433 
of Edinburgh, Session 1876-77. 
attaining a length of 8 inches, while another, unfortunately wanting 
the head, would probably have measured no less than 10 inches had 
it been entire. The head seems rather large, and would probably 
be contained about in the total ; the greatest depth of the 
body is at the shoulder, whence it gradually tapers to the tail 
pedicle, which is rather narrow. The suspensorium is very oblique, 
the gape extensive ; the lower jaw is of a tapering form. Traces of 
sharp conical teeth are seen in many specimens, and are, as usual, 
arranged in two sets — internal larger and external smaller. The 
operculum is large and oblong, with acute anterior-superior and 
posterior-inferior angles ; the interoperculum is of the usual quadrate 
shape. A specimen from Wardie, obliquely compressed upon its 
back, shows on the right side a beautiful series of 15 branchiostegal 
rays, along with the anterior 7 of those of the other side, besides 
which there is a small median lozenge-shaped plate behind the 
symphysis of the jaw, the anterior plate of each lateral series being 
also much broader than the others. All the bones of the head are 
finely and closely striated. 
The scales are rather large on the front of the flank. In a 
Burdiehouse specimen, which probably measured originally about 
10 inches in length, one of these scales measures •§ inch in 
height by in breadth ; they get much smaller posteriorly, and 
those situated on the belly are rather low and narrow. Their 
external ornament consists of sharp yet delicate slightly sigmoidally 
curved ridges, mostly parallel with the superior and inferior 
margins. In the furrows between these, numerous punctures may 
be observed, and very often about the centre of the scale the ridges 
are over a small space nearly obsolete, so that the punctures come 
more prominently into view. Proceeding towards the tail, the 
ridges become less and less prominent, especially in the middle of 
the scale, so that the ornament ultimately appears to consist only of 
short furrows and punctures, which are most marked towards the 
anterior and posterior margins. The posterior margin of the scale 
is finely denticulated ; the keel of the under surface is feebly 
marked in the scales of the front of the body, but posteriorly 
it becomes more apparent. 
The paired fins are rather small, the pectoral attaining only about 
one-half the length of the head. It consists of about 30 rays, of 
