CORYPH^ENID^E. 115 



Spams brama, Bon. Enc. Ich. p. 104, pi. 1. f. 192. 



Brama rati, Bl. Scbn. p. 99 ; Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 433 ; Cuv. and Val. 

 vii, p. 281, pi. cxc; Hogg-, Mag-. Nat. Hist, i, 1829, p. 277, and Nat. Hist. Stock, 

 on Tees, p. 26; Scouler, M. N. Hist, vi, 1833, p. 529; Jenyns, Manual, p. 359; 

 Tarrell, Brit. Fish (Ed. 1) i, p. 117, c. tig. (Ed. 2) i, p. 133 (Ed. 3) ii, p. 165; 

 Johnston, Berwickshire N. H. Field Club, 1838, i, p. 171 ; Parnell, Fish. Firth 

 of Forth, p. 49, and Mem. Wern. Soc. vii, p. 209 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p 214 ; Lowe, 

 Trans. Zool. Soc. iii, p. 8 ; Guichen. Explor. Alger. Poiss. p. 56 ; White, Catal. 

 Brit. Fish. p. 28 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 92 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, 

 p. 408 ; Schlegel, De Dieren Ned. p. 16, pi. i, f . 6 ; Couch, Zoologist, 1849, 

 Append, p. xxviii, c. fig. ; Steind. Ich. Span. u. Port. 1868, p. 25 ; Collett, Norges 

 Fiske, p. 46: Mcintosh, Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 173; Winther, Ich. Dan. 1879, 

 p. 14; Liitken, Spol. Atlan. 1880, p. 190, pi. iv, fig. 1, 2 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, 

 ii, p. 487, c. fig. 



Lepodus saragus, Rafin. Caratteri di al. Nuov. Gen. p. 53, No. 144. 



Spar us castaneola, Lacep. iv, p. 110 ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 424 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, 

 p. 248. 



Sparios niger, Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 98. 



Ghretoclon umbratus, Cabrera, Machado's Catal. Pece de Cadix, p. 23. 



? Chcetodon, sp. Couch, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiv, p. 78. 



Bay's bream, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, ii, p. 129, pi. xcii. 



B. vii, D. 3-4/29-34, P. 19-23, V. 1/5, A. Yr l^, C. 19, L. 1. 80-95, L. tr. 14/23. 

 Coec. pyl. 5, Vert. 16/26. 



Length of head 4§- to 5, of caudal fin 4J to 4|, height of body 3 in the total 

 length. Eye — situated in nearly the middle of the height of the head : diameter 

 3 1 to 4 in the length of the head, 3/4 to 1 diameter from the end of the snout, the 

 interorbital space forming a high crest. Body high and very compressed, with a 

 strongly curved anterior profile : its greatest height being below the origin of the 

 dorsal fin. Cleft of mouth oblique, the posterior extremity of the maxilla 

 reaching to beneath the middle of the orbit : lower jaw rather prominent. 

 Posterior nostril resembles a slit just in front of the middle of the orbit : 

 anterior one round and patent. Teeth —an outer carved row of pointed and 

 rather distant ones in the upper jaw, much larger than those of the inner series ; 

 in the lower jaw one or two rows of conical, pointed, and rather curved ones, of 

 which two or three somewhat resemble canines:, in a fine row on the palatine 

 bones and vomer, but which, being deciduous, are often absent : none on the 

 tongue. Fins — dorsal spines lower than the anterior rays, which are the highest 

 in the anterior portion of the fin : the anal commences on a vertical line beneath 

 the fourth or fifth dorsal ray, and is otherwise similar to that fin. Pectoral 

 reaches to at least half the length of the base of the anal. Ventral short, with 

 a large basal scale. Caudal deeply forked. Scales — cover body and head 

 (excluding the vertical limb of the preopercle, supraorbital space, and 

 snout) also the rays of the vertical fins. The length of the intestinal tract 

 equals about half the distance from the snout to the base of the caudal fin. 

 its rectal portion large and with thickened walls. Coecal appendages — five. 

 Colours — appear subject to considerable variation. The upper portion of the 

 head and body is mostly of a dark blue, having a tinge of bronze on the 

 snout ; while the sides of the body are bluish, shot with purple, and becoming 

 almost white beneath. Dorsal and anal fins of a light colour, having a narrow 

 black edge : outer margin of caudal fin dark. 



The young of this species as observed by Liitken, 1. c. when only half 

 grown, have the scales furnished with a spine on the anterior portion of the 

 uncovered part of each, and which does not disappear until the fish approaches 

 its adult development. Also in the very young, as about 6/10 of an inch long, 

 the tail fin is only moderately forked and the dorsal fin commences nearer 

 the head than in the adult, while both it and the anal are comparatively 

 much higher, being equal in their highest portion to two-thh'ds or half the 

 height of the body of the fish. But as the examples grow larger the caudal fin 



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