 401) says that only three 

 specimens had been examined by naturalists, two of which had been 

 deposited in the Museum at Turin, and the third in the Museum at 

 Paris. In the British Museum are two stuffed specimens and one 

 preserved in spirits. The differences between the Madeiran fish and 

 the Mediterranean fish (as described in the Hist. Nat. des Poiss.), 

 which seem to justify the formation of a new species, are these : — 

 In the latter the height, compared with the length, is said to be as 

 1 to 7 ; and the thickness, compared with the height, as 1 to 3 ; 

 whereas in the Madeiran fish the height is to the length as 1 to 5^, 

 and the thickness to the height as 1 to 6. Moreover, Valenciennes 

 says the skin is without scales, that its silvery-grey colour is relieved 

 with round spots of pure white, and that all the fins are of a lively 

 rose. Now the skin of the fish here described possesses scales, and 

 the colouring of the body and fins is a uniform grey. I may add 

 that I have examined the fish preserved in spirits at the British 

 Museum, but I could not detect any scales in the skin. The di- 

 mensions of the specimen which will hereafter find its way to the 

 British Museum are given in the following table : — 



inches. 



Total length . . .00 



Height (14 inches from snout) 9^ 



Height of head through the eye 7f 



Thickness for the greater part of body 1^ 



Head &\ 



Eye, diameter 2^ 



, distance from front of head \^ 



, distance from edge of crest 3-^ 



Mouth, rictus H 



, width 2 



Teeth, length T^o 



Maxillary, width below f 



Dorsal, length of first ray 1 2|^ 



, height of middle portion 2 



Pectorals, length 3i 



, distance from tip of lower jaw 6|- 



-, distance from lower edge of body IJ- 



, width of base -j^ 



Ventrals, length \ 



, distance from root of pectorals ^^■ 



Anal, height -A- 



, distance from caudal \^ 



Tail, height -^ 



Caudal, length at lower angle 1^ 



