Ayres's Description of a New Genus of Fishes. 61 
point is a partial division. The space above this division 
appears to be the operculum. -The part below may be the sub- 
operculum, though we have thus no allowance made for the 
two remaining bones. 
The humeral cincture seems to exist as in other fishes, but 
its bones are even less developed than those of the head. In 
the humerus a slight hardening may be observed, and its out- 
line can be well traced on the skin; the others are barely 
discernible. | 
The branchial arches are not at all ossified, except a mere 
trace at their upper extremities. 
'The remaining portions of the skeleton are not within our 
reach. The vertebræ are very soft, as has already been men- 
tioned, but of their form and number we are ignorant. 
On opening the abdomen we find that the alimentary canal 
passes directly backward about three-fourths of an inch, and 
turns downward, forward, and toward the right side for about 
the same distance, to a pylorus tolerably well marked. Thus 
far it is slender, with the walls thick and stout. From the 
pylorus it becomes thinner, is rather suddenly enlarged, and 
turning abruptly backward, pursues a straight course to the 
anus, growing gradually less. 
The liver consists of two lobes, situated beneath the stom- 
ach, on the left side. They are folded upon one another, in 
such a manner that the point, into which the anterior lobe is 
prolonged inferiorly, passes back beneath the edge of the pos- 
terior lobe, while the.left border of the posterior lobe, being 
produced — passes outside of the anterior lobe, and 
beneath it. 
The ovaries present a most remarkable feature, one which 
is, in fact, unique. They are entirely dissimilar. The organ 
of one side does not match that of the other in form, situa- 
tion, or size ; and instead of designating them as right and left, 
we may better call them superior and inferior. The superior 
ovary, commencing near the stomach, passes backward above 
