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Show 88 ZOOLOGY OF TilE VOYAGE OF TilE BEAGLE. fins, and all its other characters, it is exactly similar. The fiii-ray formula is a little different; D. 13/20; A. 23 ; &c.- The colours, also, as they appear in spirits, are rather different. The general ground of the body is olivaceous grey, but paler than in the male specimen, and inclining to yellowish, with faint indications of vertical bands, and also a few dark spots towards the tail end. Dorsal and anal spotted, the forme•· more so than the latter. Mr. Darwin's notes, taken from the recent fish, merely state,-" with dull red transverse lines." The S. quadricornis is stated by Cuvier and Valenciennes to be very common at the Mauritius, whence it may not improbably range as far eastward as the Keeling Islands. 3. SALARIAS voMERINUS. Cuv. et Val.? Salnrias vomerinus? 0u1J. et Val. Ilist. des Poiss. tom. xi. p. 258. PLATE XVII. Fig. 3. FoRM.-Elongated and compressed, the thickest part being iu the region of the gills. Greatest depth contained about six and a-half times in the entire length: thickness at the pectorals about two-thirds of the depth, or rather more. Length of the head rather exceeding the depth of the body, and exceeding its own depth by about one-fourth. Snout obtuse; broad and rounded when viewed from above. Lips crenated at the sides of the mouth, but not in the middle. Teeth in the jaws moveable, extremely fine and numerous: two long canines at the bottom of the lower jaw, curving backwards, and fitting into two corresponding holes in the palate: also a transverse row of minute teeth on the front of the vomer. Profile nearly vertical; the eyes placed Just within the angle formed by it with the line of the crown. Two broad palmated superciliary filaments, not equal in length to the diameter of the eyes : two similar ones at the nostrils, each consisting of six or eight bristles: also two short simple filaments, one on each side of the nape. The dorsal, which commences a little behind the nuchal filaments, is so deeply notched behind the twelfth ray as almost to appear like two fins. The height of the anterior or spinous portion is about two-fifths of the depth: the posterior is more elevated, equalling three-fourths of the depth : this portion is connected by its membrane with the upper part of the tail, but does not reach to the caudal, leaving an interval just equal to half the depth of the tail at this point. The anal commences opposite the eleventh ray of the dorsal, and does not reach so far as that fin, leaving three times the space between it and the caudal: the first two rays short and soft, the first scarcely connected by membrane with those that follow; the membrane d~eply notched between all the rays, excepting the last three, where it is continuous. Caudal slightly rounded at the extremity. Pectorals broad, but a little pointed when the rays are not spread out i longer than the head, the fifth and sixth rays from the bottom being longest. Ventral~ sh?rt, only half the length of the pectorals, or one-tenth of the entire length, consisting (wh•ch IS unusual in this genus) of four distinct rays two shorter and slender ones, besides the two ordinary thick ones. ' The latera~ line is faintly indicated by a fine line which sweeps over the pectorals, and then passes off stra•ght along the middle. As far as the pectorals reach, the line is continuous: FISH. 89 beyond, it is interrupted, or only marked out by slightly elevated tubal pores at intervals; and it disappears altogether considerably before reaching the caudal. D. 12/1.5; A. 18; C. 13, &c.; P. 14; V. 4. Length 3 inches 2 lines. CoLOun.-(In spirits.) The gi'Ound appears to have been pale yellowish-brown: sides marked with numerous approximating dark transverse fascire, twelve or fourteen in number: these fascire are continued on to the caudal, where there are five, narrower than those on the body. Head marked with black dots and undulating lines; especially two undulating lines commencing on the cheeks behind the eyes, and passing upwards to the nape : upper lip and sides of the throat marked with several fine lines. A row of black dots a little below the base of the anterior part of the dorsal. The fascire on the sides extend on to the dorsal, where they take an oblique direction backwards. Anal pale at the base, but with the tips of the rays dusky. Pectorals and ventrals uniformly plain dusky. Habitat, Porto Pmya, Cape Verde Islands. Cl\vier and Valenciennes state that they have received but one species of Salarias from the Atlantic Ocean north of the line, the S. Atlanticus already noticed. The present is a second found within that range, obtained by 1\Ir. Darwin at Porto Praya. Perhaps it may be a new one; but it is so very nearly allied to the S. vonzerinus of the above authors, that I consider it hazardous to describe it as distinct. It agrees especially with that species in having vomerine teeth, and four rays in the ventrals, as well as in the general disposition of the markings ; Lut no mention is made in the "Histoire des Poissons" of the nuchal filaments, which, however, may have been overlooked, as they are small and simple, and not very obvious. If it be identical with that species, its range in the Atlantic must be considerable, as the S. vorneriuus is found on the coast ofS. America, near Bahia. Generally speaking the same species are not observed on both sides of that ocean ; and perhaps this is an argument for its being distinct: but if so, it is diUicult, without the opportunity of a more close comparison, to point out any essential differences by which it may be characterized. This species appears also to have many points of agreement with the S. textilis brought by MM. Quoy and Gaimard from the Island of Ascension; but the colours do not exactly correspond, neither is there any mention made in the description of this last, of the vomerine teeth and four ventral rays, which so peculiarly characterize the one above noticed. As I feel some doubts with respect to this species being new or not, I have thought it advisable to have it figured, more especially as there is no figure, either of the S. vomet·{nus ot· S. te..ctilis, to both which it is so nearly allied. N |