414< COLONEL MONTAGU ON NEW AND RARE 



ages, there are some characters which do not al- 

 w^ays appear before a certain period of life. It is 

 also deserving of notice, that sexual distinction 

 should always be attended to, as it will be found, 

 that, owing to the want of sufficient attention to 

 that circumstance, species have been multiplied 

 beyond their natural limits. 



Having had an opportunity of examining some 

 thousands of this class of fishes, either alive, or 

 recently taken, amongst which, I noticed six or 

 seven species, I am enabled to make the follow- 

 ing observations. 



The males are distinguished by their genitals, 

 of a most curious structure, hanging pendent, one 

 on each side of the tail, between it and the anal 

 fins : the testes are inclosed at the base of these, 

 not obvious but by dissection. What accompanies 

 this truly masculine distinction, are series of large 

 reclined hooked spines, never to be found on the 

 other sex, and which begin to shew themselves 

 early in all the species hitherto examined ; these 

 are placed in four distinct series, one on each 

 shoulder or fore-part of the wing, or pectoral fin, 

 and one on each angle of the wing. These 

 spines are complete hooks resembling those used 

 for fishing, and lie with their points reclined in- 

 w^ards in two or three, and sometimes four parallel 

 lines, but the number of rows, and number in 

 each row, depends on age ^ for in very young spe- 



