BONES OF LOPHIUS PISCATORIUS — MORROW. 355 



those of the first and second spinous rays of the first dorsal fin. 



The first spinous fin ray articulates with the perforation in 

 the longitudinal spine by what at first appears to be a bony 

 link-joint, but the bifurcated inferior extremities of the fin ray 

 are tied together by a firm cartilage, which, passing through the 

 perforation or ring of the longitudinal spine completes the link- 

 joint. Usually the first fin ray has upon it a fleshy looking 

 lappet, which is supposed to be the bait this fish displays to 

 attract its prey, but another use of it appears to be to warn the 

 fish when it is in shallow water. This lappet is often lost by the 

 fish and is said to be reproduced in a short time ; when the large 

 specimen was caught, it was without this bait, and it is possible 

 that old age may put a stop to the process of recuperation. 



The second spinous fin ray articulates with the longitudinal 

 spine at the posterior extremity of the kite-shaped process, and 

 is partially supported by it ; the bifurcated extremities of this 

 ray are much closer together than those of the first ray. 



The third or isolated spinous fin ray, rises from the centre of 

 the depression in the bone already referred to as "A," which has 

 upon it a small longitudinal spine for its articulation ; it is much 

 shorter than the first two spinous rays, and in a large specimen, 

 six inches behind the second spinous fin ray. The three re- 

 maining, or the fourth, fifth and sixth spinous fin rays cover a 

 space of about three inches, the fourth being about three and a 

 half inches in height, the two others successively shorter ; the 

 fourth ray (in the specimen above mentioned) is distant from the 

 third, four and one-half inches, and all three lie above the ver- 

 tebral column ; the fourth ray above the neural spine of the 

 fourth centrum, the fifth above that of the sixth, and the sixth 

 ray above that of the seventh centrum, each having also above the 

 column a small and nearly longitudinal spine which carries 

 almost in its centre a small crest, behind which the fin ray 

 articulates. 



The second dorsal contains twelve soft rays, supported by 

 twelve (74) interneural spines ; the first spine is inserted between 

 the eleventh and twelfth, and the twelfth between the twenty- 

 second and twenty-third neural spines, and they are strongly bent 



