THE C(ELACANTHINI. 



9 



in the upper as in the lower jaw, are visible, and are seen, above, from 

 the side, below, from the upper surface. Whether more than one scries 

 exists is not clearly discernible. The most distinct are a few teeth 

 of the lower jaw, which are represented magnified in figure 8, have an 

 angular flat form, and are strongly granular upon their upper surface ; 

 within these teeth a few others which were more rounded ofl' appear to 

 have been implanted in the lower jaw. The bone of the jaw, hoAv- 

 ever, is so brittle that no more exact determination of this point can be 

 made. 



" The scales are relatively large, but so thin and so closely united 

 together, that in a few spots, especially towards and amidst the caudal 

 fin, they appear like a finely-striated membrane 



" They all exhibit fine, short, elevated ridges, and only the cervical 

 scales are somewhat granular at their external ends. But the peculiar 

 fins most especially characterize this fish. 



" The first of the two dorsal fins, which lies over the pectoral fin, has 

 eight simple rays, which, in their proxim^al halves, are deeply grooved, 

 thick, and crenulated on the outer edge ; on the upper side, towards the 

 point, however, they are flat and closely jointed. The second dorsal fin 

 has 13 or 14 flat, closely-jointed, rays, somewhat depressed in their 

 middle pai't and grooved towards the root. This fin is placed directly 

 over the anal fin, which has a perfectly similar size and composition. 

 Fig. 14 depicts one of the median rays. The ventral fin is small, but 

 indistinct and weathered. The pectoral fin has 13 or 14 flat closely- 

 articulated rays, just like the two dorsal and the ventral fins. Most 

 remarkable, however, is the broad caudal fin, v/hich is divided by the 

 unossified vertebral column into two halves, the upper of which bears 

 20-21 rays, the lower 18-19, which form prolongations of the vertebral 

 processes. The outer side of the deeply-grooved rays is very finely 

 notched, almost toothed ; the thick spinal column forms, at the end of 

 the two caudal fins, a pointed pencil-like second caudal fin, with 20 or 

 30 short flat closely -jointed rays. The unossified spinal column is 

 finely striated ; in the middle of it very short bones in pairs appear. 

 The spinous processes are continued along the whole dorsum of the 

 spinal column. Neither ribs nor special bodies of vertebree are visible. 

 In these specimens the stomach of the fish is rendered obvious by a 

 depression, with a smooth shell-like iuA^estment, like what may be seen 

 in most specimens of Macropoma Mantelli. 



"2. Ccelacanthus Kohleri. 



" I know of only one imperfect specimen of this species, for which I am 

 indebted to the kindness of M. Kohler. The greater part of the head, 

 with the pectoral and ventral fin of this individual, are wanting. It 

 was at least one-third larger than the largest specimen of the preceding 

 species, from which it is especially distinguished by its scales, which 

 are covered with raised elongated points, almost like flies' eggs. The 

 few scales whose external form is recognizable, resemble those of the 

 preceding species, but are larger, and have elongated granulations upon 

 their surface. 



" The fins closely resemble those of the foregoing species. The first 

 dorsal has nine thick rays, which are very long, and are distinguished 

 from those of the preceding species by the rows of small spines which 



beset their outer sides as far as the middle The point is flat 



and closely articulated. 



" The second dorsal has 19 or 20 very broad, sharp-pointed rays, which 

 are so close together that they come into contact in the middle. 



