6 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OP H.M.S. SAMAEANG. 



tapers to the narrow base of the caudal, whose height is only about one quarter of that of the 

 nape. The curves of the back and belly correspond, being but slightly arched. The profile 

 of the head, from the mouth to the beginning of the dorsal, forms the sextant of a circle, 

 and the lower jaw and throat form a smaller arc below. The total length is equal to thrice 

 the height at the shoulder and one half, and the head makes one third of this length, while 

 the thickness is two thirds of the height. The eye is situated high up, the margin of the 

 orbit intruding slightly on the profile ; the space between the eyes is equal to a diameter of 

 the orbit and is concave ; but the whole of the bones of the head are so covered with loose 

 integument, that their forms are but very imperfectly distinguishable until the skin is suffered 

 to dry. The mouth is terminal, and its moderately large gape descends obliquely till it 

 comes under the middle of the eye. The jaws, chevron of the vomer, and palate bones are 

 furnished with microscopical, close-shaven, villiform teeth. The preorbitar spine is straight, 

 and scarcely exceeds half the diameter of the orbit in length. There is no small spine at its 

 base, but a blunt projection of the bone stands forwards in its usual site. The disk of the 

 preorbitar is flattish and its outline uneven. The second suborbital' forms an acute uneven 

 ridge without spinous points. The preopercular spine is stouter but not longer than the 

 preorbitar one, and has four obtuse corners beneath it, but none above it. Two ribs cross 

 the operculum, the upper one being considerably curved with a perceptible point ; the under 

 one is straight. The soft flexible point of the suboperculum curves up behind the bony 

 operculum, and forms the upper tip of the gill-cover. The gill-opening curves forward 

 beneath, as far as the hinder part of the eye. The crests of the temples and supra- 

 scapular are very uneven and indistinct. The dorsal commences between the posterior 

 quarters of the orbits, and its posterior spines are rather taller than the soft rays. The last 

 of the latter is bound to the back its whole length, but the membrane does not quite reach 

 the base of the caudal, while the membrane of the anal attains that fin. The caudal is 

 moderately rounded at the end. The pectoral is very oblique, its rays gradually diminishing 

 as they descend ; their tips are mostly curved and project beyond the membrane ; but, except 

 one or two of the lowermost, they are all more or less forked, the upper ones being most so. 

 The ventral spine stands immediately in the axilla of the lowest pectoral ray, the last soft ray 

 is bound to the belly by loose skin. The ventrals are small, the pectorals comparatively large. 

 The skin is perfectly smooth and scaleless. Two minute, simple, tapering barbels spring 

 from the upper border of each eye. The lateral line is marked by a series of soft elevations 

 which are rendered more prominent by drawing the finger backwards over them. The 

 ground tint of the upper parts is purplish-brown, with one large patch over the pectorals, 

 formed by a close marbling of liver-brown, and another under the soft dorsal. The head is 

 more finely mottled with liver-brown. The whole under surface, including the lower part 

 of the pectorals, is pure white. The lateral dark patches extend to the membrane of that 

 fin. The rays are white, finely ringed with brown. The upper half of the pectorals, the 

 end of the caudal, the anal, and tips of the ventrals, are freckled and minutely clotted with 

 blackish brown. Length, 2^ inches. 



