1863.] MR. J. Y. JOHiNSON ON NEW FISHES FROM MADEIRA. 43 



profile, the forward eye, and the deep mouth-cleft. The height is 

 to the total length as 1 to 7, and the thickness about one-twelfth of 

 the total length. The scales are cycloid. 



The head curves rapidly downwards in front of the eyes, forming 

 a quadrantic profile. Compared with the total length, it is as 1 to 

 4 J. It is scaleless, unarmed, and arched above. . Tlie eye has a 

 diameter equal to about one-fifth of the length of the head, and is 

 placed less than half a diameter distant from the muzzle, which is 

 short, blunt, and truncate. The oral cleft is oblique, and reaches 

 much beyond the eyes. The upper border of the mouth is formed 

 by the premaxillary, the slender maxillary lying behind. There are 

 villiform bands of teeth in each jaw, on the palatines, and on the 

 pharyngeals, as well as three longitudinal bands on the tongue, the 

 middle one widening backwards. There are also patches of similar 

 teeth on the entoptery golds ; but the vomer is unarmed. The rakers 

 of the branchial arches carry small teeth. The gill-openings are 

 large, and the gill-covers are of a dark blue colour inside ; the opercle 

 has an angular form near the root of the pectoral fin. 



The pectoral fin is small, being to the total length as 1 to \\\. 

 It is inserted low down, and reaches nearly to the root of the ventral 

 fins. The^rs^ dorsal fin is placed at the middle of the back. It is 

 higher in front, but its height does not equal that of the fish. The 

 abdominal ventral fins are inserted under the anterior part of the 

 first dorsal ; they do not reach quite so far back as the commence- 

 ment of the anal fin. The anal fin is of moderate length ; it com- 

 mences under the middle of the first dorsal fin. On the upper ed"e 

 of the tail there are eight small sharp spines, followed by two larger 

 spines ; on the lower edge are nine small spines, followed by two 

 larger ones. 



The single example of this fish that has occurred (taken in the 

 mouth of February) was so much damaged that little can be said 

 about the scales or colour. It appeared, however, to have been 

 nearly black ; but there were no traces of silvery spots on the sides. 

 The muscles abounded with oil. 



It appears to be nearly allied to Scopelus crocodilus, Valenciennes, 

 who assigns twenty rays to the first dorsal and eighteen rays to the 

 anal fins of that species (H. N. Poiss. xxii. 447). Of that fish it is 

 stated that the eye is contained '6^ times in the head, and that the 

 pectoral fins do not reach to the ventral fins. No dark blotch at the 

 base of the caudal fin was observed in my fish. It would seem to 

 fall into Kafinesque's sub^emxs My ctophum ; but it is distinguishable 

 from all the four species described and figured in the ' Fauna Italica,' 

 by the greater length of the first dorsal tin, and by the larger number 

 of rays in that fin, which, in the four species referred to, range from 

 twelve to seventeen. 



The following are the dimensions of the example which has been 

 sent to the British Museum : — 



inches. 

 61 

 Height under first dorsal ^q 



Total length 6i 



