FISH. ' 



onibus tribus plants, intermedio maximo ; rostro toto, et maxilla inferiore, squa- 



matis. 



B. 7; D. 11/15; A. 3/8 ; C. 17, &c; P. 17; V. 1/5. 

 Long. unc. 4£. 



Form.— Back very little elevated ; the greatest depth rather less than one-fourth of the entire length. 

 Nape slightly depressed, with which exception, the dorsal line from the commencement of the 

 dorsal fin to the crown of the head, is nearly horizontal : from between the eyes to the end of 

 the snout, the profile is considerably convex. Head rather more than one-third of the entire 

 length. Eyes large, their diameter about one-fourth the length of the head, high in the cheeks, 

 and distant rather less than a diameter from the end of the snout. Lower jaw longer than the 

 upper. The teeth above consist of a narrow velutine band, with a few, a little behind the 

 anterior extremity, longer than the others, but slender and curving backwards; in front, and on 

 each side of the extremity are two moderate canines : beneath there is a narrow band of velutine 

 and fine card mixed, but no canines. The lower jaw, and the snout quite to the extremity, as 

 well as the suborbitals, are covered with minute scales, but not the maxillary. The preopercle 

 has the ascending margin nearly rectilineal, and finely denticulated ; the angle at bottom rather 

 sharp, and the denticles at this part, as well as immediately above it, rather more developed 

 than the others. Opercle with three flat points ; the upper and lower ones equal, the middle 

 one larger, but not projecting so far as the membrane. Dorsal spines invested with membranous 

 tags at their tips ; of nearly equal lengths, with the exception of the first two ; the third and 

 fourth a little the longest : the soft portion of the fin higher than the spinous. Anal rounded, 

 terminating sooner than the dorsal ; the second spine a trifle longer than the third, as well as 

 stouter. The caudal is injured, but appears to have been square, or perhaps slightly rounded. 

 Rows of minute scales between the rays of all the vertical fins. 



Colour.—" Dark greenish, black above, beneath lighter ; sides marked with light emerald green : 

 tips of the anal, caudal, and hinder part of the dorsal, saffron yellow j tips of the pectorals 

 orpiment orange."— D. These colours have been much altered by the action of the spirit. 

 The general ground is now dusky lead, mottled and sprinkled on the sides with dirty white. 

 There is an appearance of four oblong black spots on the upper part of the back beneath the 

 base of the dorsal, not noticed by Mr. Darwin. The tips of the fins have entirely lost their 

 bright colours. 



Habitat, Porto Praya, St. Jago, Cape Verde Islands. 



This species was also obtained at Porto Praya, off Quail Island. It belongs 

 to that division of the genus which Cuvier has distinguished by the name of 

 Meroii, and to his section of MSrous piqueth ; but it will not accord with any of 

 those described in the " Histoire des Poissons." There is only one specimen of 

 it in the collection, which is small, and probably not full-sized. 



