170 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



S[)ot. A deep black spot behind the gill-opening, a dark mark in the axilla. In some rare instances a dark 

 spot may exist on the upper edge of the eye. 



I have only collected two species of this genus on the Coromandel coast of India (see pi. xli.), and am 

 of opinion that they are the two that Russell (plates civ. and cv.) obtained from the same place. Russell 

 distinctly shows one has a band on its eye, pi. civ. (see also pi. sli. f. 2.) The one with the banded eye is by far 

 the commonest, and I consider it as M. munljun. 



The second species is easily recognised by its more or less black fins, and appears to be M. adustiis. 

 Admitting that Russell's description does not coincide, neither does it with his own figure. He gives B. viii, 

 D. ii (fi-), P. 15, V. 1/7 il), A. A (y%), C. 21 ; his figure gives D. ^l, A. ^, demonstrating that his numbers 

 are not tnistworthy. 



Jerdon (M.'j. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 131) observes: " MyrqjrtsHs hutcJte,C.Y. Moowla Jcun Icakasi, Turn. 

 Russell, 105." 



Dr. Giinther, Catal. i, p. 21, considers Russell's fish (pi. cv.) is identical with M. murdjan, but Blocker 

 [joints out that the colours in the two are very difTerently disposed on the fins. 



Habitat. — East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The specimen 

 figured is 8* inches in length and from the Coromandel coast of India. It is not nearly so common as the 

 M. murdjan. 



2. Myripristis murdjan, Plate XLI, fig. 2. 



Sckena mnriljan, Porsk. p. 48; Gmel. Linn. p. l.'JOl. 



Perca murdjan, Bl. Schn. p. 86 ; Lacep. pp. 3y6, 418. 



Sjmriis sidlaneroo-kimtee, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. .3, pi. civ. 



Myripristis murdjan, Riipp. Pische Roth. Meer. p. 86, t. xxiii, f. 2, and N. W. P. p. 05 ; Cuv. and Val. iii, 

 p. 177 and vii, p. 495 ; Bleeker, Amb. p. 109, and Revis. Myrip. 1871, p. 11 ; Gunther, Catal. i, p. 21 ; Kner, 

 Novara Pische, p. 4 ; Playfair, Fish. Zanz. p. 51 (part) ; Klunz. Fische Roth. Meer, Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 

 1870, p. 726. 



Myripristis melanophrys, Swains. Fish, ii, p. 207. 



B. viii, D. 10 I „L„, P. 15, V. 1/7, A. T^iTTT, C. 19, L. 1. 28-30, L. tr. 3^/7i 



Length of head 3^ to 3^, of caudal from 1/5 to 2/9, height of body from 1/3 to S^ in the total length. 

 ;Eyes — diameter 21 to 2^ in length of head, 1/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and about 1/2 a diameter apart, 

 the width of the interorbital space equalling from 1/4 to 4| in the length of the head. Posterior edge of hind 

 nostril usually serrated in the young. Lower jaw slightly the longer, having a rough, nipple-like projection on 

 either side of the symphysis. The maxilla reaches to beneath the last third of the orbit, it has some blunt 

 denticulations on its front near its lower end. Under surface of lower jaw fm-rowed by ten or twelve grooves : 

 the maxilla, pre- sub- and Lnter-opercles also gi'ooved. Preopercle serrated in its whole extent. Interopcrcle 

 finely denticulated : opercle with a moderately strong spine, having a few denticulations above it, and the whole 

 of its outer margin below it serrated. Sub-ojjcrcle with an emargination opposite the base of the pectoral fin. 

 Shoulder-scale s'errated. Upper surface of the head roughened by three or four raised lines, which, passing 

 backwards, divide and subdivide, each terminating in a small spine. Teetli — villiform in the jaws, with an 

 external row of widely separated ones which are larger and conically rounded, none on the tongue. Fins — 

 dorsal spines increasing m length to the third which i.s about the same height as the three next or ecpial to one 

 diameter of the orbit, the interspinous membrane rather deeply emarginate, front portion of the second dorsal 

 higher than the first. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle of the eye in the adult, longer in the 

 young : venti'al reaches two-thii-ds of the distance to the anal. Thii-d anal spine the strongest but the fourth 

 the longest and equal to 2/5 to one-third in the length of the head : caudal forked. Free portion of the tail 

 about as high at its base as it is long. Scales — about seven rows along the preopercle. C'o/u?«re— roseate, gill 

 openings deep brownish-black, or else like coagulated blood, a dark mark in the axilla. A dark vertical band 

 tkrough the eye, sometimes confined to above the pupil. Dorsal, caudal, and anal fins with milk-white outer 

 edges ; a dark mark, often deep black, may be present or absent at the highest points of the soft dorsal and anal 

 fins, also at the tips of the caudal. Rarely there is a dark mark along the first dorsal. Outer edge of ventral 

 white. 



Myripristis Jcmdee, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 487, was considered in the Hist. Nat. des Poissons to Ix; identical 

 with Russell's fish, a conclusion doubted by Blcekcr, whilst Dr. Gunther considers it closely allied to M. 

 pralinius, C. V. 



Bahitat.—Yrom the Red Sea and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago 

 and beyond. The specimen figured is a little over 6 inches in length, and from Madras : my longest is 11^ inches 

 long. It is very common at Madras especially about February. 



Genus, 2 — HoLOCEXTRUM, Artedi. 

 RhyncMclithjs, Cuv. and Val. (youiuj*) ; Corniger, Agassiz. 



* The genus Rhxjnchkhthys, Cut. anil Val., is probably formed of the youn": of some of these species, and is distinguished bj- an 

 elongated, pointed, and more or less transparent snout, the same as is perceived in some immuluie fresh water Indian siluruids. A small 



