Report of a Mission to (iuani. 123 



and first dorsal spine. Beginning with the third dorsal spine the 

 body is banded with twelve narrow, double, white lines with a nar- 

 row interspace of brown between each line; these lines seem to be 

 in pairs, four of the narrow white lines with their interspaces mak- 

 ing up a band, ot which there are seven on the body with interspaces 

 about equal to diameter of eye. The last three pairs of bands ex- 

 tend obliquely forward and down, on the caudal peduncle. Thorax 

 is }ellowish white with one broad band of brown extending from 

 the base of one dorsal fin to the other. Snout and under part of 

 head yellow, the snout having two brown spots on each side; a 

 broad brown band from lower anterior margin of eye to posterior 

 end of maxillaries; another, edged with white extends from top of 

 orbitals through eye to lower anterior margin of opercles. Axis of 

 peclorals black, with a wide white line; a curved white line on the 

 fin just posterior of axis. The base of pecloral is brown; a white 

 area on base of rays surrounded bj^ a clouded black area, the black 

 extending half the distance of the rays. Ventrals have yellow rays 

 and black membranes. All the remaining fins are marked with alter- 

 nating irregular lines of brown and white. The above description 

 is of a male, length 4 inches. Guam, July 13, 1900. A young 

 female, length about 3 inches, taken at the same time, while struc- 

 turally similar is quite differently marked, and much more nearly 

 resembles Ouoy & Gaimard's figure (Vov. Astrol. Poiss, Pi. XI., 

 p. 6), except the upper portion of the white lines are not distinctly 

 divided. Hab. Polynesia, Marianas, seas of India. 



Family PI,ATYC:ePHAI,ID^. 



Genus PLATYCBPHALUS Block & vSchxeider. 



259-60. Platycephalus punctatus Cuv. & Val. 



Head 2.66; depth 3.50 into head; eye 4.20 into head; snout 3; 

 interorbital 4 into eye; D. viii, 11 ; A. 12. Head flat, spinate; 

 lower jaw the longer. Body sub-cylindrical. The lateral line 

 smooth. Teeth villiform; the maxilla reaches to anterior margin 

 of eye. Supraorbital margin toothed posteriorly, and with a dis- 

 tinct spine anteriorly. Lower margin of inferior orbital with a row 

 of spines which end in the strong spine of preopercle; two small 

 spines just below the preopercular spine. Two spines on snout. 

 Occipital region with several spines. Opercle with two spines on 

 upper posterior part ; just above opercle is an irregular row of 

 about .six spines reaching to orbit. Fins: Caudal square. Ventrals 

 1.20. The first dorsal and anal fins of about equal length, 2 into 

 head. Base of soft dorsal slightly less than base of anal. Color in 

 spirits: Grayish, with four or five wide brownish cross bands from 

 the back to middle of sides. Under surface white. Pecftorals yel- 

 lowish, with brown dots and lines. First dorsal yellow, with a 



