144 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 



anticis bi- lateralibus uni-seriatis ; in vomere uni-seriatis ; anticis supra subtusque, 

 lateralibus secundariis supra, et vomerinis, fortibus : pinna dorsali antice ob- 

 soletd. 



Long. unc. 20. lin. 0. 



Form. — Very much compressed about the head and jaws. Body tapering posteriorly; the depth in 

 the middle equalling about one-thirteenth of the entire length. Head, measured to the bran- 

 chial orifice, about one- seventh. Profile falling obliquely in a straight line from the nape to 

 the extremity of the snout. Jaws very narrow, rather lengthened and sharp-pointed, equal. 

 Gape deeply cleft, reaching as far back behind the eyes as it advances before them. Teeth 

 compressed at the sides, very sharp, slightly hooked and pointing backwards ; above, in a single 

 row in front, in two rows at the sides ; below, in two rows in front, and in a single row at the 

 sides ; in each case, however, the secondary row is very imperfect, some of them appearing to 

 have been lost ; also a row down the vomer, but interrupted in the middle of the scries : 

 the front teeth above and below, and the secondary ones at the sides of the upper jaw, are 

 much stronger than the others ; but the first three on the vomer, being those anterior to the 

 blank space, are perhaps longer and more developed than any in the jaws. Two tubular 

 orifices above the eyes, and two at the extremity of the snout. Eyes distant from the end 

 of the snout twice their own diameter. Branchial orifice of the same size as the eyes. Three 

 or four large pores arranged in a line along the edge of the upper jaw, but none apparent 

 on the lower. 



Dorsal fin thick and fleshy, and not very distinguishable from the body, excepting 

 posteriorly, so that its exact point of commencement cannot be fixed with precision. Vent a 

 trifle in advance of the middle point of the entire length. Anal fin still less distinguishable 

 than the dorsal. 



Colour. — " Fine dark purplish brown, with yellow circular spots." — D, — The spots are mostly 

 small, and many of them not bigger than large pin's heads. They are smaller and more 

 crowded about the head than elsewhere, giving a freckled appearance. 



A second specimen is smaller than the above, measuring thirteen inches and a half in length. 

 This specimen has the teeth more -perfect. In the upper jaw, there is first an outer row 

 reaching all round, in which the teeth are mostly small and regular, but towards the front 

 mixed with some much longer ones ; behind this, about the middle of the sides, is a short 

 secondary row consisting of five or six teeth as long as those in front in the first row : in the 

 lower jaw, the secondary row consists likewise only of four or five long teeth, but here they 

 are placed in front instead of at the sides. Mr. Darwin's notes respecting the colours of 

 this smaller specimen are as follows : " Dark reddish-purple brown, with pale, or whitish- 

 brown spots : eyes bluish." 



Habitat, Galapagos Archipelago. 



The larger of the two specimens above described was taken by Mr. Darwin 

 at Charles Island, the smaller one in tidal pools at Chatham Island, in the Gala- 

 pagos Archipelago. It appears to be an undescribed species, though bearing 

 much similarity to the M. Meleagris of Shaw. 



