THE SMALL-MOUTHED WEASSE. 133 



fins, but none on these fins ; anal fin with five or six spinous rays, ventral 

 scale half the length of ventral fin, no blackish spots on body or fins. 



D. 19 + 6 ; A. 6 + 7 ; P. 13 ; V. 1 + 5 ; C. 14, and some short = 

 Br. 5. 



Detailed description. — Length 3 inches ; depth to entire length nearly 

 as 1 to oi ; first quarter of dorsal profile sloping moderately upwards, 

 second flat, third turning rather suddenly downwards, and terminating 

 with the dorsal fin ; thence straight to the base of the caudal fin ;* ven- 

 tral profile very convex, sloping equally from both extremities to centre ; 

 head occupying about one-fourth of entire length ; jaws equal ; mouth 

 small ; lips double, much resembling those of Lahrus maculatus, Bl. ; 

 teeth strong, rounded or truncated at the summits, not serrated, a single 

 row of twelve, rather uniform in size in the lower jaw ; two rows at the 

 interior part of upper jaw, those of the outer row the larger, and seven in 

 number, exceeding the teeth of the lower jaw in size; eyes large, more 

 than their diameter distant from the snout, their distance from each other 

 equal to their diameter ; a row of pores round the eyes, and some on the 

 top of the head ; pre-opercle somewhat rounded at the base, ascending 

 rather obliquely, strongly serrated, the denticulations extending half-way 

 along its base, covered with small scales : opercle somewhat triangular, 

 covered with large scales ; scales on the body very large, smooth, and 

 roundish at their free margins ; three rows above lateral line, nine below 

 it ; lateral line for two-thirds anteriorly placed high, at one-fourth of tlie 

 depth, and the precise form of dorsal profile ; ventral central ; dorsal fin 

 commencing at one-fourth of the entire length from snout, and continu- 

 ing to near the tail, ending almost in a line with the anal fin ; first ray very 

 short, but they gradually increase to the twenty-fourth, which is longest ; 

 a membranous filament near the point of each spinous ray ; pectoral fin 

 two-thirds the length of head, originating in the same line with tlie dor- 

 sal fin ; ventral fin beginning at about one-third of the entire length from 

 the head ; ventral scale about half the length of ventral fin ; anal fin ori- 

 ginating nearly in a line with the fifteenth spinous ray of dorsal fin, and, 

 like it, when laid against the body, reaching to the outer short rays of the 

 caudal fin, the dorsal rather exceeding the anal in length ; caudal fin ob- 

 scurely rounded, and covered with scales at the base for one-fourth of its 

 length ; scales of the body concealing the base of the dorsal and anal fins, 

 but none on the fins. 



Having had an opportunity in the present month (October, 1837) of 

 looking over the collection of fishes obtained on the coasts of the Coun- 

 ties of Londonderry and Antrim, during the progress of the Ordnance 

 Survey, I had the satisfaction of seeing three specimens of the C. micros- 

 toma, which were liberally ofi'ered for my use by Captain Portlock, R. E., 

 who at the same time suggested that, if desirable, a drawing of one of 

 them should be made by the gentleman attached as draughtsman to the 

 Survey. To this kindness I am indebted for the drawing which accom- 

 panies the paper, the original specimen having been too much dried up 

 by exposure on the beach to be available for this purpose. Of these in- 

 dividuals, the first was obtained at the mouth of Lough Foyle (County 

 Londonderry), and the others in the small bay at, Carnlough, where the 



* Two specimens have this form ; the other two have the dorsal profile 

 finely arched, and from the centre slope equally to each extremity ; in these 

 the ventral profile is rather less convex than in the former. 'I'he dillerciicc is 

 probably sexual. , 



