Part 48

Habitat, King George’s Sound.

This species was taken by Mr. Darwin in King George’s Sound, and appears to be new. It has some points of resemblance with the Balistes Ayraud of Quoy and Gaimard, but in that the dorsal fin is said to extend to the caudal, which is far from being the case here. I have named it velutinus, in respect of the minute bristles which cover the skin, somewhat resembling the pile of velvet.

OSTRACION PUNCTATUS. Schn.

L’Ostracion pointillé, Lacép. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. tom. i. p. 455. pl. 21. fig. 1. Ostracion punctatus, Schneid. Syst. Ichth. p. 501. ———— Meleagris, Shaw, Nat. Misc. pl. 253.

This well-marked species of Ostracion, first described by Lacépède from Commerson’s MSS., and afterwards figured by Shaw, in his “Naturalist’s Miscellany,” under the name of O. Meleagris, was obtained by Mr. Darwin at Tahiti, where it had been previously observed by Captain Cook.

There are two specimens in the collection, both exactly similar, and of the same size, measuring a trifle more than three inches and a half in length. They also accord well with Shaw’s figure. Lacépède, in his description, speaks of the anal fin as being more extended than the dorsal, and as having eleven rays; but in both Mr. Darwin’s specimens, I find the number of rays in these two fins the same. The formula is as follows:

D. 9; A. 9; C. 8; P. 10.

Schneider has noticed this species twice; first under the name of lentiginosus, and again under that of punctatus.

CYCLOSTOMI.

FAMILY.—PETROMYZONIDÆ.

MYXINE AUSTRALIS. Jen.

FORM.—Scarcely differing from the M. glutinosa, but apparently rather more slender in proportion to its length. Mouth and cirriform appendages the same. Branchial orifices two, very near together, placed beneath, at a little beyond one-fourth of the entire length. A very conspicuous row of pores along each side of the abdomen. The tail seems somewhat sharper than in the M. glutinosa, and the rays of the low fin which turns round its extremity rather more distinct. Vent distant from the end of the tail rather less than one-eighth of the entire length.

Length 11 inc. 6 lin.

COLOUR.—“Above coloured like an earth-worm, but more leaden; beneath yellowish; head purplish.”—D.

Habitat, Tierra del Fuego.

Mr. Darwin obtained this species by hook amongst the kelp, in Goree Sound, and other parts of Tierra del Fuego, where he observes it is abundant amongst the rocky islets. Its extreme southern locality would suggest the idea of its being distinct from the M. glutinosa of the northern seas; yet the differences between the two, upon comparison, are very slight, and, if it really be so, as I have ventured to consider it, it requires an examination of more specimens to lay down its exact specific character.

Mr. Darwin has made some interesting remarks on the habits of this fish. He observes that it is “very vivacious, and retained its life for a long time; that it had great powers of twisting itself, and could swim tail first. When irritated, it struck at any object with its teeth; and by protruding them, in its manner, much resembled an adder striking with its fangs. It vomited up a Sipunculus when caught.” He adds, that he “observed a milky fluid transuding through the row of lateral pores.”

APPENDIX.

The following Appendix contains descriptions of a few species, which were omitted to be noticed in their proper places; and further remarks with respect to some, which will be found in the body of the work.

FAMILY.—PERCIDÆ.

1. APHRITIS UNDULATUS. Jen.

PLATE XXIX. fig. 1.

A. elongatus: lateribus supra pallide olivaceis, fasciis transversis abbreviatis, lineisque longitudinaliter undantibus, nigris; lateribus infra argenteis: pinnis dorsalibus et caudali punctatis; pinnis, reliquis, et lineâ laterali, albidis.

B. 6; D. 8—25; A. 1/22; C. 14, et 6 brevioribus; P. 22; V. 1/5. LONG. unc. 3. lin. 1.

FORM.—Elongated; the depth about one-sixth of the entire length; the thickness two-thirds of the depth. depth. Head four and a half times in the length. Profile falling very gradually at first, but more rapidly in advance of the eyes, causing the snout to appear rather obtuse. Mouth small: maxillary slender, hardly reaching to a vertical line from the anterior margin of the orbit: upper jaw slightly longer than the lower, and very protractile. Teeth very minute, forming a narrow velutine band: a patch on the chevron of the vomer scarcely visible, but capable of being very distinctly felt; none apparent on the palatines. Eye one-fourth the length of the head, and distant one diameter from the end of the snout; the interocular space rather less than the diameter. Snout slightly indented, or furrowed out in front of the eyes. A series of impressions on the lower jaw, and along the limb of the preopercle, but much less obvious than in the next species, and not distinctly porous. Preopercle with the ascending margin vertical, the angle at bottom rounded; the limb broad and distinctly marked, with the boundary line between it and the cheek slightly elevated into a ridge. The opercle, with its membrane, produced backwards in an angle, the subopercle being visible beneath. The branchial membrane six-rayed, and fastened to the isthmus underneath, the aperture commencing beneath the ascending margin of the preopercle.

Fish Pl. 29 Appendix.

Waterhouse Hawkins del. ]

1. Aphritis undulatus. Nat. Size. 2. Iluocœtes fimbriatus. „ 2a. „ Magnified View of Teeth. „ 3. Phucocœtes latitans. „ 3a. „ „ Teeth. „