120 
posea on a single line at eacli jaw ; interior of the mouth and 
tongue smooth ; the posterior edge of the prseoperculum is emar- 
ginated, with its angle quite rounded ; this edge is armed with a 
number of short acute spines, each of which extends on the 
prEeopereulum, and gives it the appearance of being radiated ; 
the operculum extends in a long, obtuse, flat point over the base 
of the pectorals, and its lower limb is sometimes rather denticu- 
lated ; six branchiostegals ; the body is covered with rather 
small scales, which are marked with concentric lines, and fall very 
easily ; the lateral line runs over about ninety -three scales, and 
follows the profile of the back at about one-fourth of its height, 
and extends to the centre of the base of the caudal. On the dry 
specimens its posterior part appears carinated ; below this line 
there is a deep longitudinal sulcated line, which extends all 
along the body at half of its height, and has the appearance of a 
second lateral line ; the first dorsal fin is very low, and begins 
over the insertion of the pectorals ; it is formed of six small 
feeble spines, connected together by a very low membrane ; the 
second dorsal is much higher ; it is composed of two spines and 
thirty soft rays ; the first spine is much shorter than the second, 
but considerably longer than any of the first dorsal ; the first 
rays of the dorsal are nearly twice as long as the second spine, 
but the following decrease until the seventh or eigth, when the 
succeeding ones maintain about the same height ; the total 
length of the second dorsal is contained two and one-third times 
in the total length of the body, and the distance from its end to 
the centre of the caudal is contained five and one-third times 
in the total length ; the caudal is deeply formed, and has 
twenty-one long rays and several short ones on each side ; the 
most external of these does not attain the extremity of the fin ; 
the anal, having the same form as the second dorsal, is formed of 
two very small conical spines, and of two slender ones ; the first 
is much shorter than the second, and this is only one-half of the 
following rays ; these number twenty-one ; this fin is much 
shorter than the second dorsal, and is contained more than 
four times the length of the body ; the ventral fin is rather 
small; it is inserted a little behind the base of the pectorals, and 
the space behind it and the beginning of the anal is equal to the 
length of the latter, and is formed of a rather long, slender. 
