•98 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



it is contained not quite six and-a-half times in the entire length. The space between the 

 anal and the caudal is one-eighth of the same, and one and a half times the depth of the tail at 

 that part. The usual papilla appears behind the vent. 



Skin apparently quite naked everywhere, and without any scales that are visible, even 

 in the dried state, under a lens. The lateral line runs straight along the middle, and is marked 

 by a series of glandular dots placed in threes or fours together vertically at moderate intervals. 

 Several lines of dots about the head, but the dots are here closer together, and in some places 

 so salient as to appear like short filamentous processes : on the cheeks, about the eyes, and on 

 the front of the snout, these lines undulate in an irregular manner : there arc also two or three 

 short lines of dots on the gill-cover, and a double row on each side of the lower jaw, passing 

 obliquely upwards posteriorly, as a boundary to the cheek. 

 Colour.- — " Pale lead-colour, coarsely reticulated with brown." — D. — This is nearly as it appears 

 also in spirits. The reticulations are finer on the head, where they are also most distinct : 

 they are likewise very visible at the base of the pectorals. 



Habitat, Chonos Archipelago, South of Chiloe. 



Cuvier and Valenciennes seem to have doubted * whether there were really 

 any species in this genus absolutely without scales, though they have established 

 a section, in which the scales are very minute, and as it were lost in the skin. 

 The present one, however, appears to be thus characterized : at least there are no 

 scales which can be detected, even with the assistance of a lens, and when the 

 skin is suffered to become dry, in which state they are generally visible, if really 

 present. In fact, the skin is as smooth and naked as in any of the true Blennies. 

 This character, combined with others, clearly indicates it to be a new species ; 

 neither will it assimilate with any of the sections in the " Histoire des Poissons ;" 

 but requires to be placed in one by itself, in which the absence of scales is coupled 

 with an elongated body, and a caudal, not strictly pointed, but approaching to 

 that form, when the rays are close. 



This species was obtained by Mr. Darwin in the Chonos Archipelago, in 

 Lowe's Harbour, S. of Chiloe. It appears to be the first of this genus brought from 

 the West Coast of America ; at least, there are none, amongst the very numerous 

 species described by Cuvier and Valenciennes, which are mentioned as belonging 

 to those shores. 



Eleotris gobioides. Guv. et Vol. 



Eleotris gobioides, Cuv. et Vol. Hist, des Poiss. torn. xii. p. 186. 



This species was taken by Mr. Darwin in fresh- water, in the Bay of Islands, 

 New Zealand. It so well accords with the description of the E. gobioides in the 

 " Histoire des Poissons," that I conceive there can be no doubt of their identity. 



* See " Hist, des Poiss." torn. xii. p. 72, under the species Golius Boscii. 



