FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS AND ADJACENT WATERS 59 



Rather light brown generally. Naked portion of head deeper or drab- 

 brown. Iris golden brown. Edge of gill opening broadly brown all 

 around. 



Madagascar, East Indies, Philippines, China, Formosa, Riu Kiu, 

 Australia, Melanesia, Hawaii. The very imperfect account by 

 Valenciennes, who accepts the Bodianus leutjan LacepMe, is not con- 

 clusive, still I follow Giinther and Bleeker. The latter rejects Kner's 

 Lethrinus leutjanus from Madras chiefly as there are five scales above 

 the lateral line in the description and the paired fins reach to the anal, 

 also the enlarged posterior teeth in the outer row are spherical. Its 

 upper jaw is said to reach nearly below the anterior nostril. From 

 this and from the rest of Kner's account I think it may be simply a 

 variant. The five scales above the lateral line and the paired fins 

 reaching opposite the anal origin will surely not preclude its identity 

 with the present species, as I find some of my specimens with these 

 characters. 



Provisionally I have placed Lethrinus sordidus Valenciennes and 

 Lethrinus cocosensis Bleeker as synonyms. These are based on small 

 or young specimens, and I find little to distinguish them. Possibly 

 Lethrinus glyphodon Giinther is another synonym. It shows: Depth 

 2% to 3 times in the total length, compared with 3% in total length for 

 his Lethrinus leutjanus. It was based on a dried skin 346 mm long. 

 Professor Schmidt has recently identified Giinther 's form from Riu 

 Kiu, based on two small examples 134 and IGO mm long. 



Lethrinus fusciceps Macleay may be this species. It is with the 

 following: Depth 2%; head 3, upper profile straight. Snout 2 in 

 head; eye 4, 2 in snout; maxillary reaches % to eye, length Z% in head; 

 teeth conic, 2 distinct canines in lower jaw; interorbital low. Scales 

 47 in lateral line; present on opercle, single row behind eye. D. X, 9, 

 third spine longest; A. Ill, 8, second spine longest; caudal forked; 

 pectoral nearly long as head; ventral 1%. Scales uniformly yellowish. 

 Head brown. Dorsal membrane opaque, yellowish at base. Length, 

 228 mm. 



8141, 8168, 9258. Alibijaban Island, Ragay Gulf, Luzon. March 6, 1909. 

 Length, 204 to 250 mm. [8168.] Pale reddish longitudinal bands on sides 3, 

 possibly another above lateral line in life, first below lateral line anteriorly 

 crosses same below dorsal axU, second from middle of opercle back to middle of 

 caudal peduncle, third behind pectoral base to lower caudal peduncle. Head 

 olive, without cherry bars on opercular edges or across eye. Fins vermilion. 



7836, 7837, 9359, 12207, 15970. Bugsuk Island, Balabac. January 5, 1909. 

 Length, 230 to 286 mm. 



A521. Bulan Island. September 13, 1909. Length, 298 mm. 



A578. Busbus Point, Siasi Island. September 20, 1909. Length, 318 mm. 



17693. Busin Harbor, Burias Island. March 8, 1909. Length, 223 mm. 



8805. Butauanan Island, Luzon. June 13, 1909. Length, 300 mm. 



8376. Calangaman Island. March 16, 1909. Length, 260 mm. 



134789—33 5 



