268 PLECTOGNATHI. 



Balistes maculalus, Gmel. Linn, i, p. 1468; Block, t. cli ; Bl. Schn. p. 464; 

 Bonnaterre, Enc. Ich. p. 38, t. xi, f. 37 ; Lacep. i, pp. 334, 361 ; Kaup, Sclero. p. 

 223; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. v, p. 122, t. ccxviii, f. 4; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 401 ; 

 Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 213 ; Day, Fishes of India, p. 687, pi. clxxvi, f. 3. 



Balistes sufflamen, Mitchell, Lit. and Phil. Trans. New York, i, p. 467, 

 t. vi, f. 2. 



Balistes oculatus, Gray and Hard. 111. Ind. Zool. ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. v, p. 121, 

 t. ccxviii, f. 2. 



Balistes Willughbii, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. i, p. 168, and Voy. Blossom, 

 Zool. p. 68, t. xxi, f. 2. 



Canthidermis oculatus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 325. 



Balistes azureus, Less. Voy. Coq. Zool. ii, p. 121, t. x, f. 2. 



Balistes adspersus, Tschudi, Faun. Pesc. Pise. p. 31. 



Balistes conspicillum, Cantor, Mai. Fish. p. 344 (not sy?i.). 



Balistes longus, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 37. 



Balistes senticosus, Richards. Voy. Sam. Fish, p. 23, pi. ix, f. 5-8 ; Bleeker, 

 Nat. Tyd. Ned. Ind. v, p. 93. 



Balistes longissimus, Holland, An. Sc. Nat. p. GO, pi. iii, f. 3. 



Balistes sobaco and macrops, Poey, Cuba, pp. 324, 326. 



B. vi, D. 3/26-27, P. 15, A. 24-25, C. 12, L. 1. 46-55, L. tr. 28. 



Length of head 3f to 4, of caudal fin 6^ to 7, height of body 2\ to 3 in the 

 total length. Byes 2 to 2| diameters from the end of the snout and 2 apart. A 

 groove in front of the eye. Teeth white, uneven, notched. Fins the first dorsal 

 commences above the gill-opening, its anterior spine is strong and nearly half as 

 long as the head. Ventral spine usually movable. Posterior edge of caudal 

 convex or undulated. Second dorsal and anal high anteriorly, especially in adults. 

 Scales cheeks entirely scaled ; no osseous scutes behind the gill-openings. Scales 

 rough and granulated but without spines or prominent tubercles except in the 

 immature. Coloiirs bluish-black, young examples are covered with numerous 

 light-blue blotches, more especially in the lower half of the body, these spots are 

 less numerous and larger in adults. Dorsal spines black. Eyes hazel. 



Habitat. Atlantic and Indian Oceans, more especially in their tropical and 

 subtropical portions, also the Pacific, and perhaps on the British coast. It has 

 been recorded in Scandinavia (H. Malm, CElv. Ak. Forh. 1875, no. vii, p. 8). 



A half-grown and stuffed example is stated by Dr. Giinther to have been 

 received at the British Museum from Polperro in Cornwall, and it is observed in 

 the Catalogue (viii, 1870, p. 214) of this species " occasionally on the British 

 coast," and again in his "Introduction to the Study of Fish " this statement is 

 repeated. I include the species (although with great hesitation) in the British 

 Fauna. Having through the kindness of Mr. R. Couch (of Bodmin) been allowed 

 to examine the late Mr. T. Couch's zoological journals which were kept at Polperro 

 up to March 31st, 1870 (he died on April 13th), and not finding any allusion to 

 this fish in them, I conclude the stuffed example in the National Collection was not 

 captured at that place. I know of no other recorded British instance. Malm 

 observes it has been taken off Scandinavia. 



The figure is from a specimen I took among many others at Madras. It 

 attains at least 16 inches in length. 



2. Balistes capriscus, Plate CXLVI. 



Seba, iii, 24, 26. Capriscus, Salv. fol. 206 B; Willughby, p. 152, t. J19. Balistes, 

 sp. Gronov. Zooph. no. 187. File-fish, Shaw, Zool. v, pt. ii, p. 411, pi. clxviii. 



Balistes capriscus, Gmel. Linn, i, p. 1471 ; Cuv. Regne An. ii, p. 372 ; Bl. 

 Schn. p. 476 ; Lacep. i, p. 372, pi. xiii, f . 3 ; Jenyns, Manual, p. 492 ; Yarrell, 

 Brit. Fishes (ed. 1), ii, p. 357, c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 472, (ed. 3) ii, p. 422 ; Risso, 

 Ich. Nice, p. 51 ; White, Catal. p. 118; Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 30; Costa, Fauna 

 Nap. Pesc. t. lxi, lxii ; Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 217; Gray, Ann. and Mag. 4th 

 series 1873, xii, p. 267 ; Canestrini, Faun. Ital. p. 146 ; Moreau, Poiss. de la 

 France, ii, p. 79, fig. 91. 



