218 MALACOPTERYGII. 



on close inspection has a few spines beginning to appear on the ridge of the 

 back and on each side of tlie belly, as in C. lumpus ; but these are not more than 

 \ the size of those on the middle of the body — the spines on this row (the cen- 

 tral one) are much larger than those forming the other rows in a fully armed 

 specimen of C. lumpus (as to the rows of tubercles) an inch in length. The fact 

 of these tubercles first making their appearance on this line and beginning to 

 do so near the head, may explain why these only should be described in ex- 

 amples of a certain size. 



" Mr. Couch mentions, with some doubt as to its species, a small Cyclopterus 

 taken on the coast of Cornwall. He states that ' it is rarely foimd longer than 

 an inch, and differs from the C.lmnpus in the skin between the [rows of] tuber- 

 cles being quite smooth.' Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 87. Sir James C. Ross is 

 disposed to consider it the Cycl. minutus. Pall. (App. Ross, 2nd Voy. p. xlvi.), 

 which I am inclined to do in so far as an incidental description will warrant such 

 a conclusion ; and at the same time, with the single difi'erence pointed out be- 

 tween it and 6'. lumpus, I should consider it this species, as in the very young 

 stale tubercles such as cover over the skin of the adult fish are not apparent. 



" The specimens otherwise agreeing with the description of Cycl. minutus, after 

 having been preserved in spirits for two years, are of an uniform pale dusky tinge ; 

 the ground or general colour is light, but, being densely dotted over with ex- 

 tremely minute black points (visible under a lens), these give the appearance 

 described. As before stated, both specimens of Gob. minutus, Mull., have like- 

 wise these very minute dots, though much more sparingly ; but in addition to 

 them exhibit the larger reddish spots ; another individual smiilar to these in size 

 is of a light colour, blotched with dusky markings. Instead of the spotting on 

 the body, which forms the most prominent character of the Gob. minutus, the 

 Cycl. minutus is described by Pallas and Turton to be whitish. 



" The specimens of Gob. minutus, Cycl. mitiutus, and the smallest C. lumpus of 

 adult form, and possessing all the rows of tubercles, have a straight dark line 

 (which in the recent examples of Gob. minutus was of a blue colour) extending 

 from each eye to the corner of the mouth just beneath ; this does not, however, 

 bespeak identity of species, as in the Liparis Motitagui I have observed the same 

 marking. All of these specimens but the last are comparatively more elongate 

 in form than the mature C. lumpus. A similar remark has been made by Mon- 

 tagu respecting the Lepadogaster bi?naculatus, the fry of which he states are pro- 

 portionably longer in the body than the adults. — Wern. Mem. i. 92. 



" Thirdly. — As favouring the opinion of the identity of Cycl. minutus, Pall., and 

 C. lumpus, it may be remarked with respect to the three tubercles on the snout, 

 attributed to the former species, that they are likewise possessed by specimens 

 of the C. lumpus of the extremes of size examined, one an inch long (as to the 

 rows of tubercles a well-marked C. lumpus), and another 18 inches in length, 

 equally displaying them. 



" In the form of the spines or tubercles, a very interesting change takes place, 

 analogous to that in the Trigla Cuculus and T. Gurnardus (see Annals for Feb- 

 ruary), but to a much less extent, and requiring a much shorter time to be per- 

 fected. The armature first appears in a spinous form, thus /^ — in the spe- 

 cimen an inch long, thus /^Z > or ^'^^^ ^ shark's tooth j and in the individual 



18 inches long, thus ^^^^ — in the adult fish only one slightly projecting 



central point is generally present ; of all the large tubercles on the body of the 

 last-mentioned specimen two only exhibit more than one point : the ' spurious 

 dorsal fin ' in this fish is a series of compressed tubercles. 



" The C. Lumpus occurs in all the localities in which the Gob. minutxis and 

 Cycl. minutus are stated to have been foimd. The first of the two latter is men- 

 tioned by MuUer and Nilsson merely as taken on the shores of Norway ; the 



