104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



pally tropical, and chiefly developed in the Indian seas and those of the great 

 archipelago, from which some wander to the Pacific, Chinese and African seas, 

 and one (Cirrhilus maculatus) ranges to the Red Sea, where, indeed, it appears 

 to be most common. Another (Cirrlritus rivulalus Val.) is found at both the 

 Gallapagos Islands and Lower California, it having been observed at the latter 

 place by Mr. Xantus.* The Chironematince are peculiar to the Australian Seas. 

 The Ilaplodaclylince and Latridince are principally inhabitants of the Southern 

 temperate seas, and most numerous in the Chilian and Peruvian and the Aus- 

 tralasian seas. Several are also found at the Cape of Good Hope, while several 

 others are northern and inhabitants of the Chinese and Japanese waters. 



The following synopsis will enable one to readily distinguish the different 

 subfamilies : 



Synopsis. 



I. Spinous portion of the dorsal longest, but with only 10 (9) 



10 

 spines. Vertebras jg Cirrhitinte. 



II. Spinous portion of the dorsal more or less subequal to 



the soft, with 14 22 spines. 

 A. Teeth of jaws compressed and tricuspidate or lanceolate. 



Vetebras ^jt Haplodactylinae. 



AA. Teeth small, conic and acute. 



B. Ventral fins (generally) rounded ; caudal subtrun- 

 cated ; dorsal deeply notched behind each 



spine Chironematinse. 



BB. Ventral fins angulated ; caudal with extended 

 lobes ; dorsal not notched behind each sepa- 



14 

 rate spine. Vertebrae ^ Latridime. 



I have not been enabled to examine many of the species of the family, but 

 I trust that the suggestions and views enunciated in this treatise will forward 

 the classification and knowledge of the group, and prove useful to naturalists 

 if it should only direct attention to the imperfect knowledge we have of some 

 forms. Several of the species have been so described that it has not been 

 possible to positively refer them to any group. The whole family, indeed, re- 

 quires a careful revision, and the present classification will be doubtless con- 

 siderably modified. 



Subfamily CIRRHITINiE Gill. 



Cirrhitaeformes pp., Sleeker. 



Teeth conical and mostly small, but often with larger or canine ones inter- 

 mixed. Dorsal fin with its spinous portion longer than the soft, and with ten 

 spines, the last of which truly belongs to the second portion. Ventral fins 

 generally angulated or subangulated, the second (branched) ray being rarely 

 somewhat longest. Caudal fin truncated or emarginated. The vertebral 

 column, in all the species examined, has been found to be constituted of ten 

 abdominal and sixteen caudal vertebrae. 



The Cirrhitinae as defined above form a natural group, and differ from the 

 Cirrhitaeformes of Bleeker by the exclusion of Chiro7irmus, which appears to 

 represent a distinct subfamily. 



*Another species not yet described is found at Cape St. Lucas. It had been unfortun- 

 ately overlooked uniil after the transmission of the above paper ; it will be described in 

 the catalogue of the Fishes of Lower California. 



[March, 



