FISHES OF FAMILY BLENNIIDAE 31 



and an anterior expanded portion. Each anterior portion is concave 

 ventrally with a blunt, rounded protuberance extending dorsally, 

 another longer protuberance extending anteriorly, a cupshaped 

 depression in the bone between the protuberances, and an antero- 

 mesially arising, laterally recurved hook. A portion of the lateral 

 arm of each palatine bone passes over its respective maxUlary and 

 is held in position by both connective tissue and the laterally recurved 

 hook of the maxillary. The concavity below the anteriorly extending 

 protuberance of each maxillary saddles its respective premaxiUary 

 just lateral and posterior to the premaxiUary ascending process. 

 Connective tissue arising from aU its surfaces variously attaches each 

 maxillary with its respective premaxiUary, palatine, and lachrymal. 

 A ligament extends from the anteriorly extending protuberance of 

 each maxiUary to the midmesial margin of its respective nasal bone. 



A slender ligament from the anteromesial surface of each maxUlary 

 extends dorsoposteriorly and joins with a broad ligament arising 

 from the dorsal margin of its respective articular; together they 

 broadly attach to the cranium along the area from about the sphenotic 

 spine to the parietal crest. 



Lower jaw (figs. 1, 7). — The ventro-anterior portion of each 

 articular inserts into the posterior end of its respective dentary. 

 At the posterior end of each articular there is a broad concave artic- 

 ulating surface for its respective quadrate. A smaU angular clasps 

 each articular at the latter's ventroposterior end. Each angular 

 is connected by a ligament to the anterior end of its respective inter- 

 opercle. A smaU sesamoid articular (not iUustrated) is attached in 

 a conforming concave depression on the midanteromesial surface 

 of each articular. Immediately ventral to each sesamoid articular 

 is the greatly reduced endosteal process (not iUustrated) of each 

 articular, more deeply stained than the remainder of the articular. 

 A greatly reduced Meckel's cartilage is continuous with the anterior 

 end of each endosteal process and sesamoid articular. This cartilage 

 extends anteriorly for a short distance into the dentary, terminating 

 at about the level of the base of the dentary's recurved canine tooth. 



Just lateral and dorsal to the area clasped by the angular, there 

 is an opening to the sensory canal (preoperculomandibular) that 

 passes ventromesially through the articular and exits on the ventro- 

 mesial surface. The canal then passes into an opening in the dentary 

 on the mesial surface of the latter's ventroposteriormost end. The 

 canal immediately divides and exits through a large opening at the 

 dentary's ventrolateralmost corner and another opening just anterior 

 to the latter opening, but on the ventral margin of the dentary. 



The dentaries are concave anteriorly for reception of the bilateraUy 

 continuous dentary dental plate, which bears about 140 functional 

 teeth. These teeth are similar to those of the premaxUlary dental 



