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Show !)2 ZOOLOGY OF TilE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. I 1 · h r: 0und in Clinus this genus has a narrow line of very minute teet 1, w 11c are 1• ' • • teeth running longitudinally down the middle of the tongue, commumcatmg .a sensible roughness to the touch. Thirdly, the ventrals are more back ward, then point of insertion being only a very little in a~vance of that of th~ pectorals. Lastly, it is remarkably characterized by havmg three, or o~e m1ght almost say four, distinct lateral lines. The uppermost .of these hnes commences at the posterior angle of the opercle, whence 1t turns abruptly upwards and runs immediately beneath the base of the dorsal : the second runs along the median lin~ of the body, but does not .commence till .a litt~e beyond the base of the pectoral: the third commences a l1ttle above the msertwn of the ventrals, and answers to the uppet· one, taking its course a little above the anal: there is also part of a fourth, which originates between the ventrals, and joins the third at the commencement of the anal. All these lines are marked by larger and differently formed scales from those on the body, (which last are very minute,) with an elevated tube on each, the tubal pore, however, being most distinct on the middle or second line. In its general form, and in the large number of dorsal spines, this genus resembles Clinus: the form of the head and mouth are for the most part similar; also all the parts of the gill-cover; as well as the branchial membrane, which is six-rayed anu free all rounu. The tags at the tips of the dorsal and anal spines are very conspicuous, and give those fins somewhat of a labriform appearance. It is not improbable that the Clinus littoreus of Cuvier and Valenciennes, which they have characterized from a drawing and description in the Banksian Library, and which is said to possess twenty-five spines in the anal fin, may belong to this new genus. It is observed by those authors, in reference to its peculiarity in this respect, that such a ci1·cumstance, if conect, would be unexampled, and would tend to separate it from the genus in which they have placed it. It is also worth remarking that the C. littm·eus comes from New Zealand, the same country as that whence Mr. Darwin obtained the above. In the circumstance of having three lateral lines, this new genus seems to have some affinity with Clti1·us of Steller; but the scales are not ciliated as they are said to be in this last, neither are the ventrals five-rayed. AcAN1'HOCLINUS Fuscus. Jen. PLATE XYIII. Fig. 2. FoRM.-Body elongated and comprm;sed; the depth, which varies but little, one-sixth of the entire length; thickness in the region of the pectorals rather more than half the depth. Ileud contained very little more than four times in the length. Profile sloping but very little. Snout rather short: mouth protractile, and rather wide: lips somewhat fleshy and reflexed. Gape reaching to beneath the anterior part of the oruit, but the maxillary, which is dilated at its FISH. posterior extremity, and cut nearly square, reaching to beyond the middle. Lower jaw a little the longest, and ascending to meet the upper. Severn! t•ows of sharp velutine teeth in each jaw, with some here and there stronger and more hooked than the others, those below almo~t fine card : a band on the vomer and on each palatine. Tongue of a triangular fot·m, free and pointed at the tip, with a ridge of asperities down the median line. Eyes high, but hardly interrupting the line of the profile; theit· diameter one-fifth the length of the head; distant one diameter from the end of the snout. No filamentous appendages of any kind on any part of the head; but an irregular circle of pores nearly surrounding the orbit; also a few very distinct pores beneath the lower jaw. Pt·eopercle rounded, with distant pores along the margin. Opercle terminating posteriorly in a sharp salient angle with the basal margin ascending; beneath which the subopercle and interopercle are both very distinct. Branchial membrane free and open all round, not adhering to the isthmus underneath, but deeply notched in the middle. The dorsal commences in a line with the posteriot· point of the gill-cover, and is very similar to that of Clirws. Spinous portion long, and, excepting the first two rays, of nearly uniform height, equalling nearly half the depth; the membrane deeply notched between the spines, the tips of which are invested with filamentous tags. Soft portion of the dorsal more elevated than the spinous, and with only four rays. Between the end of this fin and the caudal is a small space equalling nearly two-thirds of the depth beneath. The anal commences under the twelfth dorsal spine, and exactly corresponds to the posterior half of that fin, reaching also to the same point. The spines in both fins are sharp and moderately strong; the soft rays articulated and branched, and terminating rather in a point behind. Caudal rounded, with fourteen branched rays, and a few shorter simpler ones. Pectorals one-seventh of the entire length, rounded when spread open, with all the rays except the last bqmched. Ventrals narrow and pointed, about the same length as the pectorals, and inserted bnt very little in advance of those fins: the spine well developed, and half the length of the soft rays: first soft ray long, and deeply divided so as to appear like two; the second ray slender and shorter. Body covered with very minute scales; but none on the head or on any of the fins. Three very distinct lateral lines, with a portion of a fourth, as already stated above. B. 6; D. 20/4; A. 9J4; C. W, &c.; P. 17; V. 1/2. Length 3 inc. 8 lin. CoLOun.-Not noticed in the recent state. In spirits it appears of a nearly uniform bister brown, with the fins and some portion of the l1ead darker than the rest, especially a blackish spot on the opercle. Habitat, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. There are four specimens of this new fish in the collection, all similar except in size. Tile above is the largest. The others measure in length from one inch aud three quarters, to not quite three inches. The two largest are from the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The other two have lost their labels: I only presume therefore that they are from the same locality. |