FISH. 



43 



much crowded, curved lines, somewhat undulating behind, with a fan of about twelve deeper 

 strise converging to a point considerably in advance of the centre of the scale ; the free portion is 

 also marked with several well-marked nearly parallel lines which terminate in denticles at the 

 anterior margin. Those on the lateral line have the mucous tubes somewhat ramified, and are 

 accompanied throughout its course by some minuter scales, similar to those on the head above 

 pointed out. The lateral line is at one-third of the depth, till it arrives beneath the middle of 

 the soft dorsal, where it falls to one-half. 



First dorsal of a triangular form, separated from the soft portion by a deep notch ; the first 

 spine very small and inconspicuous ; the second somewhat shorter than the third ; fourth 

 longest, nearly equalling half the depth ; all the spines in this fin rather slender. The second 

 dorsal commences with a spine somewhat longer than the last spine in the first dorsal, and not 

 quite half the length of the first soft ray ; soft rays nearly even throughout, and not equalling 

 the highest point of the first dorsal. Anal short and somewhat rounded, commencing beneath 

 the middle of the second dorsal, and double the height of that fin ; its first spine very short and 

 inconspicuous ; second long and moderately stout, but shorter than the first soft ray by one- 

 third ; second soft ray the longest ; third and succeeding ones gradually decreasing. Pectorals 

 narrow and pointed, shorter than the head ; first ray simple, the rest branched; third, fourth and 

 fifth longest. Ventrals attached a trifle backwarder than the pectorals, which they do not 

 equal in length ; the spine much slenderer than that of the anal, and rather more than half the 

 length of the first soft ray. Caudal squarish, but with the margin a little sinuous. 



B. 7; D. 10—1/28; A. 2/8; C. 17; P. 17; V. 1/5. 

 Length 8 inches 6 lines. 



Colour.—" Above inclining to coppery, with irregular transverse bars of brown ; beautifully iridescent 

 with violet."— D. The bars alluded to by Mr. Darwin are some dark lines which, commencing 

 at the upper part of the back, pass forwards and downwards in an oblique direction ; they bend 

 more and more downwards as they advance, and disappear a little below the middle. The 

 whole fish has a metallic gloss, particularly about the cheeks and gill-covers, and very visible 

 even in its present state. 



A second specimen, exactly similar to the above, is nearly twelve inches in length. 



Habitat, Maldonado and Monte Video. 



I entertain no doubt of this species being the C. adusta of Agassiz, figured in 

 Spix's Fishes of Brazil. It is not described by Cuvier and Valenciennes, but 

 belongs to their second section of the genus, characterized by the small spines 

 on the ascending margin, and especially at the angle, of the preopercle. It seems 

 to be particularly distinguished by the small scales on some parts of the head, 

 and along the lateral line where they accompany the larger ones. These 

 characters have not been overlooked by Agassiz. There are two specimens in the 

 collection, the larger one taken at Monte Video, the smaller at Maldonado. 



