THE PERCH. 305 
of the belly whitish. Nine or ten dark bands descend 
from the back to the sides, and taper away toward the 
belly ; the alternate ones are shorter, and on the tail and 
shoulders they are less distinctly defined; the longest 
band is opposite to the posterior part of the first dorsal 
fin, on which there is a large black mark. 
Form.—The body is moderately compressed, its great- 
est thickness being somewhat more than one half of its 
depth. Its profile is oblong, tapering more toward the 
tail, which is nearly cylindrical: its greatest depth is at 
the ventrals, and rather exceeds one-fourth of the total 
length, caudal included. 
The head constitutes two-sevenths of the total length, 
and its height,‘at the eye, is equal to one-half its length 
from the tip of the snout to the point of the gill-cover. 
The forehead is flat, but appears depressed, owing to the 
convexity of the nape. The snout is a little convex. 
The orbits are lateral, distant more than one of their own 
diameters from the tip of the snout, and more than two 
diameters from the point of the gill-cover. The jaws are 
equal. The mouth descends as it runs backward, its 
posterior angle being under the centre of the orbit. 
Teeth.—The intermaxiliaries, lowerjaw, knob of the 
vomer, and edge of the palate-bones, are covered with 
very small, straight or slightly-curved, densely-crowded 
teeth (en velours.) The vault of the palate, posterior 
part of the vomer, and the pointed tongue, are smooth. 
Gill-covers.—The preoperculum is narrow; its upper 
