404 Description of a collection of Fishes from China. 



first and third ascend above into a capacious cell formed by 

 the helmet, in which the arborescent processes rise aljove 

 from the branchial arches ; in addition to which there is a 

 folliaceous appendage to the top of each branchial arch. 

 See fig 3, a. 



The fin rays are, 



D.59: P. -i: V.6: A. 45. 



A remarkable peculiarity is the absence of a caudal fin, 

 or of rays representing that fin in the species here des- 

 cribed. A single specimen only being contained in the collec- 

 tion, it would be difficult to say whether the caudal rays 

 were displaced, leaving an accidental fissure in the situation 

 of the caudal fin, or whether the fissure is natural. 



The stomach is reflected forward, and terminates without 

 cecal appendages in a narrow and slightly convoluted intes- 

 tine, the entire length of which together with the stomach, 

 does not exceed half the length of the body. The hver is 

 small, consisting of two very distinct equal lobes. 



The cirri are placed two on the upper, and four on the 

 lower jaw, and two at the corners of the mouth, which 

 are the longest, although they scarcely exceed the length of 

 the head. 



Habitat, — Chusan, 



PiMELODUS ASPERUS. t. Xxiv. Jig. 2. 



Head depressed and narrow, but not elongated at the 

 mouth. The helmet prolonged towards the dorsal fin, and 

 forming arches over the eyes, which are very small. A 

 separate buckler at the base of the dorsal, and two narrow 

 processes of the helmet directed backward on either side, one 

 of them situated immediately over the lateral line, the other 

 extending backwards from the posterior jamb of the opercu- 

 lum; opercula almost immovable, seven branchial rays, and 

 one broad band of minute conical teeth like those of a card 

 in both jaws. 



