ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



falling very gradually from the commencement of the dorsal to the end of the snout, without 

 any elevation at the nape. The head is one-third of the entire length. The lower jaw projects 

 beyond the upper. The maxillary, which is broad, and cut quite square at its extremity, reaches 

 to beneath the middle of the orbit. The suborbital has the margin entire and nearly straight. 

 The upper jaw has a band of velutine teeth, broadish in front, but narrowing (the teeth at the 

 same time becoming smaller and finer) posteriorly ; with an outer row of not much longer, but 

 considerably stronger, subconic teeth, placed at rather wide intervals ; besides these, there are 

 three or four teeth on each side of the anterior portion of the jaw, equally strong as those last 

 mentioned, but more curved, the points reclining backwards, and set within the velutine band. 

 In the lower jaw, there is the same band as above, but narrower, and with the teeth more in 

 fine card than velutine, with stronger ones anteriorly, and along the posterior half of each side, 

 where there are six or eight, standing nearly in a single row, very stout and curved, though 

 scarcely longer than the others; outside the band, and on each side of the symphysis, there are 

 three or four moderately strong subconic teeth, at short distances from each other, which may 

 be considered as small canines. On the vomer and palatines, the teeth are velutine. The eyes 

 are rather large, and placed high in the cheeks ; their diameter is about one-sixth the length of 

 the head : the distance between them equals one diameter and a quarter. The nostrils consist 

 of two orifices, placed one before the other, a little in advance of the eyes, roundish-oval, the 

 posterior one largest. The preopercle has the ascending margin not quite rectilineal, being 

 slightly convex, and the angle at bottom rounded ; the denticulations on the former are fine, 

 but very perceptible ; they become rather stronger and more distant at the angle, and a few of 

 this character are continued along the posterior half of the basal margin. The opercle is 

 armed with three points ; the upper one is triangular, small, and not very obvious ; the middle 

 one is a moderately strong spine, about a quarter of an inch in length ; the third is a little 

 below this last, and resembles it in form, but is much smaller. The membrane of the opercle 

 terminates in a sharp angle, and is produced considerably beyond the middle spine. The line 

 of separation between the opercle and subopercle is not visible. The gill-opening is large, 

 and has seven rays. There are no scales on the snout or jaws, or between the eyes, or on the 

 anterior portion of the suborbital; but they are present on the cranium behind the eyes, cheeks, 

 (where they are numerous), and pieces of the gill-cover; the limb of the preopercle, and the 

 lower margin of the interopercle, however, are nearly free from them. Those on the opercle 

 are larger than those on the cheeks. All these scales, as well as those on the body, are finely 

 ciliated, communicating a slight roughness to the touch. The supra-scapular is represented by 

 a larger and harder scale than the rest, of a semi-elliptic form, striated on its surface, and 

 obsoletely denticulated on the margin. The lateral line is parallel to the back, at between one - 

 third and one-fourth of the depth. The pectorals are attached below the middle, of a rounded 

 form, the middle rays being longest, and about half the length of the head. The dorsal 

 commences exactly above them, and occupies a space equalling half the entire length, excluding 

 the caudal. The spines are sharp, and moderately strong : the first is rather more than 

 half the length of the second, but scarcely more than one-fifth of the length of the third, 

 which is longest, equalling more than half the depth of the body : from the third they decrease 

 very gradually to the ninth, which is of the same length as the second ; the tenth is again a 

 little higher; this is followed by the soft rays, which are nearly even, and about one-third 

 higher than the last spine; the last two or three, however, are a little shorter than the others. 



