Fish

P. nigricanti-fusco undique punctata; vértice, fronte, rostro usque ad nares, et infra-orbitalium parte posteriori, squamatis, squamis, in

capite ciliatis scabris, in corpore sublaevibus

B. 7; D. 9-1/11; A. 3/9; C. 17; P. 15; V. 1/5

Long. une. 11 ; line 5

Form. Much more elongated than the common Perch, with the back less elevated. Depth, beneath the commencement of the first dorsal, not quite equalling one-fifth of the entire length. Thickness, in the region of the pectorals, about two-thirds of the depth. Head not quite one-fourth of the entire length. Profile falling gently from the nape in nearly a straight line at an angle of about 450: at the nape the dorsal line rises so as to interrupt its continuity with the slope of the profile, but it is nearly horizontal along the base of the dorsal fins. The jaws are nearly equal, but when the mouth is closed, the upper one appears somewhat the longer. A band of velutine teeth in each jaw, as well as on the vomer and palatines. Maxillaries when at rest nearly concealed beneath the suborbital bones: these last

with their lower margin distinctly denticulated; their surface presenting several small hollows. Eyes rather above the middle of the cheeks, and about equi-distant from the extremity of the snout and the posterior margin of the preopercle; their diameter is one-sixth of the length of the head; the distance from one to the other equals one diameter and a half. Nostrils double, a little in advance of the eyes; the first orifice oval, the second round. Preopercle rectangular, with the angle rounded; / the ascending margin finely denticulated, the teeth almost disappearing at the top; towards the angle the teeth become stronger and point downwards; they are also stronger and more scattered along the basal margin, inclining here a little forwards. Opercle with two flat sharp points, one a little below the upper angle, the other about the middle and terminating the gill cover. Both the subopercle and interopercle have their margins obscurely denticulated: the margin of the former is rather sinuous, and passes obliquely forwards and downwards to form a continuous curve with that of the latter. Crown, forehead, upper part of the snout as far as the connecting line of the nostrils, posterior half of the suborbitals, cheeks, and all the pieces of the gill cover, excepting the lower limb of the preopercle, covered with small scales, which are in most instances ciliated with a varying number of denticles, and feel rough to the touch: the extremity of the snout, anterior portion of the suborbitals, maxillaries, and lower jaw are naked. Above each orbit is a small semi-circular granulated plate, with the granulations disposed in striae. The suprascapulars terminate in an obtuse projecting point. The humeral bone forms a large osseous triangular plate above the pectorals, the salient angle terminating in three small teeth. Course of the lateral line a little above one-third of the depth till it arrives beneath the second dorsal, where it bends down to half the depth. Scales on the body larger than those on the head, of an oblong form, rounded at their free edges, which are scarcely at all ciliated, and for the most part quite smooth to the touch; their concealed portion not wider than the free, with a fan of fourteen striae; the rest of their surface more finely striated. The first dorsal commences a little beyond a vertical line from the termination of the humeral plate, and is almost continuous with the second, being only separated by a deep notch: the space occupied by the two dorsals together is exactly one-third of the entire length: spines strong; the first scarcely more than one-third the length of the second, which is very little shorter than the third; this last longest, equalling rather more than half the depth; rest of the spines gradually decreasing to

the last, which is of the same length as the first. The second dorsal commences with a slender spine, not half the length of the first soft ray, which last is simple, the others being branched; third and fourth soft rays longest; the succeeding ones slowly decreasing to the last, which is rather more than half the longest. Anal preceded by three spines, the first of which is very short; second much longer and very stout; third of about the same length as the second, but much slenderer; the first and second separated by a wide membrane from the third, which is closely united to the first soft ray; these last longer than those of the second dorsal, but in other respects similar. The anal and second dorsal terminate in the same vertical line; and the last ray is double in both fins. Between them and the caudal is a space equalling one-fifth of the entire length. The caudal is slightly notched. The pectorals are rather pointed, their length equalling two-thirds that of the head. Ventrals immediately beneath them, and of about the same length; the first soft ray longest, and more than twice the length of the spine which precedes it.