10 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



fifth of the entire length. Head contained three and a half times in the same. Profile sloping 

 gradually from the commencement of the dorsal to the end of the snout in one continuous very 

 gentle curve. The lower jaw a little the longest. The teeth are in strong card in both jaws, 

 their points curving inwards and backwards : those above longest anteriorly, where they form 

 about three rows ; posteriorly they become velutine, as in the last species, and consist of not 

 more than two rows : in the lower jaw the teeth are equally large at the sides as in front, and, 

 excepting quite at the anterior extremity, in only two rows, the inner of which is stronger than 

 the outer. The canines are small, and scarcely stronger than the other teeth ; in number* and 

 situation, the same as in the S. lahriformis. The vomerine and palatine teeth are very fine 

 velutine. Eyes rather large, and high in the cheeks, equidistant from the upper angle of the 

 preopercle and the intermaxillary, with a diameter about one-seventh the length of the head • 

 the distance between them equals one diameter and one-third. The margin of the suborbital 

 is entire, and nearly straight. The maxillary, when the mouth is closed, reaches to beneath 

 the middle of the orbit. The nostrils are a little in advance of the eyes, and consist of one 

 large, nearly circular, aperture, enclosing two smaller ones, which are also circular and placed 

 equally in advance. The crown, and space between the eyes, and entire cheeks, are covered 

 with small scales ; there are also some minute ones on the lower jaw, and on the extremity of 

 the snout before the eyes ; but they are scarcely obvious, if present, on the first suborbital, and 

 not at all perceptible on the maxillary. The preopercle is rather more than rectangular; the 

 basal margin nearly straight and horizontal ; the angle rather sharp 5 the ascending margin 

 with a slight sinuosity just above the angle, afterwards straight and nearly vertical, very obso- 

 letely denticulated throughout its course. The osseous portion of the opercle terminates poste- 

 riorly in two flat points, nearly equal, but the lower one rather the more developed, between which 

 it is emarginate. The angle of the membrane is considerably produced beyond the lower 

 point. The line of separation between the opercle and subopercle is tolerably obvious. Gill- 

 opening large. All the pieces of the gill-cover are covered with scales scarcely smaller than 

 those on the body. The scales on the body are not large, of an oblong form, with their free 

 edges scarcely at all ciliated, not enough to feel rough to the touch ; their whole surface very 

 finely striated, with twelve deeper striae on the basal half, and the basal margin crenated. 

 Lateral line not very conspicuous, parallel to the back at about one-fourth of the depth. The 

 dorsal commences in a line with the posterior angle of the opercle, and occupies a space equal- 

 ling half the entire length, caudal excluded : spines strong, and tagged at their extremities ; the 

 second longest, equalling not quite half the depth ; third and succeeding ones gradually 

 decreasing to the tenth, which is about half the length of the second ; the eleventh again 

 longer ; then follow the soft rays, which are nearly even, but all higher than the last spinous. 

 The anal commences in a line with the third soft ray in the dorsal, and terminates a little before 

 that fin : first spine very short ; the third longest, but the second stoutest : of the soft rays the 

 third and fourth are longest, and nearly twice the length of the third spine, being longer than 

 the soft rays in the dorsal ; from the fourth they gradually decrease, giving this portion of the 

 fin a rounded form. The caudal is nearly even, but the central rays are a little shorter than the 

 outer ones. There are no rows of scales between the soft rays of the dorsal and anal, and 



* There are actually only three below in this specimen, but there is little doubt of four being the normal 

 n amber, one appearing to have been lost. 



