16 ON THE GENUS TETRAGONURUS OF RISSO. 



We would hardly be justified in leaving this interesting subject 

 without making some remarks on the position of Tetragonurus in 

 the ichthyological s} stem, though, from want of sufficient speci- 

 mens, being unable to spare one for dissection, we cannot speak 

 authoritatively on this point ; we are however distinctly of opinion 

 that it cannot be kept among the Atherinidce, and indeed that its 

 relationship to the Grey Mullets is, to say the least, douV^tful : we 

 agree with Risso that it is well entitled to family rank, and we 

 think that its position will eventually prove to be closer to the 

 Colto-scombriform Acanthopterygians than to the Mugiliform ; as 

 however this opinion has necessarily been taken entirely from 

 external characters we do not expect that much value will be 

 attached to it, still we feel that writing on the subject of so little 

 known a fish we should be remiss in not recording our opinion, 

 provisional though it may be, against that which would place this 

 species, so unique in the formation of its scales and teeth among 

 the Mugiliform fishes. 



