FISH. 91 



Colour. — (In spirits.) Nearly uniform dark brown ground, but with some indications of round black 

 spots, which were probably more conspicuous in the living fish. Eight or nine of these spots 

 appear on the posterior half of the dorsal, forming a longitudinal row ; and there is a row more 

 faintly marked out along the base of the anal ; these last are smaller than those on the dorsal. 

 Chin, throat, and gill-membrane, thickly covered with small spots: also a black patch extend- 

 ing over a large portion of the eye from above and behind. 



Habitat, Coquimbo, Chile. 



This species, obtained by Mr. Darwin at Coquimbo, is nearly allied to several 

 other Chilian species, described by Cuvier and Valenciennes, but differs from all 

 of them in having more rays in the anal fin, independently of other respects. It 

 seems to approach most closely the C. variolosus ; but this latter is represented as 

 having the superciliary tentacles palmated, composed of from twelve to fifteen 

 bristles, and the nuchal ones papilliform and so small as to be hardly visible. 

 In the present species, the superciliary tentacles consist, as above stated, of eight 

 bristles separate quite to the root, while those on the nape are equally as large and 

 as much developed, and strictly, as well as very distinctly, palmated. The crown 

 also is scarcely convex, as represented to be the case in that species : to which 

 it may be added, that the spots on the dorsal fin are more numerous, and their 

 relative size compared with those on the anal different. 



The C. microcirrhis is said to want superciliary tentacles altogether, other- 

 wise there are several points of resemblance between that species and the one 

 here described. 



Genus.— ACANTHOCLINUS. Jen. 



Corpus elongatum, compressum, squamis minutissimis obtectum. Caput nudum, 

 tentaculis nullis. Denies maxillares seriebus plurimis dispositi, velutini ; multis, hie 

 illic sparsis, fortioribus, subconicis vel aculeiformibus : vomerini et palatini velutini 

 omnes. Lingua linea longitudinalis media dentibus minutissimis aspera. Mem- 

 brana branchialis undique libera, subter gulam continua et profundi emarginata, 

 sex-radiata. Pinnce dorsalis et analis spinis plurimis, ad apices laciniis mem- 

 branaceis investitis. Linece laterales tres distinctce. 



Mr. Darwin has brought home several specimens of a small fish from New 

 Zealand, which appears to me to form the type of a new genus in the family of 

 the Blennies. It is most nearly allied to Clinus, to which group it may perhaps 

 be subordinate in point of value ; but it offers several differences which I shall 

 proceed to point out. In the first place the number of anal spines is much greater, 

 a character of considerable importance in this family, in which they hardly ever 

 amount to more than two, whilst in some instances all the rays of this fin appear 

 to be articulated. Secondly, in addition to the bands of vomerine and palatine 



