<34< ICHTHYOLOGY 
longitudinal ridge, which has in front two teeth rather larger 
than the others. The vomer and palatines are covered with 
similar teeth, and the tongue, which is broad and thin, is 
covered with papilse ; lateral line well-marked, and straight to 
the insertion of the caudal. 
APLOACTISOMA SCHOMBURGKII. 
Height contained four times in the total length ; head three 
and two-thirds in the same ; eye five times in the length of the 
head. All the head is ruguous, and covered with elevated ridges, 
and a circular one extends round the eye ; these ridges form 
several long obtuse points on the prseoperculum and operculum . 
The first dorsal is as high as the distance from the snout to 
the centre of the orbit, it begins in front of the eye ; it has 
five spines, the three first much longer and thicker than 
the others, and placed one near the other ; the second is the 
longest ; the fourth is much shorter and more remote from the 
others ; the fifth is the smallest, and placed half-way between 
the other and the second dorsal ; this is composed of eight 
spines and of fifteen soft rays ; all of them have their mem- 
branes very strongly emarginated, and this gives the fins the 
appearance of being pronged ; one might count the fifth spine 
of the first dorsal with those of the second, and then there 
would be four on one and nine on the other. The spiny part 
is about equal in height, but the soft one becomes higher as 
it goes backwards, and is rounded posteriorily. The caudal is 
rounded, formed of eleven strong, full-length rays, with 
several shorter ones on each side : anal of the same form as the 
second dorsal, but not quite so high ; it has one feeble spine 
and eleven rays ; the pectorals are nearly as long as the head ; 
they have ten rays, the five centre ones being the longest, and 
nearly equal amongst themselves, with two upper ones and 
three lower ones shorter. The ventrals are long, slender, 
formed of one spine and of two rays longer than the spine. 
All these rays have their extremity free, and their surface is as 
ruguous as the whole body. 
The colour is of a dark brown marbled with black ; there 
is a spot of that colour at the posterior angle of the second 
