168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Feb. 



concurrent with the back, slightly inclined, and running out on the 

 basal scales of the caudal. The tubes elongate. 



Peritoneum pale or whitish. 



Spines of the dorsal very high, graduated to the fourth, after which, 

 to the eleventh, they are more or less equal. The last two are much 

 shorter than the first. The membranes are only present on the basal 

 portion of the fin, though higher below the ]:)osterior longer spines. 

 Soft dorsal nearly twice as high as its base. Anal inserted nearly 

 midway between the origin of the ventral and the Imse of the caudal. 

 The anal spines are graduated to the third, which is the longest, and 

 the membrane joining it with the first anal ray is complete. Soft 

 anal long, inserted about under the origin of the soft dorsal, and twice 

 as high as the length of its base. Caudal \'ery long, rounded and the 

 middle rays the longest. Pectoral very long, the upper rays reaching 

 beyond the caudal, and all united by a membrane, which is rather 

 broad basally though not extending beyond half the length of the 

 longest rays. Ventral inserted a trifle in advance of the pectoral, 

 the spine slender, and the fin reaching a little beyond the origin of 

 the soft anal. 



Color in alcohol pale brown, the head and trunk marked with a 

 series of deep brown alternating narrow and Ij'oad vertical stripes, or 

 l)ands. On the front part of the head these radiate from the eye, 

 and those on the trunk extend \\\) on the l)asal portions of the vertical 

 fins, though soon fading away on the soft dorsal and anal. Stripes on 

 the interorbital space narrow and longitudinal. Region above the 

 l-)ase of the pectoral more or less blackish. Spines of the dorsal 

 marked with broad blackish cross-bands. Soft dorsal, anal and caudal, 

 with the rays marked with about six series of narrow dark brown or 

 l^lackish cross-bars. Pectoral more or less ])lackisli, the ra3's with 

 broad whitish cross-bands, and reflected' on the membranes at the 

 base of the fin as intlistinct pale blotches. The basal portion of the 

 fin is pale brown, like the general body color, marked with deep l)rown 

 bands running into the black membranes. Inside of the base of the 

 pectoral blackish, with se^'eral paler bands, and a few white spots. 

 A'entral blackish, with several series of small white spots. 



Length 4y\ inches. 



One example. 



I follow Colonel Playfair in recording this species from Zanzibar. 

 Schlegel's figure is ver}' crude and might easily be mistaken for some 

 other fish. Bleekei-'s figure is scarcely an imjirovement. 



