74 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



than long, being orbicular anteriorly, while the body is tapering and compressed 

 posteriorly. The height of the head is less than that of the body, and its length 

 is from 2 j to 2-^ or even 3 in that of the entire fish, being comparatively somewhat 

 longer in the half-grown than it is in the adult. JEye — rather small, the width 

 of the concave interorbital space equalling the distance of the eyes from the end 

 of the snout : supraorbital ridge spined. Mouth very wide, the extent of the gape 

 being equal to about three quarters of the greatest width of the head. Lower 

 jaw prominent. Numerous spines over the head, and three, rarely two, on the 

 humerus. Gill opening small and situated in the axil of the pectoral fin, where 

 a large pouch is formed. Teeth — two rows of sharp cardiform ones directed 

 backwards and curved slightly inwards, exist in both jaws, the inner row being 

 the larger : they are more movable in the young than in the adult, giving the 

 appearance as if hinged, and only capable of yielding inwards so as to permit 

 entrance into but prevent exit from the mouth. Two or three teeth at either side 

 of the head of the vomer and in a single row along the palatines : none on the 

 tongue. Fins — the first dorsal fin consists of six spines, the three anterior of 

 which are detached, filamentous, and of varying lengths ; the first, inserted just 

 posterior to the upper lip, is provided at its extremity with a rigid fleshy and 

 glistening termination : both it, the second, and the third have also some short 

 lateral skinny flaps. The base of the first spine is in the form of a ring which 

 plays inside another ring, as shown in plate xxix : M. Bailly enumerates 22 

 muscles as attached to this spine. The succeeding three spines are connected 

 together by a deeply cleft interspinous membrane. The second dorsal is 

 enveloped, especially at its base, by a thick skin, which is continued from the 

 base of the last ray to the upper caudal ray. Pectorals large and pediculated, 

 the rays thick and unbranched. Ventral short. Anal commences rather 

 posterior to the origin of the second dorsal. Caudal cut almost square. The skin 

 is loose and somewhat thin, continued over the bases of the fins : numerous filaments 

 having friaged edges are placed at short distances asunder round the lateral 

 m.argin of the body in the adult, while there is one close to the base of the 

 premaxillary, and several over the caudal portion of the body. Colours — 

 generally brown, reticulated with dark lines : the outer ends of the lower surface 

 of the pectoral and ventral fins black. Occasionally there exists a light central 

 patch down the back, which includes some of the first rays of the dorsal fin, while 

 some white may also exist on the pectoral and caudal fins, the latter having a 

 vertical black band. 



In the young — (see fig. 2) the head is broader than long, but less depressed 

 than in the adult. The depression increases with age, while the spines of the 

 first dorsal fin have lateral soft branched enlargements along their anterior and 

 posterior edges. These immature forms, however, appear to be very rarely 

 captured. 



Varieties — Ferguson's Angler and Borlase's Long-Angler appear to be 

 monstrosities, i.e., deformed or mutilated examples of this fish. L. vomerinus, 

 the Cape of Good Hope, has no teeth on the vomer in the single example known. 



Names. — Angler, a term applied to this fish by Pennant owing to its habits : 

 fishing -frog, frog-fish, its hideous aspect having been considered to give it some 

 distant resemblance to frogs in their tadpole condition : sea-devil, monh-fish, toad- 

 fish, nass-fish. In Scotland, wide-gal : hethrie, Moray Pirth. Morlyffant, Welsh. 

 In Ireland, friar, molly-gowan and hriarbot : at Strangford Lough termed 

 hilmaddy. Le Baudroye commune, French. De zee-duivel, Dutch. Whether this 

 fish was ever the type of the ridiculous images of demons and goblins in times 

 gone by, as suggested by Lacepede, is probably open to discussion. Its ventral 

 with five digits, its pectoral with hinged arm-like bases might, he believes, have 

 been looked upon as arms and legs ; and its enormous head as an exaggeration 

 of that of man. It received the name of diahle-de-mer, while its skin prepared 

 so as to be trauspaTent, and made luminous by a light placed in its interior, 

 has frequently served to make people of not over strong intellects believe that 

 they have seen apparitions. 



Hahits. — Inactive, but with an insatiable appetite, which its slow progression 



