er,
being the tips of two low even divergent ridges, with a curved notch in
the edges of the bone between them. The coracoid bone is notched above
the pectoral fin, the notch being terminated below by a spine, and above
by an acute corner. There are no scales between the cranial ridges on the
top of the head, nor in the concave inter-orbital space. A single row of
five or six scales traverses the cheek below the infra-orbitar ridge. The
temples before the upper limb of the preoperculum are densely scaly, as
is also the gill flap above the upper opercular ridge. The acute
membranous lobe which fills the notch between the two opercular spines is
likewise scaly, and there are a few scales about the origin of the
ridges, but the space between the ridges, the sub-operculum, and the
inter-operculum, are naked.

There is a short fringed superciliary cirrhus, and some slender filaments
from other parts of the head, as shown in the figure, also lax skinny
tips on the inferior points of the preorbitar and preoperculum, but the
condition of the specimen does not admit of other cirrhi being properly
made out if such actually existed. In the axilla of the pectoral there
are four or five pale round spots. The figure, which is of the natural
size, represents the markings which remain after long maceration in weak
spirit. If there be a black mark in the first dorsal, as in the
militaris, it is effaced in our specimen. Length, 2.4 inches.

HABITAT. The coasts of Australia.

...

Smaris porosus. RICHARDSON.

CH. SPEC. Smaris rostro porosissimo; fascia obscura e rostro per oculum
recte ad caudam tracta; fascia altera in summo dorso.

RADII. B. 6; D. 10 : 9; A. 3 : 7; C. 15 5/5; V. 1 : 5.

FISHES. PLATE 3.

This Smaris has fewer dorsal rays than any species described in the
Histoire des Poissons, and a shorter body than the Mediterranean
vulgaris. Its shape is fusiform, the greatest height, which is at the
ventrals, and which exceeds twice the thickness, being contained exactly
four times in the total length, caudal included. The thickness at the
gill cover is greater than that of the body, which lessens very gradually
to the end of the tail. The snout is transversely obtuse, but is rather
acute in profile. A cross section of the body at the ventrals is ovate,
approaching to an oval, the obtuse end being upwards. In profile the
curve of the belly is rather greater than that of the back, and the face
slopes downwards to the mouth,