42 
MR. Cr. SIM OX TIIE OCCURRENCE ETC. OP 
cylindrical, becoming compressed towards the caudal extremity, 
while in Zoarces the body is compressed along its whole length. 
Its dorsal fin has soft rays, 83 in number, after which are a few 
spinous rays ; and the ventrals are well developed, having all the 
rays soft. In dentition Zoarces differs from Lumpenus in having a 
double row of teeth in both jaws, merging into one row, and 
becoming less in size as they approach the angle of the mouth. 
Six rows of upper pharyngeal teeth, viz. three on each side, the 
first a single row, the other two double. Lower pharyngeal teeth 
set in a double row which form a triangle; no teeth on the vomer or 
tongue. The number of its vertebrae is 11(5, -whereas in Lumpenus , 
as already pointed out, these bones only number 80. In the 
case of the internal viscera, there is a great similarity in the 
two species under notice as compared with that of Centronotus. 
But the point wherein lies the greatest difference between these 
closely allied species is the fact of Zoarces bringing forth its 
young alive *. 
Lumpenus is not viviparous. As to its time of spawning 
I cannot speak with certainty ; at the end of April some of 
those I found had the roe pretty well advanced, much more 
so than was the melt of the males caught at the same time. 
Then, again, on May 20th I found one specimen measuring 
only 1-J inch. Assuming that the species breeds only once a 
year, and taking into account the fact that those caught in April 
had spawn fully halfway advanced towards maturity, we may 
safely conclude that the spawning takes place in July or August, 
and that my l-|-inch specimen was one of last year’s young. On 
being boiled, tbe vertebrae of Zoarces become a fine deep- green 
colour, those of Lumpenus remain white. 
It will thus be seen that although Lumpenus has something in 
its composition similar to both our common species ; it is at 
the same time so widely different that no doubt need be enter- 
tained as to its being a distinct and well-marked species, nor any 
difficulty experienced in recognizing it from its congeners. 
* On April 22, 18S6, I had two specimens of this fish — one of them with its 
young, of which there were thirty, almost ready for expulsion, each measuring 
2J inches ; and in addition to these there were thirty-one more, evidently the 
young of the former year, which had not been given birth to ; they were all 
firmly fixed together and in a hard wasted condition, yet capable of being 
separated individually. Why they had not been born at their proper time is a 
mystery difficult of solution. 
