696 PLECTOGNATHI. 



New York. The example figured (life-size) was from Madras, where it ahounds. It attains at least 9 inches 

 in length. 



b. — Carapace, 4 or 5-ridfjed, spineless. 



2. Ostracion cubicus, Plate CLXXXI, fig. 3. 



Ostracion tetragonus, Linn. Mns. Ad. Fred. p. 59 ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. v, p. 39, t. eci, f. 2, and t. ceiii, f. 2 ; 

 Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 25-1 ; Giinther, Fish. Zanz. p. 129. 



Ostracion hiberculattis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 409 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1443. 



Ostracioji cubicus, Linn. 1. c. p. 410; Bloch, t. 137 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1443 ; Lacep. i, p. 4G1, t. xxu, i 1 ; 

 Bonn. p. 22; Rupp. Atl. Fische, p. 3; Cuv. Regn. Anim. ; Bleeker, Balist. p. 3.5, t. vii, f. 14 ; Lefebv. Voy. 

 Poiss. p. 238, pi. viii; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 323 ; Peters, Fisuhe Moss. p. 275 ; Hollard, Ann. be. Nat. l8oi, 

 vii, p. 162 ; Gi'mther, Catal. viii, p. 260 ; Klunz. Fische Roth. Meer. 1871, p. Go4. 



Abu senchiJc, Forsk. Desc. Anim. p. 17, No. 48. 



Ostracion deux-tubercles, Lacep. i, p. 459. 



Ostracion bituberculatus, Bl. Schneider, p. 501. 



Ostracion argus, Riippell, Atl. Fische, p. 4, f. 1 (variety) ; Kliinz. 1. c. p. 636. 



Ostracion immacidatus, Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. Poiss. p. 296 ; Bleeker, Japan, p. 55 ; 

 Brevoort, Fish. Japan, p. 284. 



Ostracion tesseriila, Bleeker, Mol. p. 305 (not Cantor). 



D. 10, P. 10, A. 10, C. 10. 



Carapace 4-ridged and spineless : ridges blunt, but the ventral more prominent than the dorsal ones. 

 Body about as wide as high : back convex, but without any distinctly raised ridge along the median line. 

 The carapace forms a broad bridge across the back of the tail. Interorbital space concave. Teeth— ahou.t 10 in 

 either jaw conical, weak, and of a reddish-brown colour. F/jts— dorsal and anal highest anteriorly : caudal 

 truncated and equal to about 1/5 of the total length. Scutes— about 10 between the gill-openmg and the tad, 

 5 or 6 transversely : and 5 or 6 across the ventral surface. Cu^ours— brownish, with a single blue black-edged 

 ocellus in the centre of most of the scutes : sometimes these spots are absent from some parts of the body : on 

 the head they are frequently black, and have more than one sjwt on each scute. On the abdomen the spots 

 may be white, with or without black marks : or the spots may be black or even absent. The fins yellowish and 

 covered with black spots or immaculate. i t i.j. • 



Habitat.— Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. It attains 

 at least 18 inches in length. 



3. Ostracion punctatus, Plate CLXXXI, fig. 2. 



Ostracion pointille, JjaeeTp. i, Tp-p. 4:4:2, i-ir,, t. xx.i, i. I. „ , -r. i t.- i i ^ o t>i i 



Ostracimi punctatus, Bl. Schn. p. 5W ; Cuv. Regn. Anim. : Jenyns, Zool. Beagle, Fish. p. 158 ; Bleeker, 

 Banda, p. 108, and Atl. Ich. v, p. 39, t. ccii, f. 4 ; Hollard, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1857, vii, p. 16o ; Gunther, Catal. 



viii, p. 261. 



Ostracion lentiginosus, Bl. Schn. p. 501. 



Ostracion meleagris, Shaw, Zool. v, p. 428, t. clxsii, and Zool. Misc. t. ccliii. 



Oibotion punctatus, Kaup, Sclerod. p. 216. 



D. 9, P. 10, A. 10, C. 10. 



Carapace 4-ridged and spineless : ridges blunt, but the ventral more prominent than the dorsal ones. 

 Body not quite so high as wide : back rather convex, but without any ridge along the median line. The 

 carapace forms a moderately broad bridge across the back of the tail : superior profile of snout concave. 

 Interorbital space concave, sometimes flat. Teeth— nhont 10 in either jaw, comcal, weak, and of a reddish- 

 brown colour. fi'»s— dorsal and anal highest anteriorly : caudal truncated and equal to nearly 1/5 of the 

 total length. Scutes— ahont 10 across the ventral surface. CVZomcs— reddish-brown, covered with numerous 

 white dots, which are sometimes confluent into lines. 



Ilabitat.-'Enst coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Ai'chipelago, and beyond. The example 

 figured (life-size) was from the Malay Archipelago, and I am indebted for it to Ur. Hubrecht, of Leyden, 



4. Ostracion nasus. 

 Bloch, t. cxxxviii ; Bl. Schn. p. 500 ; Bona. Ich. p. 23 ; Lacepcde, i, p. 458 ; Cuv. Regn. Anim. ; 

 Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 323 ; Bleeker, Balist. p. 33, t. vii, f. 15, and Atl. Ich. v, p. 36, t. ccii, f. 5 {young), and 

 t. cciv, f. 2 {adult) ; Hollard, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1857, vii, p. 161 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 253 ; Gunther, Catal. 



viii, p. 263. 



Ostracium tesserula, Cantor, Catal. Mai. Fish. p. 367, pi. vui, f. 2, 3. 



D. 9, P. 10, A. 9, C. 10. 



Carapace 5-ridged and spineless : ridges rather sharp. Body wider inferiorly than high : a distinct 

 ridge along the median line of the back. The carapace forms a broad bridge across the back of the tail : 

 interorbital space concave, more especially in the adult when a hump exists above the mouth. Teef/i— about 



