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Show FISII. regularly and closely set: behind the incisors above and below is a patch of fine card: then follow the molars, which are in three very regular rows above and two below ; of the three rows above the inner and outer ones are much the strongest, containing each about eight teeth ; those in the outer row are slightly pointed, and not very unequal in size, but the inner series enlat·ge very rapidly as they extend backwards, the last two or three being of considerable size; all round or nearly so, there being no large oval one at the back, as in the C. A.urata and some other species ; the middle series above consists of teeth much smaller than the others, and more numerous : the two rows below are not very dissimilar to the inner and outer rows above. Suborbital broad, and naked, covering a large portion of the cheek. Scales on the body of a moderate size; too much injured and displaced in this specimen to admit of the exact number being counted in a longitudinal row; those on the lateral line, however, are all perfect and present to within five rays of the end of the dorsal, and up to that point they amount to thirty-one. The fins, so far as can be judged from their present state, are on the whole very similar to those of the other species; but the dorsal and anal spines, especially the second anal spine, appear rather stronger than those of the C. A.urala. Pectorals long and narrow, contained about three times and three quarters in the entire length. CoLOUR.-" White, with four dark brown much interrupted bands, giving a mottled appearance; head coloured with the same ; top of the head, ridge of the back, edges of the dorsal, caudal and ventral fins, tinted with fine azure blue."-D. · Habitat, Chatham Island, Galapagos Archipelago. Mr. Darwin's co11ection contains a single specimen of a species of Cltrysoplt1 ·ys from the Galapagos Archipelago, not in a sufficiently good state of preservation to admit of a very detailed description being given of it, but, nevertheless, evidently distinct from any that I can find recorded by authors. It appears to belong to Cuvier's second section of this genus characterized by the absence of any large oval molar behind the others, though the last two or three in the inner series above are of considerable size. It differs, however, from all those described in the " Histoire des Poissons," in having the conical incisors more numerous, and but three rows of molars in the uppet· jaw. The specimen also is of sufficient size to lead to the belief, that it would not have acquired any additional ones by further growth. The C. aculeata resembles it, indeed, in this last character, but independently of other differences, this species is said to have a reclined spine before the dorsal fin which is not present in the one here described. Out of twenty-two species of this genus described in the " Histoire des Poissons," only one is from the Pacific Ocean, whence the present species was brought. The g-reater number are from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. |