408 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Coris puhJierrima, Gunther, Cutiil. iv, p. 200. 



Rattoo-rjirawah, Cingalese. 



B. vi, D. -jL, p. 14, V. 1/5, A. yV, C. 14, L. 1. 74-84, L. tr. 8/35. 



Length of head 4^, of caudal 7^, height of body 4 to 4j in the total length. Eijes — diameter 6 in the 

 length of head, 2 diameters from the end of snout, and \\ apart. Teeth — a posterior canine at the angle of the 

 month, said to be absent in young specimens. Fins — first spine of the dorsal fin elongated, and having a fine 

 termination, the second a little longer than the remaining ones. Caudal rounded. Colours — Bennett describes 

 them as bluish-gray with circular black spots : head yellow, with two oblique blue bands ascending towards the 

 origin of the dorsal, one commencing from the snout and passing through the eye, the other parallel to the 

 first, running below the eye. Dorsal and anal fins brown, the former with a red margin and with two gi-een 

 lines running within the red : black dots between the rays. Anal with a narrow green edge, and a narrow 

 green intermarginal line ; a series of green dots within the margin. The inner half of the caudal red, the 

 outer yellowish white. Or the lines on the head may be violet and rather oblique : one ascends from the eye to 

 the dorsal fin : body brownish- violet, covered posteriorly with scattered blue spots becoming disposed more in 

 horizontal rows along the side of the free portion of the tail. Fins yellowish, dorsal and anal having a blue 

 outer edge, and a blue black-edged iutramarginal band, blue spots along the bases of the fins. With or without 

 a reddish vertical band on the middle third of the caudal fin. 



Dr. Gimther considers Swainson's (^Bleeker's) species as distinct from Bennett's, but he merely reproduces 

 Bennett's plate on a smaller scale. Colours alone do not appear suflicient in members of this family on which 

 to found species ; experience as has been observed, " must lead us to suppose that many a tropical species 

 introduced into our system will prove to be merely a variety.'" (Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 508). Dr. Giinther 

 further observes (Fish. Zanzibar, p. 100), " This species has been observed by Col. Playfair at Zanzibar for the 

 first time since its discovery by Bennett. The specimen agrees as well with Bennett's figure as if the latter 

 had been taken from the former ; and Dr. Giinther's opinion as to the distinctness of C. formosa, Bleeker, and 

 C.foi'mosa, Bennett, is fully confirmed." 



Hahitat. — East coast of Africa, Ceylon to the ilalay Archipelago and beyond. I am indebted for the 

 specimen figured to Dr. Hubrecht, of Leyden, it came from the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Coris aygula, Plate LXXXVIII, fig. 5. 



Lace'p. iii, pp. 96, 97, t. iv, f. 1 : Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 201 ; Klunz, Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 539. 



Coris angulatus, Lacep. 1. c. f. 2. 



Lahrus cingulum, (Commerson) Lacep. iii, p. 517, pi. 28, f. 1. 



Julis aygula, Riipp. Atl. Fische, p. 25, t. vi, f. 3. 



JuKs semiptinctatus, Rupp. N. W. Fische, p. 12, t. iii, f. 3. 



Labrus aureo-maciilafus, Bennett, Fish. Ceylon, p. 20, pi. xx. 



Julis Ruppellii, Bennett, Proc. Zool. Sec. 1831, p. 128. 



Julis cinguluin, Cuv. and Val. xiii, p. 428 ; Bleeker, Beng. en Hind. p. 52. 



JuKs gihhifrons, Qnoy and Gaim. Voy. Astrol. Poiss. p. 707, t. xix, f. 3. 



Julis coris, Cuv. and Yal. xiii, p. 491. 



Chlorichthys aygula, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 232. 



Coris cingulum, Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 203 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 539. 



Tik-girawah, Cingalese. 



B. vi, D. JV, P. 14, V. 1/.5, A. ^, C. 15, L. 1. CO, L. tr. 6/28. 



Length of head 3f to 4, of caudal 7i, height of body 3| to 4 in the total length. Eyes — small in the 

 adult, a prominent knob on the dorsal profile above them. Upper lip broad, with folds, and not continuous with 

 the lower one which is pendant. Teeth — a posterior canine if present small and mostly concealed. Fins — 

 anterior dorsal spines elevated in the adult : ventrals elongated : caudal rounded. Colours — the immature 

 have the head and anterior part of the body olive brown, occasionally with two brown blotches, also 

 smaU blue spots over the head, and a black spot on the opcrcle : a black axillary spot, a pale cross band opposite 

 the end of the pectoral, behind which the colours are buff, sometimes with red or brown blotches on the back 

 and free portion of the tail. Vertical fins brown with black spots and white edges, or with a wide yellow 

 margin. The adult darkish or deep green, occasionally two or three red angular bands across the neck : the 

 edges of the preopercle sometimes red, a blue mark on the extremity of the opercle. Sometimes a light vertical 

 band on the body from the last two dorsal spines to the vent. Vertical fins greenish, with a red intermarginal 

 band, and sometimes oblique red blotches along the base. ' 



Habitat'. — Red Sea, seas of India, New Hebrides. 



Genus, 15 — Ctmolutes, Giinther. 

 Xyrichthys, sp. Cuv. and Val. 



Branchiostegals six : body oblong, compressed. Snout rather elevated. Anterior teeth free : no posterior 

 canine. A single dorsal fin with less spines (9) than rays (12-14) ; anal with two or three spines, and an equal 

 number of rays to the soft dorsal. Scales small, no enlarged row at base of caudal fin. Lateral-line interrupted. 



