1863.] MARINE FISHES OBTAINED AT MADEIRA. 407 



it is much depressed and narrows forwards, but the extremity is 

 rounded. There is an undulating crest near each edge above, and 

 another at each side below, with a mesial keel underneath. It is 

 scaleless, and covered with a soft gelatinous skin. There is a crest 

 across the cheek below the eye, and a groove extends forwards from 

 the inferior margin of the orbit at each side of the snout. 



The moderate-sized mouth does not reach nearly to the tip of 

 the snout. Neither jaw is in the least protractile. The anterior 

 portion of the upper border is formed by the premaxillary, the re- 

 mainder by the maxillary, and both bones are set with a band of 

 minute sharp villiform teeth. There is a crest along each border of 

 the maxillary ; and that at the posterior margin projects as a tooth, 

 which reaches to the orbit. The maxillary is simple, not composed 

 of three pieces as in the Clupeidce. The mandible is set with teeth 

 similar to those before described. There are no teeth on the vomer; 

 but the short palatines (which come into contact in front) bear minute 

 teeth, and in a line with them behind are the entopterygoids or 

 pterygoids with narrow bands of minute teeth. The rakers of all the 

 branchial arches carry similar teeth. On the hinder part of the 

 tongue, which is black and free at the tip, there is an ovate patch of 

 minute teeth. The mouth is black, as well as the inside of the gill- 

 covers. The gill-openings are large, and the gills consist of four 

 pairs. The subopercle is thin, scaleless, and striate ; it projects 

 backwards considerably beyond the opercle, which is scaly, with a 

 rounded even edge. The margin of the preopercle is concealed in 

 the scaly skin. The two orifices of each nostril are small and near 

 together. There is a small cuticular tag at the margin of each ori- 

 fice. 



The triangular dorsal fin is placed over the space between the 

 ventral fins and the vent. There are scales on the membrane be- 

 tween the rays. The second and third rays are the longest, and are 

 about twice as long as the base of the fin. The first ray is unbranched, 

 and is only half as long as the two next. The pectoral fius are 

 scaleless, pointed, and longer than the ventral fins. They are in- 

 serted in the upper half of the height, and have narrow bases. The 

 abdominal ventral fins are distinct, but inserted close together ; they 

 are scaly, truncate, and the first two rays are unbranched. At the 

 outer angle of the base there is a thin pointed scale. The vent is 

 placed in the anterior half of the total length of the fish, and has no 

 papilla near it. The anal fin is high throughout, but is higher in 

 front than behind. The first three rays are unbranched ; the base 

 is scaly, and the fin extends with numerous rays up to the caudal, 

 which is represented by two hair-like rays. 



The lateral line is very low down, and commences at the lower 

 angle of the subopercle. It follows a straight course until it reaches 

 the lower edge of the body, where it is lost. About 1 70 scales may 

 be counted in the length of the body between the opercle and the 

 tip of the tail. In the height of the body there are twenty-two 

 scales, of which five are below the lateral line. 



The single individual obtained was caught in the month of Feb- 



