FISIL 



15 



specimen. The thickness of the body, which he fixes at one-third of the depth, is here nearly 

 half the depth. The following characters may be also given, in addition .to his. Above each 

 orbit are two short crests or ridges which meet at an angle anteriorly, and the interocular space 

 between these pairs of ridges is rather depressed ; beyond, or immediately above the upper 

 lip, the snout is a little protuberant. The band of teeth in each jaw is narrow, with the outer 

 row longer than the others ; and at the sides of the jaw, this outer row is all that is obvious- 

 The intermaxillary is slightly protractile. The eye is hardly removed so much as one diameter 

 from the end of the snout. The limb of the preopercle is striated ; the angle at bottom 

 rounded, and much dilated, so that the ascending margin falls in advance of a vertical. The 

 contour of the membrane of the opercle is rounded. The cheeks, and all the pieces of the 

 gill-cover, with the exception of the broad limb of the preopercle, are scaly : there are also a 

 few scales on the maxillary, but none on the crown between the eyes, or on the snout, or lower 

 jaw. The dorsal and anal terminate nearly in the same vertical line, but the latter reaches a 

 trifle the farthest. Both fins are invested at their base with a scaly membrane, the scales of 

 which are of a long lanceolate form. The length of the caudal equals the depth of the body. 

 That of the pectorals equals half the depth : these fins are attached a little behind the opercle, 

 and a little below the middle. The point of attachment of the ventrals is in a vertical line 

 which passes through the middle of the pectorals, and coincides with the commencement of the 

 dorsal. They are longer than the pectorals ; and in their axillae is a lanceolate membranaceous 

 scale half their own length. There is a similar, but shorter scale in the axilla of the pectorals 

 also. 



B. 7 ; D. 9/16 ; A. 3/10 ; C. 17f ; P. 15 ; V. 1/5 



Length 9 inches 10 lines. 



Colour. — Not noticed in the recent state. In spirits, the whole fish appears of a nearly uniform 

 dull metallic yellowish-white, tinged with olive on the back and upper part of the sides. 



Mr. Darwin obtained this species in King George's Sound, in New Holland, 

 the same place in which it was discovered by MM. Quoy and Gaimard. 



Aplodactylus punctatus. Vol. 



Aplodactylus punctatus, Cud. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. torn. viii. p. 352. pi. 242. 



This very remarkable fish was first sent from Valparaiso, by M. D'Orbigny, 

 where it was also observed by M. Gay. Mr. Darwin's collection contains a spe- 

 cimen, which has unfortunately lost the number attached to it ; but as he made a 

 collection on that coast, it was probably obtained in the same locality. The descrip- 

 tion given of it in the " Histoire des Poissons," is so detailed as well as accurate, 

 and the figure so exact, that it is quite unnecessary to annex that of the present 

 individual. I may merely observe that the number of simple rays at the bottom 



