408 



APPENDIX. 



great length of the ventral fins, the shortness of the second dorsal, wh eft 

 compared with the next ; all which, however, collectively show, how truly 

 distinct this species is from the foDowing. 



ARGYRIOSUS MauriceiL 



First dorsal fin of three short rays_, the third being a 

 minute spine, the first and second the longest. No 

 free spines before the anal fin. 



Dorsal, 3, 2,24; pectoral 20. ; ventral ab. 12; anal. 1, 

 19 ; caudal ab. 25. 



Inhabits the coast of Brazil. 



Tlie foregoing outline {fig. 134.), reduced from a drawing 

 made from the iish just dead, may be compared with the figure 

 of Cuvier referred to in the preceding description : the outline 

 at the bottom (a) is of the back andfirst dorsal fin upon a larger 

 scale. The ventral fin as is almost always the case, from its 

 extreme fragibUity, was broken. Independent of the leading 

 peculiarity of this new species, the great elongation of the 

 second dorsal fin in front is not the least remarkable. I have 

 named it in honor of the peerless Prince Maurice of Nassau, 

 the patron and friend of Marcgrave, and himself one of the 

 most distinguished naturalists of the age which he adorned. 



In the body, jaws, tongue, teeth, gills and nostrils, this species perfectly 

 resembles Platysomus : the pectoral fins are longer in proportion ; very 

 much falcated, and reach to within a short distance of the end of the 

 body. Dorsal fins two, the first very small, triangular, and placed 

 rather behind the pectoral ; it is of three rays, the two first bony, 

 simple, and ending in a short filament ; the connecting membrane extends 

 to the last ray, which in a short spine; beyond this are four minute 

 unconnected spines, the last terminates at the base of the second dorsal : 

 on the hind part qf the head are three covered tubercles. Second dorsal 

 fin with the first ray so remarkably long as to reach far beyond the tips of 



