131 



Dr. Grunther places with the Mediterranean Clinus Argentatus, 

 Cuv. & Val., specimens from Australia [having constantly 

 twenty-three soft rays to the anal fin, instead of nineteen or 

 twenty. Admitting, at the same time, that some zoologists may 

 consider them as forming a distinct species, he proposes for them, 

 in a note, the name of Antinectes. This naturalist must certainly 

 entertain very particular ideas on the constitution of the species 

 in Zoology. 



CRISTICEPS MULTIEENESTEATUS. 



Form elongate ; length of body four and one-eighth in the 

 total length ; head four times in the total length ; orbit of the 

 eye four and five-sixths in the length of the head ; there is a 

 rather long and arborescent tentacle over the second, a very 

 small simple one on the snout ; scales very minute ; the lower 

 jaw is considerably longer than the upper one ; first dorsal placed 

 over the end of the praeoperculum, formed of three spines ; the 

 two first are longer than the other one, and placed much nearer 

 one to the other than to the third ; the space between this fin 

 and the second dorsal is equal to the transverse diameter of the 

 eye. This dorsal is formed of thirty spines and four rays ; it 

 grows a little higher as it goes towards its extremity, which is 

 rounded ; the spines and rays are very strong ; the caudal is 

 rounded, formed of nine rays and a complex short one on each 

 sort ; the membranous dorsal extends to the end of the rays ; the 

 anal has the same form as the second dorsal ; the rays are free at 

 their end for nearly one-third of their length ; there are two 

 spines and twenty-three rays ; the ventrals are formed of three 

 rays, united in a membrane for more than one-third of their 

 length ; the central one is the longest ; the pectorals have twelve 

 rays, much longer than the membranes ; the last ray of the dorsal 

 is fixed by a membrane to the tail, but does not extend to the 

 base of the caudal ; the last of the anal is similar, but does not 

 extend so far as the other. 



This fish is of a handsome purple colour, with large black, 

 rounded blotches, forming a line on the back and another on each 

 side, the latter being the smallest. Between them are numerous 

 short, irregular, white, interrupted longitudinal lines. The belly 

 is of a lighter and rather pink colour, with large, white, oval 



