FISH. 21 



tending beyond the membrane ; a second rudimentary one above it obtusely rounded. Small 

 scales on the cheeks, preopercle, and opercle, but not on the snout, or between the eyes, or on 

 the suborbital, or jaws, or branchial membrane, or interopercle. The scales on the body are 

 rather small, finely ciliated on their edges, thin, and of an oblong form, cut square at the basal 

 margin, with a fan of twelve or fifteen strise. Lateral line not very strongly marked, taking 

 nearly a straight course from the upper part of the scapular to the caudal. No particular lines, 

 markings, or pores, about the head, jaws, or between the eyes. Pectorals rounded; two- 

 thirds the length of the head. Ventrals exactly beneath them, a very little shorter, thick and 

 fleshy, so that the rays can hardly be distinguished. Dorsal and anal similar to those of the 

 P. Brasilianus ; the former has the spinous rays at first low, but the rest of the fin is of one 

 uniform height, equalling a little less than half the depth : the latter commences under the sixth 

 soft ray of the dorsal, and terminates in the same line. Caudal square, with rows of small 

 scales between the rays for half their length : also a few minute scales at the base of the pectoral 

 rays, but none on the other fins. 

 Colour. — " Above pale ' chestnut brown,' so arranged as to form transverse bands on the sides ; 

 sides, head, fins, with a black tinge; beneath irregularly white: under lip pink: eyes with 

 pupil black, and iris yellow." — D. In spirits ; the back and upper half of the sides are brown, 

 the lower half of the sides and belly pale, with twelve transverse dark fasciae, the alternate 

 ones broader than the others. The dorsal and anal appear to have been bluish, the tint 

 increasing in intensity from the base upwards ; but the former is edged above with a narrow 

 white line just beneath the tips of the rays, which extends the whole length of the soft portion 

 of the fin. The inside of the ventrals appears also to have been bluish ; but the pectorals are 

 pale, or yellowish. Caudal brown like the back. 



Habitat, coast of Northern Patagonia. 



From the east coast of Patagonia, in Lat. 37° 26'. There can be no doubt of 

 its belonging to the genus Pinguipes, with which it agrees in its very strong re- 

 semblance to the Labricke, as regards the head, lips, and teeth, and in its fleshy 

 ventrals ; but there are very few teeth on the palatines, seeming to show that 

 there is not much ground for separating this genus from Percis. In many of its 

 characters, it resembles the P. Brasilianus of Cuvier, but it is decidedly distinct 

 in others. It differs slightly in its proportions ; in the palatine and pharyngeal 

 teeth ; in the position of the ventrals, which are not at all jugular, but imme- 

 diately beneath the pectorals ; in the branchial membrane being more notched ; 

 and in having two soft rays less in the anal. The colours also are different. 



This fish is so like a Labrus, that at first sight it might easily deceive a student. 

 Nevertheless its vomerine teeth, spines on the opercle, and ciliated scales, point 

 out its right family. At the same time no system can be considered natural, 

 which does not admit Pinguipes as one of the connecting links between the Per- 

 cidce and Labridce. 



