97 



second dorsal and the anal have a very large number of rays 

 (over twenty) ; the head is entirely scaly ; the first dorsal is 

 comparatively smaller, and the dentition is different. 



The lower jaw is obtuse, and considerably longer than the 

 other ; on the upper one the teeth are small, almost equal, but 

 the centre ones rather larger than the others, and are numerous. 

 Behind this is a band of very numerous, villiform, and very small 

 teeth ; this band is narrow in front and behind, but broad towards 

 the centre of the jaw. In front, there are on each side two very 

 large fangs, the posterior one much longer than the other ; on 

 each palatine there is a single line of very small teeth, and some 

 larger ones on the vomer. At the lower jaw, there is a line of 

 very minute teeth, which does not extend in front, but is replaced 

 in this part by rather large, acute ones, directed backwards • 

 towards the middle, and inserted behind the line I have men- 

 tioned, there are on each side two large fangs, apart one from 

 the other. In some specimens there are three. The head is 

 entirely scaly, and its upper part has no longitudinal sulcates ; 

 the praeoperculum is rounded, and finely ciliated on its margin ; 

 the operculum terminates with a rather prolongated, obtuse, flat 

 point. Scales rather large ; they fall easily ; the lateral line is 

 well marked, continuous ; the ventrals are united at their base ; 

 they are formed of one spine and five rays. 



JSTEOSPHYE^NA MTTLTIRADIATA. 



Body thick and rather short ; contained about six and a-half 

 times in the total length ; the head three and two-third times in 

 same ; the orbit four and two-third times in the length of the 

 head. The snout is rather short ; the distance between the 

 extremity of the upper jaw to the anterior orbit being equal to 

 the distance between the posterior edge of the same orbit and 

 the extremity of the operculum ; head entirely scaly ; the lower 

 jaw longer than the upper one by one-half the diameter of the 

 eye ; the lateral line running over about seventy-five scales, which 

 fall very easily ; the first dorsal is formed of five rays ; the second 

 dorsal of from seventeen to twenty-one rays ; its anterior part 

 much higher than its posterior one ; the caudal is emarginated, 

 with sixteen rays ; the anal is longer than the dorsal, with twenty- 

 eight rays ; the ventrals, placed almost below the pectorals, are 



