46^ Dr. Richardson on a genus of Chinese Fish. intermaxillaribus (satis mobilibus, nee tamen propter pedicellorum brevitatem protractilibus) facto. Os maxillare gracile paulo in / curvatum, angulum tantum oris attingens, nee sub aeiem ossis prseorbitalis recidens. Denies in ambitu oris stipati, breves curvati. Vomer et palatum edentati. Ossa pharyngis denticulata. OcuU largiusculi, laterales. AperturtB cujusque paris narium invicem remotae : anteriores mi- nores in apice extreme rostri positse. Os prceorbitale oblique flabelliforme, rostro brevius : ossa suborbi- talia sequentia minima, Gena magna, nuda, inarmata. Ossa operculi parva utia cum membrana connectenti circumeun- tique operculum modicum, triangulare conficientia. Os operculare proprium tripartitum, parte postica in apicibus quinque subspinosis divisa. Apertura hranchialis amplissima intra ramos maxillse inferioris procedens. Membrana branchiostega lata, radiis sex gracilibus sus- tentata. Arcus branchiarum quatuor liberi et lamina una operculo adnata. Corpus teres modo Triglorum in caudam gracilem sensim attenu- atum, ventre tumido. Cutis Isevis, squamae verae nuUae. Linea lateralis versus finem ejus difFracta, ad basin pinnae caudae desinens, per totum cursum suum scutellis scabris armata. Scutelli pauci in linea media lateris sparsi. Pinnce ventrales ante pectorales positae. Pinnae verticales pinnas Trigli simulantes. Pinnae dorsales duae : prior quarum alta, trian- gularis : radii pinnae secundae setacei, simpliciusculi. Radii pinnae ani omnes articulati cum apicibus modo Trachinorum de membrana extantibus. Pinnae pectorales majusculae, rotundatae, non pedi- cellatae, radiis omnibus divisae. Papilla genitalis simplex, parva. Vesica aeris nulla. Ventri- culus ovalis cum ramo brevi ascendenti. Intestinum convolutionem unam faciens dein rectum ad anum tendens. Caeca pylorica dua brevia. Channichthys rhinoceratus, Rich. Species unica adhuc cognita. Statura sesquipedalis. Rad.:— B. 6;D. 8|-35; A. 31 ; C. llf; P. 21 ; V. 1|5. LIII. — Description of a Genus of Chinese Fish. By John Rich- ardson, M.D., F.R.S. &c. Familia THERAPONINiE. Genus Hapalogenys, Richardson. Ch. Gen. — Corpus altum, compressum, dorso acuto, squamis as- pefis undique tectum. Linea lateralis arcuata, continua. Caput undique squamosum, regionibus arctis narium, labiis, oris posterioribus maxillarum, ac plicis inflexis membranae branchiostegae Dr. Richardson on a genus of Chinese Fish, 463 exceptis. Labium inferius, ad mentum papillis teneris brevissimis dense villosum, inter quas in apice menti pori duo exigui et in ramo utroque maxillae inferioris pori tres majores numerandi sunt. Fovea centralis sub mento nulla, Prceoperculum arcuatum, serratum. Operculum denticulis duobus vix inter squamas conspicuis armatum. Denies villosi, stipati, in serie extima supra et infra obesiores, nee tamen altiores : dentes canini nulli. Palatum Iseve, plicatum. Pinna dor si ad basin fere bipartita, cum spina antica recumbenti. Mem- brana brancUostega radiis sex sustentata. Spec. 1. H. nitens, Richardson, Zool. of Beagle, Fish. pi. 43. f. 1, 2. 2. H. analis, idem. pi. 43. f. 3. This genus is founded upon specimens of two species brought from Canton by John Reeves, Esq., F.R.S., and presented by him to the British Museum. Mr. Reeves had coloured drawings made from the recent fish, copies of which exist in a volume of unpub- lished figures collected by General Hardwicke, also in the British Museum, and representations of both species are given in the 'Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Sulphur' (plate 43). Hapalogenys agrees with the Scisenoid genus Lohotes in the number of the gill-rays and tolerably closely in external aspect, but it may be distinguished by the rounded preoperculum and the arrangement of the pores on the chin. In the harshness of its finely toothed scales it difiers from the true Scicsnidcs, and it can scarcely be separated from the group to which Datnia and Nandus belong. The presence or absence of vomerine and pala- tine teeth, when employed rigidly as a distinctive character of the Percoid and Scisenoid families, tends to separate genera agreeing closely in other parts of their structure. Cuvier himself has dis- regarded it in the arrangement of certain Percoids having fewer than seven gill-rays; and it may be as well to go somewhat farther, and to bring Serranus and its subgenera Plectropoma, Mesoprion and Diacope, or the entire family of Serranidce, into a closer neigh- bourhood with Hcemulon, Pristipoma and Diagi^amma, instead of separating them by the interposition of the very dissimilar tribes of Trigloids and Cottoids. For the same reason, a group of Per- coids having less than seven gill-rays, which includes Therapon, Helotes, Dules, Datnia, Nandus and some other genera, should be approximated to Scolopsides, Lohotes and Hapalogenijs, all having a single dorsal and six gill-rays. To this group I have given the family name of Theraponinxe. Anoplus, a genus recently pub- lished in the ' Fauna Japonica,' resembles Hapalogenys in the strength of its dorsal and anal spines and in general form, but it has, still more of the Sparoid aspect than the latter. It has vo- merine teeth, is destitute of pores on the jaw, and its scales are less rigid than those of Hapalogenys, 464 Mr. Ch. C. Babington on Primula vulgaris. The designation of Hapalogenys"^ was contrived to express the velvety softness of the chin and lower lip, which is made more conspicuous by contrast with the rigidly rough scales that cover the rest of the head. A greater development of the fine tender papillae of the under lip produces the beards of Pogonias — a ge- nus having seven gill-rays and no recumbent spine before the dorsal. The Pogonias nigripinnis however of the ^ Fauna Japo- nica^ has only six gill-rays, a recumbent spine, three pores on each limb of the lower jaw, and in fact stands in the same rela- tion to Hapalogenys that Pogonias does to Micropogon, the rela- tive development of the beards being the chief difference. The Coins polota of Buchanan-Hamilton and Coins hinotatns of Gray are similar forms, but an actual examination of specimens is re- quired to determine whether they ought to be referred, as in the ' Flora Japonica,^ to Anoplus or to Hapalogenys, The general form of Hapalogenys and its recumbent pre-dorsal spine show some analogy to the Squamipennes, and bring it near to Scorpis, but the vertical fins are not so fully enveloped in scales, and the dentition removes it far from the Chcetodontidce, LIV. — On a Monstrosity of the Pistil in Primula vulgaris. By Charles C. Babington, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. &c.t The curious monstrosity represented by the annexed rude sketch has just been sent to me by Mr. J. H. Walton of St. Bees College in Cumberland. It occupies the place of the pistil, and may be described as follows : — Within the base of the corolla is situated a small fleshy cup, from the centre of which springs a cylindrical stem capped with another shallow fleshy cUp with a wavy margin. An exposed conical placenta, co- vered with peltate ovules, is seated in the centre of the latter cup. Thus in place of the ovary is a cup-shaped body ; and the capitate stigma is replaced by a naked fleshy ovary. Flowers of the usual form and structure were found upon the same root with two flowers possessing this curious organ. The other parts of the monstrous flower were not altered, the stamens retaining their ordinary position. It seems probable that this singular organ consists of two whorls of car- pellary leaves instead of one, as is usual in Primula^ and that the plant was not able to develope the inner whorl sufficiently to allow it to close over the ovules. * From MTTocTios, mollis, et yhvs, mentum. t Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, April 11, 1844.