FISH. 



the P.fasciatum; from the former of which it may be distinguished by its greater 

 depth and nearly even dorsal, from the latter by its plain colour free from all 

 conspicuous bands and markings. The dorsal notch is scarcely observable, the 

 eleventh and twelfth spines being nearly equal, and but little shorter than the 

 first soft ray. Its analogy to the genus Cantharus among the Sparida, which it 

 resembles as well in colour as in general form, is very striking. There are two 

 specimens in the collection ; the one described first above having been taken at 

 Chatham Island, the other at Charles Island, in the Galapagos Archipelago. 



1. Latilus jugularis. Vol. 



Latilusjugularis, Cm. et Vol. Hist, des Poiss. torn. ix. p. 369. pi. 279. 



Form.— Elongated, with the dorsal line slightly curved, the ventral nearly straight. Greatest depth 

 contained five times and one-third in the entire length. Head, which much exceeds the depth, 

 four times in the same. Profile very convex above the eyes, whence it falls obliquely to the 

 lips. Snout thick and rounded, resembling that of the Red Mullet : mouth protractile, 

 horizontal, placed at the bottom of the snout, the commissure just reaching to a vertical from 

 the anterior part of the orbit. Jaws equal or very nearly so ; the lower one perhaps a very 

 little the longest. Maxillary not widening at its posterior extremity. A band of velutine teeth 

 in each jaw, narrowing at the sides as it extends backwards; with an outer row of longer and 

 stronger ones : in the lower jaw, the velutine band does not extend beyond the middle of the 

 sides, the carding teeth being all that are visible. Tongue and palate smooth. Eyes high in 

 the cheeks ; large, and of an oval form ; their vertical diameter three-fourths of their 

 longitudinal ; this last equalling one-fourth the length of the head. Nostrils consisting of two 

 round apertures, the posterior one largest, the anterior covered by a membranous flap. Pre- 

 opercle with the denticles far apart, and not very obvious, unless the skin be dissected off; the 

 ascending margin rectilineal and vertical; the angle rounded. Bony part of the opercle 

 terminating in a flat point, above which are two other smaller points not so well developed ; all 

 the points concealed in the membrane, and scarcely visible from without : beneath the principal 

 point, the membrane is prolonged backwards in the form of a broad flattened bristly point 

 three lines in length. Crown, gill-covers and cheeks, scaly, but not the jaws; snout scaly, 

 except very near the lips. Gill-opening large. 



Lateral line at first at one-third of the depth, but falling gradually to one-half. Scales 

 rather small ; one taken from immediately above the lateral line of an oblong form, the length 

 being twice the breadth, with its free margin finely ciliated, crenated behind with a fan of nine 

 striae ; on scales taken from other parts the number of striae in the fan are more numerous. 



One long dorsal fin of nearly uniform height throughout, equalling about half the depth ; 

 only four slender spines, gradually increasing in length from the first which is very short ; the 

 fourth about three-fourths the length of the first soft ray ; soft rays increasing likewise very grad- 

 ually to the fourth, which with the next five or six are highest; the membrane of the fin very 



