Zoological Society. 455 



opercular bones, the preoperculum being very finely denticulated, 



and the operculum terminated by a slightly concave line without 



projecting angles. The ventrals are still further back than in Casio, 



and the caeca are few in number. The scales are cycloid, without 



teeth or cilia, and the genus, unlike s.nj previously described mae- 



noid group, has the lower pectoral rays simple like those of aplodac- 



tylus. There are no elongated scales at the base of the ventrals. 



Latris Hecateia is marked by three well-defined dark stripes on each 



side of the back, with a more diffused one inferiorly on the flanks, 



the four pyloric caeca are short and wide, and the only specimen in 



the collection is eleven inches long, which is said to be the ordinary 

 size. 



The principal characters of this genus are as follows : — 



Latris, n. g. 



Piscis acanthopterygms, maenoideus. Pinna esquamosae : dorsi 

 pinna unica, profunde emarginata, in fossa decumbens : ventrales 

 pinnae sub abdomine medio positae. Radii pinnae pectoralis infe- 

 riores (novem) simplices. Preoperculum denticulatum. Os mo- 

 dice protendens. Denies in oris ambitu tignoque vomeris positi 

 villosi, in ossiculis pharyngeis parvi, subulati, conferti. Palatum 

 linguaque laeves. Squama laeves. 



L. Hecateia, species unica detecta. 



Radii:— Br. 6-6; P. 9 et 9 ; V. 1, 5 ; D. 18, 36; A. 3, 27. 



1 1 . Thyrsites altivelis. Thyr. radiis pinna dorsi aculeatis, cor- 

 pus altitudine cequantibus ; dentibus intermaxillce utriusque qua- 

 tuordecim, in latere maxilla inferioris utroque duodecim. 



Radii:— Br. 7-7; P. 14 ; V. 1,6; D. 20-1, 11 et VII. ; A. 1, 10 

 & VII.; C. 17*. 



A single specimen of this fish in the collection, agrees in most par- 

 ticulars with the description of Thyrsites atten in the Histoire des 

 Poissons, but the spinous rays of the dorsal fin are considerably higher 

 in proportion, and the teeth on the jaws much fewer. 



12. Blexxius Tasmaxius is an undescribed species strongly re- 

 sembling some of the European ones. 



13. Clixus despicillatus differs from C.perspicillatus of the His- 

 toire des Poissons in possessing a thicker form, a larger head, a pro- 

 portionably smaller eye, and in wanting the nuchal marks which 

 give the name to that species. The marks on the body are arranged 

 as in perspicillatus, but there are three transverse bands on the pec- 

 toral and caudal fins, with many other spots not mentioned in the 

 description of the latter. The dorsal rays are 36, 4, and in other 

 particulars the two fish seem to be much alike. 



14. Labrus laticlavius. Lab. smaragdinus, fasciis hinis late- 



