96 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



Form. — Head large, sub-depressed, and much inflated about the gills : body compressed towards 

 the tail. Depth at the pectorals contained about five and a half times in the length : thickness 

 at the same point about three-fourths of the depth. Head about four and a half times in the 

 length ; its breadth nearly equal to its own length. Profile nearly horizontal. Eyes moderately 

 large, with a diameter nearly one-fourth that of the head : the intermediate space a little hollowed 

 out, and scarcely more than half a diameter in breadth. Some appearance of a shallow groove 

 on the nape reaching to the first dorsal. Gape reaching to beneath the anterior angle of the eye. 

 Jaws equal : each with a broad band of velutine teeth, the outer row stronger than the others, 

 and slightly hooked ; of these stronger ones there are twenty six in the upper jaw; below they 

 are fewer, smaller, and more irregular: no canines: no vomerine or palatine teeth. 



Pectorals about one-fifth of the entire length, oval ; the first six or seven rays nearly free 

 to their base, and setaceous, like those of G. niger ; the sixteen that follow connected by mem- 

 brane as usual, and much branched. Ventrals united in the usual manner, and a little shorter 

 than the pectorals. The first dorsal commencing a very little behind the point of attachment of 

 the pectorals, and reaching to the extremity of those fins when laid back : the anterior spines 

 rather exceeding in length half the depth of the body ; the last three gradually decreasing, 

 with the membrane terminating at the foot of the second dorsal. This last fin with the first ray 

 simple, and of the same height with the anterior rays of the first dorsal ; those which follow, to 

 the number of nine, nearly of the same height, and branched; from the root of the ninth springs 

 a simple ray which might be reckoned as distinct, and if so, the entire number would be ten. 

 Anal commencing a little more backward, and terminating a little sooner than the second dorsal, 

 to which in other respects it answers; the last ray double as before: both these fins terminate 

 in a point behind. Space between the anal and the caudal rather more than one-fifth of the 

 entire length, and equalling twice the depth immediately beneath. Caudal rounded, about 

 one-sixlh of the entire length ; the division between the principal and accessory rays (which last 

 are numerous, especially above), not well marked ; the former much branched. The usual 

 papilla behind the vent. 



No visible lateral line. Scales rather large; about thirty-seven in a longitudinal line, 

 and eleven in a vertical ; ciliated, the concealed portion of each scale with an irregular fan of 

 very numerous striae, amounting to twenty-five or more. Skin of the suborbital marked with 

 four longitudinal lines of salient dots, the third from the top forking posteriorly into two: a 

 similar line at the upper part of the opercle at the boundary of the scales, whence another passes 

 vertically across the branchial membrane ; behind this is a third shorter one, taking an oblique 

 direction backwards. 



Colour — (In spirits.) Dusky grey, with about ten, rather indistinct longitudinal dark lines on the 

 body, extending from the pectorals to the caudal. Fins dusky, with some indication of small 

 irregular whitish spots scattered here and there. A dark spot on the upper half of the eye. 



Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago. 



This is undoubtedly a new species. It belongs to the same section as the 

 G. niger of the European seas, which in form it very much resembles, especially 

 in its large inflated head, and in having the uppermost rays of the pectorals free 

 and setaceous. It differs, however, in having fewer rays in the dorsal and anal 



