in tbe form of a narrow fissure nearly to the base of the interparietal process, but is not very
obvious, except between the eyes, where it opens into a sort of elongated ellipse. T here are
eight or nine pores on the top of the head, rather behind the eyes, so arranged as to form
nearly a complete circle. There is also a very conspicuous row of three or four large oval
pores on the cheek, at the anterior p art of the opercle, descending obliquely forw ards: other
smaller ones may be seen scattered about different parts of the head. T he jaws are eq u al:
the teeth as in the last species, excepting that a roughness can be distinctly felt upon the
vomer beneath the skin, though there are no teeth on that part which appear through it. T he
maxillary pair of barbules reach to a point midway between the insertion of the ventrals and
the commencement of the a n a l: of the submandibular pairs, the exterior do not reach beyond
the insertion of the pectorals ; the interior are two-thirds the length of these. Eyes elliptical,
the longitudinal diam eter about one-fifth the length of the head; situate nearer the end of
the snout than the posterior part of the opercle; the interval between them nearly two
diameters. The lateral line slopes downward till opposite the fourth soft ray of the doreal,
then passes off straight along the middle to the caudal.
T he pectorals are contaiued about five-and-a-half times in the entire length. T he spine
is similar to that of the last species; but the humeral bone is shorter, and scarcely one-third
of the pectoral itself. T he dorsal is sim ilar; and the space between it and the adipose is the
sam e; but the adipose itself, though of the same form, is not so long, from the body being less
elongated; it is not more than h alf as long again as the dorsal. A nal similar, but the adipose
not advancing so much beyond it. C audal and ventrals sim ilar; but the former with the
lobes equal.
C o lo u r .— (In spirits.) On the whole similar to, but darker than that of the last species. There
is some appearance of a fascia along the lateral line. T h e upper p art of the domal, and also of
the anal, is dusky, but there is no spot on the adipose. Pectorals and ventrals dusky.
A second specimen differs from the above in no respect, except in being smaller, measuring
two inches and a quarter in length, and in having one ray more in the anal.
Habitat, Rio de Janeiro ?
The number annexed to this species has been lost, but there is reason for
believing that Mr. Darwin took it with the last at Rio de Janeiro. I cannot identify
it with any of those described by Cuvier and Valenciennes in the “ Histoire
des Poissons.”— It affords another instance of the indefiniteness of the character
derived from the presence or absence of vomerine teeth ; since a band of such
teeth, which are considered by Valenciennes as absent in this genus, can be
distinctly felt and made obvious by removing the skin of the palate, though they
do not appear externally. This is not the case with the species last described, to
which nevertheless, the present one approaches so closely in general character,
that they never could be widely separated. Except for the greater elongation of
the body in the P . gracilis, I should have been almost inclined to consider them
as sexes of the same species.
C a l l ic h t h y s p a i .e a t u s . Jen.
C. capile compresso Icevi: ore parvo, cirris m axillaribus ad ulrumque angulum duobus,
haud ultrà oculos pcrtingentibus ; labro inferiore rejlexo, et in duos cirros breves
membranáceos producto : spind pectorali compressa, fo r ti, margine interno leviter
dentato, externo Icevi, quintam partem totius longitudinis cequanti : caudali bifurai,
lobis cBqualibus acuminatis.
D . 1/7— 1 ; A. 6 ; C. 14, &c. ; P . 1/7 ; V. 6.
L o n g . unc. 1. lin. 10.
Form.— General form resembling that of the C. punctatus. D epth, at the commencement of the
dorsal, one-third of the length, excluding caud al: thickness at the pectorals three-fourths of the
depth. H ead slightly compressed, its height very little less than its length, this last, measured
to the gills, being rather less than one-fonrth of the entire length. Profile falling from the dorsal
in one regular slope, and nearly rectilineal till it arrives before the eyes, where it curves downwards,
making the extrem ity of the snout obtuse. M outh small, the upper jaw a little projecting
; two maxillary cirri at each angle ; these nearly eq u al; the lower one a little the longest,
reaching to beneath the middle of the e y e : also two short cirri, only half the length of the
maxillary ones, pendent from the refiexed lower lip, a little separate from each other, one on
each side the middle. T eeth so m inute as hardly to be distinguished ; a row can just be felt
on each jaw, and on the vomer. Head smooth. T he num ber of dorsal laminae tw enty-one;
that of the ventral twenty.
Pectorals a little exceeding the length of the head; the spine nearly as long as the fin
itself, but not exceeding one-fifth of the entire length; very strong, compressed, and sharp-
pointed, with a few fine teeth or serratures on the inner margin, but smooth on the outer.
H eight of the dorsal more than half the depth, and a little more than its own length, this last
equalling the space between it and the adipose: the spine strong, aud similar to that of the
pectoral. Anal directly underneath the adipose, and hardly occupying more space. \ entrals
shorter than the pectorals, attached beneath the last third of those fins, or under the second
soft ray in the dorsal, and scarcely reaching more than half-way to the anal: the first ray, as
well as that of the anal, somewhat hispid. Caudal forked for half its length, which about
equals that of the head : the lobes equal and pointed.
C o lo u r.—(J?2 spirits.) G eneral colour yellowish-brown, with dusky spots and m ottlings:
breast and edge of the abdomen whitish. Pectorals, ventrals, and anal, almost wholly dusky :
dorsal and caudal spotted.
This species, in its genera! character, approaches so extremely near the C .
punclaius of Valenciennes, that perhaps I am in error in considering it distinct.
But it is remarkable for possessing, in addition to tbe four usual maxillary cirri,
two labial, which are neither represented in D ’Orbigny’s figure,* nor noticed in the
description given in the “ H istoire des Poissons,” and whicii therefore I infer are not
present in that species, as they could hardly have been overlooked, or been deemed
unimportant to be noticed. The maxillary cirri also, which in the C. punctatus,
• Voy. dans L'Am er. M6rid. Atl. Ichth. pi. 5. fig. 1.