42 MR. J. Y. JOHNSON ON NEW FISHES FROM MADEIRA. [JdO. 13, 



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 S. lacerta, as defined by Valenciennes (' Hist. Nat. des Poiss.' 

 vol. xxii. p. 463) ; and to the same species is to be assigned the fish 

 described by Valenciennes, in his ' Ichthyologie Canarienne,' under 

 the name of S. trivirgatus. Both these forms have been obtained 

 by me at Madeira. 



The following are the dimensions of the larger of the two speci- 

 mens of S. atlanticus : — 



inches. 



Total length 11 



Height li% 



Head 2^% 



Eye, diameter -jL 



First dorsal, distance from muzzle 4 



, longest rays l^^ 



Second dorsal, height -^^ 



, width ^ 



Pectorals, length 1 



Ventrals, length 2 



, distance of their vertical from muzzle .... 3^ 



Vent, distance from muzzle 7a 



Anal, height ^ 



, length of base ^ 



, distance from base of ventrals A\ 



Caudal, length \-^ 



SCOPELUS CAUDISPINOSUS, Sp. U. 



1st D. 26. 2nd D. adipose. P. 12. V. 9. A. 19. C. viii. 

 lO-l-Il. vii. M.B. 10. 



Body slender, with the head of a peculiar aspect, from the steep 



1 



