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Show 1890.] SPECIES OF FISHES FROM MADEIRA. 453 of the head, its posterior extremity not reaching quite so far as vertical from the middle of the eye. In the upper jaw there is a narrow band of minute curved teeth with two larger conical teeth ; at the front of the lower jaw a similar band of teeth with four conical ones, and at the sides behind a single series of teeth. Minute teeth on the vomer and palatines; none on the tongue. The opercular pieces are clothed with scales. There is a spine near the upper angle of the opercle and another spine a little lower down. Lower still are a few serratures. The vertical border of the preopercle is strongly serrate, and there is a spine at the angle with a smaller spine a little beyond. The rest of the lower edge is entire. All the spines are directed backwards. The dorsal fin begins over the root of the pectorals and extends a little beyond the end of the anal. The first and second spines are short, the third and fourth are equal in length and have skinny tags at their tops. The soft portion of the fin is higher than the spinous portion ; the last rays reach to the base of the caudal. The pectorals are not quite so long as the ventrals, and they reach back to the beginning of the anal, or to the end of the spinous portion of the dorsal; their bases are scaly. The ventrals are inserted under the root of the pectorals and reach back a little beyond the commencement of the anal. The second soft ray is elongate and filiform. The anal begins a little behind the middle of the base of the dorsal. The first spine is short, the second stout and the longest of the three. The soft portion of the fin is higher than the second spine, but the last rays do not reach nearly so far as the base of the caudal. The caudal is deeply furcate and has some of the exterior rays elongate and filiform. The membrane between the rays is scaly as in Ccdlanthias. The lateral line has 37 scales; it rises from the edge of the gill-cover, runs high up on the side following the curve of the back, descends rapidly under the end of the base of the dorsal, and passes along the middle of the tail to the base of the caudal. The colour of all the specimens had faded to a pale brown; but faint traces of pink or red were visible in parts, and there seemed to have been twelve or more narrow transverse bands on the sides, alternating with paler bands. This fish much confuses the distinction between the genera An-thias and Ccdlanthias. With the only known member of the latter genus it agrees in having only six branchiostegal rays, in possessing much the same external form, and in having the angles of the caudal fin prolonged into filaments. It would therefore appear that the difference between the two genera is reduced to the serrature of the border of the preopercle, which is present in Anihias and not in Gallanthias, a trifling artificial distinction. The first specimen that came under m y notice was found dead and dry by myself, in a cavity amongst a mass of Ostrea and Chama shells brought up from deep water. Afterwards four specimens were taken by the officers of the ' Britannia' whilst engaged in repairing PROC ZOOL. Soc-1890, No. XXXI. 31 |