A NEW GENUS OF GANOID FISH. 467 



and a few are scattered along the base of the fin-rays themselves. The pedicle 

 is smooth, having no scales on its inner surface, next the body of the fish. 

 There is a roundish, dark, or black spot on the distal extremity of the pedicle, 

 and partly also on the base of the fin-rays. The fin measures ^ of an inch 

 from the base of the pedicle to the extremity of its central fin-rays ; the pedicle 

 measuring I of an inch, and the longest fin-rays ^ of an inch in length. The 

 breadth across the pedicle is nearly ^ of an inch. The fin-rays are seventeen in 

 number, and soft in character ; they are, however, covered with single rows of 

 very minute ganoid scales, which are placed, side by side, along the rays, and 

 extend nearly to the membranous extremities of the fin-rays. 



The Dorsal finlets are ten in number, and resemble in general character those 

 of Polypterus, but they are each quite distinct and separate from the one next it. 

 They commence about the middle of the fish, or a little behind it. In this speci- 

 men the first finlet lies at the distance of about 5f inches from the front of 

 the snout ; and the succeeding finlets are placed at short intervals from each 

 other, backwards to the caudal extremity of the fish, the last being attached to 

 the commencement of the fin-rays at the base of the tail. The intervals between 

 the different dorsal finlets generally diminish gradually in this specimen as they 

 proceed backwards towards the caudal extremity : thus the distance between the 

 first and second finlets is ^ of an inch ; between the fourth and fifth finlets 

 jV, of an inch ; and between the ninth and tenth finlets only T 3 ¥ of an inch. 



Each finlet lies in a lengthened, somewhat triangularly-shaped, pit or longi- 

 tudinal depression, which occupies the median line of the adjoining rows o 

 scales, including one or two rows, and sometimes passes on to the third row of 

 scales ; and only about half, or even less, of this depression is occupied by the 

 bony spine of the fin. When the fin is raised, the front of it is seen to be sup- 

 ported by this strong, bony ganoid spine, granulated or sculptured on its upper 

 or anterior surface in a somewhat corresponding manner to the scales of the 

 body, it is more sculptured in front, and becomes smoother towards the forked 

 posterior extremity of the spine ; the sharp points of the forks are nearly equal 

 in length, the forked part occupying about a fourth or so of its length. A single 

 soft fin-ray, springing from the root of the forked part of the spine, passes back- 

 wards to support the upper margin of each soft membranous fin. The last 

 spine is attached to the base of the tail, and the ray is hard in character, and 

 resembles those of the tail. When a finlet is closed, the soft ray and membrane 

 lie in the longitudinal depression, and are covered and protected by the hard 

 osseous spine which lies over them; its upper and sculptured ganoid surface 

 being on a level with the rest of the dorsal surface of the fish. The spines vary 

 slightly in length, being longest about the middle of the series of the finlets, 

 and diminishing gradually towards each extremity ; they measure about -fa of an 

 inch in length, the soft ray about ^ of an inch, and the membranous finlet 



