267 
of Edinburgh, Session 1876 - 77 . 
they run parallel, and usually becomiug speedily obsolete over the 
rest of the scale, so as to leave a considerable space above and 
behind, marked only with tolerable coarse punctures, though in 
many cases shallow grooves also extend for some distance forwards 
from the notches between the denticulations of the posterior border. 
These' striae are much more pronounced in some specimens than 
in others; except on the small scales at the base of the dorsal fin, 
where they are pretty well marked, they cease to be observable 
before the origin of the ventrals, whence backwards the only scale- 
ornament consists oT scattered punctures passing into short oblique 
furrows, especially near the interior margin, these punctures and 
furrows being persistent even on the small lozenge-shaped scales 
clothing the sides of the caudal body-prolongation. The scales 
also vary considerably in size on different parts of the body, becom- 
ing rapidly smaller posteriorly. One from the middle of the flank 
between the head and ventral fins in a specimen of 6 inches, mea- 
sures nearly inch in height by in breadth, while the breadth 
of one from the side of the posterior part of the body opposite the 
termination of the dorsal fin is only equal to one-half that of the 
former. The scales immediately below and adjoining the base of 
origin of the dorsal fin are of particularly small size. The usual 
large scales are seen in front of the dorsal and anal fins, and the 
squamation of the prolongation of the body axis along the upper 
lobe of the caudal present nothing specially worthy of note. 
The pectoral fins are acutely pointed, and of considerable ex- 
panse. The length of each is equal to about three-quarters that of 
the head ; the ventrals are smaller ; the base of each is rather 
short. They are likewise pointed in shape, and have their posterior 
margins considerably cut out. The dorsal is placed behind the 
middle of the back, so that the centre of its base is nearly opposite 
the commencement of the anal ; both these fins are large and 
triangular ; the caudal is powerful and deeply cleft. The rays of 
all the fins are very numerous and delicate ; in the pectoral these 
cannot be less than 30 ; in the ventral, 23; in the dorsal and anal, 
45 each ; those of the caudal cannot be counted. The articulations 
of the fin rays are also tolerably close, especially in the finer rays 
of the posterior part of each fin, where the joints appear nearly 
square, being in the other rays rather longer than broad ; the arti- 
2 N 
VOL. IX. 
