186 "ENDEAVOUR" SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



with information after examining what were believed 

 to be the types of N. purpurascens in the Queensland 

 Museum. These specimens are duly registered and 

 labelled, but they differ from De Vis' generic and 

 specific descriptions in so many details that it is 

 difficult to believe that they are the types. De Vis 

 counted twelve instead of three dorsal spines, and he 

 found the lateral teeth "confluent, with distinct serra- 

 tion," whereas they are merely juxtaposed in the "types" ; 

 he recorded the depth of the body as 3-5 in the total 

 length instead of 4-1. In view of these discrepancies, 

 nothing but the notorious inaccuracies of De Vis' 

 writings justifies one in accepting these specimens as the 

 types of Nesiotes purpurascens. 



Keif to Australian Species. 



A. Some anterior dorsal rays simple, the posterior branched. 



B. More than 30 dorsal rays. subg. PSEUDOCHBOMIS. 



C. About 50 rows of scales between origin of lateral 



line and hypural joint; bases of dorsal and anal 



rays covered by scales. novcB-hollandice. 



BB. Less than 30 dorsal rays. 



D. Bases of posterior dorsal and anal rays covered 



with scales. fuscus. 



DD. Bases of posterior dorsal and anal rays naked, 



not scaly. 



E. Operculum with 3-5 flat spines on its pos- 

 terior border; dorsal fin elevated, the 

 posterior rays much higher than the 

 body beneath them. punctatus. 



EE. Operculum unarmed ; posterior dorsal rays 

 about as high as the body beneath them. 

 purpurascens (not Australian). 

 AA. All the dorsal and anal rays are branched. 



Subgenus LEPTOCHROMIS. 

 F. Less than thirty dorsal rays; bases of posterior dorsal 



and anal rays naked. 



G. Operculum armed with 4-5 flat spines on its 



posterior border. Dorsal and anal spines 



pungent; 25-26 dorsal rays; about 40 rows of 



scales. quinquedentatus. 



GG. Operculum unarmed. 



H. Dorsal and anal spines weak and flexible; 22 

 dorsal rays. tapeinosoma. 



PSEUDOCHROMIS, PSEUDOCHROMIS, FUSCUS M tiller (1)1(1 



Troschel. 



Pseudochromis fuscus Miiller and Troschel, Horse 

 Ichthyologies iii, 1849, p. 23, pi. iv, fig. 2. Id. 

 Bleeker, Nat. Tijd. Ned. Ind. iii, 1852, p. 708, and ix, 



