110 



The general form is most singular ; the greatest height of the 

 body is at the insertion of the head, and from this it goes on 

 decreasing almost in a conical form to the base of the caudal ; 

 the head is prolongated in a long muzzle, which is nearly- 

 half the length of the head ; this muzzle is scarcely broader 

 at its base than at its extremity, and the nostrils are 

 situated at its beginning. The chin is without asperities. 

 The head is covered with bony plates, which are strongly 

 striated, except on the cheeks ; in many places these Strice are 

 formed of punctures, and have a radiate disposition ; from a 

 little under the eye the profile of the head ascends to the back 

 by an oblique line, forming with the muzzle an angle of 45 

 degrees ; the teeth are very numerous, and are disposed on several 

 lines, all nearly of the same form, but those in front being a little 

 longer than the others, and sometimes slightly curved ; the series 

 are also much more numerous in front than on the sides ; the 

 suprascapula and the caracoid are similarly striated ; the lateral 

 line runs at about one-fourth of the height, and terminates at 

 the centre of the tail ; it is very sinuous ; the body is covered 

 with very fine scales, of which there are over one hundred and 

 thirty on the lateral line. 



The dorsal fin is composed of eight spines, the first of which is 

 small, and measures about one-half of the diameter of the orbit ; it 

 has no soft membrane ; the second has about twice the length of 

 the first, and has a very narrow membrane not connected with the 

 third spine ; this is very long, being over five times the length of 

 the first ; it has a membrane which connects its base with the 

 following spine, at about the height of the end of the first spine ; 

 this membrane is very narrow in the remainder of its length, and 

 is free in its terminal part ; the fourth spine is the longest of all, 

 and has about eight times the length of the first, or nearly one- 

 third of the total length of the fish ; its membrane has the same 

 form as the precedent, but the portion which is adherent to 

 the next spine is about twice the height of the other ; this 

 fourth spine is curved in rather a sinuous manner ; the fifth 

 spine is considerably shorter than even the third, and is straight ; 

 this membrane has the same form as the other ; the sixth and 

 seventh spines become shorter still ; the eighth arid ninth equal 

 to the seventh ; they are straight, and their membranes extend to 

 about the following two-thirds of their length, and they have 



