268 
geay’s char. 
of the head elevated above the border of the orhit, the diameter 
of which is one fiftlr of the length of the head, shorter than 
the snout; mterorbital space convex, with a prominent ridge 
along the middle, and with a pair of series of pores. Snout 
slightly compressed, subconical, length of the jaws equal. 
Nostrils midway between the end of the snout and the border 
of the eye; the hindmost wider and round, the anterior a very 
narrow vertical slit; both separated by a narrow cutaneous 
bridge. The maxillary (mystache) extends to the vertical from 
the hindmost border of the eye, and is armed with sixteen 
very small teeth, the hindmost rudimentary; all the other teeth 
small, four in the intermaxillary, twelve in each mandible, 
two to four in the vomer, fifteen on each palatine, and four 
jiairs on the tongue. d'he suboperculum, which forms the 
hindmost part of the gill- cover, does not cover the exposed 
portion of the shoulder above the root of the pectoral fin. 
Dorsal fin with thirteen or fourteen rays, its origin nearer the 
end of the snout than to the root of the tail, fourth and fifth 
rays the longest. The di.stance of the adipose fin from the 
dorsal is less than tndee the length of the base of the latter; 
anal fin with twelve rays, its origin at the middle between the 
root of the caudal fin and of the outer ventral ray; fourth, fifth 
and^ six rays the longest. The tail forked, the lobes pointed.’ 
Pectoral fin with thirteen or fourteen rays, its base free of the 
operculum, and ending at a short distance from the ventral- 
ventral with nine rays, its origin below the ninth, tenth, and 
eleventh rays of the dorsal. The scales very conspicuous, and 
cmnparatively much larger than in any other of the British 
Chars; those of the lateral line not larger than the others. As 
regards colour the sides and belly are silvery, the scales on the 
sides of the back have a silvery centre and a blackish border- 
the back itself bluish black, belly with a reddish shade; sides 
with scattered light orange-coloured dots; fins blackish; the 
dorsal lighter superiorly; ventrals with a narrow whitish border 
Head silvery, black above. We shall sav more about this 
species when we have described the next that follows. 
