294 EXPEDITION OF THE " ALBATROSS," 1899-1900. 



MuUoides flavolineatus tLACEPEDE). 



Day, Fishes of India, 1875, p. 122, pi. 30, fig. 6. Gunther, Fischc der Siidsee, 1S74, 2, p. .56. 

 M ulliis flavolineatus L.\cepede. Hist. Nat. Poi.ss., 1802, 3, p. 40(1 



Three specimens (very bad condition) 5s to 62 inches long, and No. AtiO, 

 lOj inches long from Makemo, Paumotu Islands. No. 05848, a specimen Sl 

 inches long from Vavau, Tonga Islands. Nos. 08976 and 08835, 4 and 5 inches 

 long from Funafuti, Ellice Islands. Nos. 05852, 3| and 05850, M. C. Z. 29528, 

 three specimens each 4 inches long from Bora Bora, Society Islands. No. 

 09018, 3i inches long from Guam. 



These specimens have shorter and more abruptly arched snout than M. 

 samoensis, the barbels are longer, reaching considerably beyond the preopercle, 

 while in M. samoensis they scarcely reach the preopercle; the spinous dorsal 

 (in young examples) when depressed reaches nearer the soft dorsal than in M. 

 samoensis, but this does not hold good in the larger examples. 



Mulloides samoensis (Ii'-nther. 



Fische der Sudsee, 1874, 3, p. .57, taf. 43, fig. B. Jord.\n iS Everm.^nn, Hull. U. S. Fish Comm. 

 190.5, 23, pt. 1, p. 2.53, fig. 105. 



Four specimens, Nos. 08974, 08975, 08967, 08969, 4 to 5 inches long from 

 Funafuti, Ellice Islands. Two specimens, Nos. 08897, M. C. Z. 29575, 6i inches 

 long, and 08898, M. C. Z. 29575, 7.1 inches long from Vavau, Tonga Islands. 

 Four specimens from Paumotu Islands, 2 of them, Nos. A72 and 05851, 8 and 

 BI long from Makemo; No. A53, 71 inches long from Fakarava, and No. 05849, 

 si inches long from Rangiroa. Two specimens, No. 09018, M. C. Z. 29385, 

 3a and 4 inches long from Guam. 



While No. A72 has the more slender form of M. samoensis, the position of 

 the dorsal and the long barbels is like that of M. flavolineatus; the snout is 

 even longer, and less abruptly curved than in the other specimens of M. samoen- 

 sis, and it may be a distinct species; on the other hand all the characters men- 

 tioned distinguishing M. samoensis and M. flavolineatus may be only individual 

 variations of one species. 



