SCI^NOIDEiE. 67 



dorsal spine. The ventral rays are robust : the first is bony, and is about two-thirds of the 

 height of the second, which is the longest, and, like the remainder, repeatedly divided towards 

 the tip. The first dorsal commences about a spine's breadth posterior to the tip of the gill- 

 cover, and nearly as much anterior to the pectorals : its rays are very stout, compressed, 

 acute spines ; they gradually diminish in height from the fourth or longest to the ninth, 

 which is about one-third as high, but almost equally robust : the fifth equals the second, and 

 the first is very short, obtuse, involved in membrane, and closely applied to the base of the 

 second. The membrane is scolloped between the rays, and is attached to the first ray of the 

 second dorsal for about one- third of its height, the two fins not being distinct but merely sepa- 

 rated by a notch. The second dorsal is higher than the first : it contains nineteen rays, the 

 first of which is spinous, and is rather more than half the height of the succeeding soft rays, 

 but equals the seventh spine of the first dorsal; the soft rays are forked at the tips. A low 

 process of membrane is prolonged for about two inches beyond the last ray of the second 

 dorsal, in which there are imbedded eleven obtuse cartilages, or rudimentary rays, which 

 increase in length as they are more posterior, from one line to three and a half: they have 

 twelve interspinous bones *. The base of the dorsal fins is covered with small scales which 

 gradually encroach on the rays as they are more posterior : the two or three first rays of the 

 first dorsal are visible their whole length; but the ninth, and all the rays of the second 

 dorsal, are more than one-third imbedded in the scales ; the prolonged membrane of the 

 latter is scaleless. The anal is supported by a very robust, tapering, bony ray, deeply 

 grooved behind : there is no short spine anterior to it : the first soft ray is about one-third 

 longer, the remainder decrease gradually in length, the last one being shorter than the bony 

 ray. All the soft rays are repeatedly divided at their summits. The caudal terminates 

 evenly, its corners being slightly rounded off : its rays begin to divide below the middle into 

 five or six branches. 



Colour. — Top of the head and the back greenish-grey, with darker bands descending a 

 short way from the latter : sides ash-grey with silvery tips to the scales : belly cream-yellow. 









Dimensions. 













Inches. 



Lines. 





Inches. 



Lines 



igth from snout to end of caudal fin 



23 







Length 



of ventrals ..... 



3 



3 



» » 



origin of ditto . 



19 







» 



insertion of 1st dorsal 



4 



4 



)> »7 



end of memb, of 2nd dorsa 



17 



9 



>> 



„ 2nd dorsal 



8 



8 



j) » 



end of anal 



14 



6 



i> 



naked space between do. and caudal 



1 



6 



>> » 



beginning of ditto . 



12 



10 



» 



„ anal and caudal 



4 



4 



yy j.» 



anus 



12 







>> 



longest spine of 1st dorsal 



2 







)» s> 



first ray of 2nd dorsal 



10 



6 



V 



„ ray 2nd dorsal . 



3 



2 



;> » 



„ 1st dorsal 



8 







1) 



„ anal 



3 



3 



jj » 



tip of gill-cover 



5 



10 



)) 



central caudal rays . 



4 







?) jj 



orbit 



1 



8 



)> 



exterior ditto 



4 







„ of axis 



of orbit . 



1 







Breadth of caudal at its base 



2 



4 



„ lower jaw . . . . 



2 



•if 





„ extremity . 



5 



6 



„ pectorals .... 



4 



5 



Depth of body at the ventrals . 



8 







* I detected the rudimentary rays by softening the membrane and dissecting it after the specimen was returned to me 

 by Baron Cuvier. 



