26 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



Both this last fin and the anal terminating in a considerable point behind. Ventrals laro-e, 

 reaching very nearly to the anal. 



D. 8—9 ; A. 7 ; C. 15, &c. ; P. J 6 ; V. 1/5. 



Length 7 inches 9 lines. 



Colour.— (ira spirits.) Dark brownish yellow, with faint indications of three dusky patches or 

 abbreviated transverse fascia?, one beneath each dorsal, and the third on each side of the upper 

 part of the tail. Second dorsal and anal crossed by several whitish longitudinal lines ; the 

 posterior point of each fin nearly black. 



This species was obtained by Mr. Darwin at Tahiti. It is probably the U. 

 trifasciatus of Cuvier and Valenciennes, who received their specimens from the 

 Carolinas and Sandwich Islands. But it does not so well accord with the Mulle 

 multibande of Quoy and Gaimard, which is supposed by the authors of the " His- 

 toire des Poissons," to be the same as their species. If the figure in the Zoology 

 of " Freycinet's Voyage" be correct, the Mulle multibande has the nostrils much 

 smaller, and the spines of the first dorsal much stronger ; the ventrals also are 

 relatively much shorter, so as to reach very little more than half way to the anal. 

 Future observation must determine whether the two fish are distinct or not. 



3. Upeneus Prayensis. Cuv.et Vol.? 



Upcneus Prayensis, Cuv. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. torn. hi. p. 357. 



Form. — Very much resembling that of the U. trifasciatus, but with the following differences. The 

 eyes rather larger, distant from the end of the snout rather more than two diameters and a half. 

 Suborbitals traversed towards their lower margins by a number of lines, each terminating in a 

 pore, and with their whole disks studded besides with pores without lines : the lower margin 

 itself presents four distinct deeply-cut notches, the first of which receives the end of the maxil- 

 lary when the mouth is closed. A single row of small conical teeth in each jaw ; in addition 

 to which, in the upper, there are some stronger ones in front, exterior to the others, amounting 

 to eight in number, the central pair of which bends inwards or towards each other, and the 

 three on each side, which are the strongest of all, backwards and outwards. No teeth on the 

 vomer or palatines. The posterior extremity of the maxillary is much narrower than in the 

 last species. Spine of the opercle sharp and well developed, about two lines and a quarter in 

 length. Barbules reaching very nearly to the posterior margin of the opercle. Ramifications 

 of the mucous tubes on the lateral line very numerous. Height of the first dorsal equalling 

 rather more than half the depth. Space between the two dorsals equalling half the length of 

 the second dorsal. This last fin pointed behind, as well as the anal, but not so much so as in 

 the U. trifasciatus. Pectorals when laid back reaching to a vertical line from the extremity of 



