of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



273 



which is closely attached round the anterior extremity of the coracoid. The 

 anterior face of the clavicular bar is smoothly rounded, but there runs up its 

 external aspect a grooved ridge. On its anterior inner angle there pro- 

 jects inwards and forwards a semicircular shaped process attached to the 

 clavicle by a narrower neck (cl.pr.). The coracoid (cr.) is closely attached by 

 its anterior upper edge with the clavicle; while its lower edge, which lies 

 close along the ventral edge of the fish, is closely approximated with that 

 of the opposite coracoid, — in fact, the whole inner flat faces of the two 

 coracoids lie close together. Parker figures an irregular ventral edge to 

 the coracoid, and a truncated posterior process beneath the fin. In the 

 many which I have examined the ventral edge is always straight, and the 

 posterior process forms a sharp point. In almost all adult herring exa- 

 mined by me the post-coracoid process (p.cr.) is fused with the coracoid, 

 and has no intervening cartilage, as shown in Parker's drawing, which pro- 

 bably is made from a younger fish, and it runs up the inner side to meet 

 the inturned anterior edge of the clavicle. The flat coracoid is more or 

 less perforated by numerous foramina; while in some cases it is almost 

 solid, in others it is completely riddled, only a few delicate threads of 

 bone remaining, and every variety of intermediate condition is to be 

 found. I can find not the least evidence in favour of Parker's suggested 

 divisions into pro- meso- and post-coracoid. Its edge, however, is always 

 imperforate, and there runs across the coracoid a strengthening ridge or 

 bar from the articulation of the first (dorsal) brachial ossicle to near its 

 ventral edge. 



The scapula (sc.), in all my cases, differs somewhat in form from that 

 figured by Parker. It has a T-shape, — the central leg resting on the 

 process of the coracoid, between the base of the precoracoid and the first 

 brachial ossicle. The upper edge of the cross limb meets the clavicle. 

 Bounded by the vertical and anterior limbs on its postero-dorsai side, and by 

 the clavicle anteriorly is a nearly circular fenestra (/.), and the posterior 

 edge of the vertical limb of the scapula nearly forms another. 



To part of the vertical stem of the scapula are articulated, the first 

 (dorsal) two proximal brachial ossicles, while the adjacent part of the 

 coracoid bears the other three (br.o,). The lowest of these elongated ossicles 

 is a thin scale, the next four are somewhat rod-shaped, shortening con- 

 secutively, the upper being a small rounded nodule, nearly fused with the 

 fin ray. At the distal end of these ossicles comes a second series of 

 smaller rounded ossicles. The upper one bears the large dorsal ray of the 

 pectoral fin, the next three each are embraced by two or three rays, while 

 the last articulates with the remaining five or six rays. 



The post-temporal (pt.) is of the usual form, its dorsal long arm over- 

 lapping the dorsal surface of the epiotic, while its shorter and inner is 

 firmly fixed to the tip of the opisthotic. The lower edge of the post, 

 temporal overlaps a disc-like dorsal portion of the supra-clavicle (s.cl.l.), 

 the ventral portion of which forms an elongated fiat bar (s.cl.2.), overlapping 

 the upper part of the clavicle. The line of the supra-clavicle is continued 

 downwards by a short flat pear-shaped bone overlapping a more ventral 

 and much narrower strip, which in turn is continued down within the skin 

 behind the fin to near the ventral line by a delicate rod-shaped piece. 

 These three pieces (j).cl.l,2,3.) constitute the post-clavicle, and the two 

 upper portions lie upon the external surface of the clavicle. The mucus 

 canal on the post-temporal is continued forwards into the triradiate supra- 

 temporal hereafter described. * 



The pelvic girdle consists of a pair of elongated, somewhat dagger-shaped 

 bones lying close to the ventral edge of the fish (PI. XV. fig. 1). Sharply 

 pointed anteriorly,, they gradually deepen towards their posterior ends, 



