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Show FISII. 29 This species is said by Cuvier and Valenciennes to be common all along the Brazilian coast as far as the mouth of the Plata. Mr. Darwin's specimen was taken swimming on the surface in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, and agrees well with the description by those authors. "When first taken made a croaking noise."-D. 2. PRIONOTUS MILES. Jen. PLJ.TE VI. P. splendide 1·ubro variatus; rostro emarginato, tdrinque distincte denticulato ; buccis levissime granulosis; fossuld dorsali lateribus inermibus ; squamis corporis parvis, ubique ciliatis; pinnis pectoralibus modicis, corpore certe triplo brevioribus; radiis liberis sttbincrassatis, apicibus dilatatis. B. 7; D. 10-12; A. 11; C. 12, &c.; P. 13 et 3; V. t /5. Long. unc. J 0. lin. 3. FoR?tL-In general form, that of the head especially, very similar to the Trigla Hirundo of the British seas. Compared with the P. punctatus last described, it is rather more elongated, the depth and thickness being less. Profile falling less obliquely. Space between the eyes broader, but equally concave. Snout not so obtuse, and more deeply notched; with six short but well developed teeth on each side, followed by some minuter denticles. The lines of granulations on the snout and cheeks are very fine, and not so strongly marked, or spread over so large a portion of the face. One principal spine, preceded by two or three small denticles, at the anterior angle of each orbit; at the posterior angle, a well marked notch with a small denticle, (in this specimen the denticle on the left side of the head only,) but no regular spine: these notches are connected by a transverse lin!! on the cranium, but not by a groove (as in P. Carolinus, Cuv. et Val.). No spines on the temples, or on the crest at the bottom of the preopercle; but the ordinary spine of the preopercle, as well as the opercular, suprascapular, and clavicular spines, appear as usual, though not quite so long as in the P. punctatus; the clavicular spine has one line of points along its ridge, but the granulations are not very obvious. Band of palatine teeth much as in P. punctatus. First dorsal spine with a row of granulated points in front; the second spine with a row on the left side of the fin; the third spine with a very rudimentary row on the right side; but none of these granulations very obvious: third spine longest, equalling about threefourths of the depth of the body; the fourth and succeeding spines gradually decreasing to the tenth, which is barely visible, and so reclined as to be easily overlooked. Dorsal groove shallow, with the sides unarmed. Scales on the body small, broader than long; their free edges finely ciliated, communicating a decided roughness to the touch; their concealed portions crenated at the hinder margin, and marked with a fan of five or six strire. Lateral line not distinguished by any particular scales, but forming a whitish streak from the upper part of the gill-opening to the caudal. Pectorals relatively shorter than in P. punctatus, contained a little more than three times in the entire length; when laid back they reach to a vertical line from the fourth |