42 SPAEID^E. 



Two shining longitudinal bands, one from the posterior of upper margin of orbit, above 

 the lateral line, towards the middle of the soft dorsal ; and the second and broader from 

 the upper lip, below the eye and lateral line, towards the middle of the back. A bright 

 spot on the back of the tail, immediately behind the second dorsal. First dorsal rosy, 

 marbled with lighter and with brown. The second dorsal with four, and the anal with 

 three, longitudinal series of rosy spots. — Length 7 inches. 

 Zanzibar. 



Family SPARID^. 



TMPTERODON, g. n. 



We place here, in the group Cantharina, a fish very similar in habit to JEphippus 

 orbis, but distinguished from that fish chiefly by its teeth. We regret that we have 

 had but a single stuffed specimen under observation ; fortunately, however, that was an 

 adult, in remarkably fine condition. 



Generic Characters. — Body much compressed and elevated; snout short; upper 

 profile parabolic. Dorsal deeply emarginate between the spinous and soft portions, the 

 former not scaly, but folding into a groove ; soft portions of vertical fins covered with 

 scales. Pectoral short, much shorter than the ventrals ; anal spines three. Scales spa- 

 roid, granulated. Large moveable tricuspid teeth in several series in both jaws, none on 

 the vomer or palatines. Bones of the jaws very short, cleft of mouth narrow ; prse- 

 orbital elevated, much higher than the orbit. Gill-opening of moderate width, sepa- 

 rated from its fellow by a broad isthmus ; gill-membranes not extending across the 

 throat. 



134. Tripterodon orbis, sp. n. Plate VII. fig. 1. [626.] 



D. 8 i. A. J. L. lat. 52. L. transv. 11/28. 



The body is compressed and greatly elevated, the upper profile being most strongly 

 curved : it descends very abruptly from the origin of the dorsal to the snout, forming 

 a rather prominent protuberance between the eyes. The greatest height of the body 

 is below the fifth dorsal spine, where it is one-half of the total length ; the length of 

 the head is contained four times and two-thirds in the same. The eye is situated high 

 up in the head ; its diameter is about half the length of the snout, and is contained 

 thrice and a half in the length of the head. The cleft of the mouth is small, 

 the upper maxillary reaching to a vertical from the posterior nostril. The posterior 

 processes of the intermaxillary are rather short, the upper jaw being but slightly pro- 

 tractile. The praeorbital is much higher than the orbit, and, like the upper part of 

 the skull, it is naked. The interorbital space is concave. There are five series of 

 scales on the cheek. The posterior limb of the praeoperculum is naked, and the whole 



