110 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



D. XIII, 14, I or 15, I, thirteenth spine 1% to 2i/^ in head, seventh 

 ray 1% to 1% ; A. II, 13, i, second spine 1% to 2^/4, eighth ray IV5 to 

 1%; least depth of caudal peduncle 2 to 21/8; pectoral ll^ to 1^; 

 ventral 1 to 1%; caudal emarginate, lobes rounded, 2% to 31^ in 

 combined head and body. 



Largely uniform brown, sometimes pectoral and caudal variously 

 paler. Iris brown. Opercular scale at beginning of lateral line 

 mostly neutral to blackish, less than pupil in diameter. On back 

 above lateral line alwaj's conspicuous white spot, opposite middle in 

 length of spinous dorsal and usually above lateral line, variable or 

 sometimes extends scale below lateral line. Variously blue or blue- 

 white lines on head below eye on infraorbitals. Eye brown to dusky,, 

 with narrow yellowish ring around pupil. Usually gray-white line 

 from snout tip and along front of upper lip to lower eye edge and 

 back across opercle above to below blackish opercular scale. Often 

 another shorter from equal space aboA^e nostril to upper eye edge- 

 and then for several scales behind eye. One, and sometimes 2 w^hite 

 lines may cross chin, upper of which across maxillary may form in- 

 fraorbital line. Scales on cheek, humeral and predorsal regions, also 

 bases and greater portions of vertical fins or where scaled, finely 

 spotted with blue or whitish. Each scale on body usually with me- 

 dian blue or white vertical line. Small dusky-brown spot at pectoral 

 origin or in some cases entire pectoral axil blackish-brown. Fins 

 otherwise all uniform dull brown. Ventral often darker than pec- 

 toral, with blue white line on first ray, then also on terminal portions 

 of second and third rays. Vent often blackish. 



Mauritius to the East Indies. Known by its somber coloration, 

 with the diagnostic white spot conspicuously on the middle of the 

 back. The young greatly resemble the young of Pomacenh'us lit- 

 toralis, but are easily distinguished by the naked muzzle and white 

 spot on middle of back. Sometimes the white spot not very evident 

 in bleached examples. 



We adopt Poviacenhnis pristiger Valenciennes as the earliest avail- 

 able name for the species, in place of the usually accepted and later 

 Pomacerdvus chrysopoecilus (Kuhl and Van Hasselt) Schlegel and 

 Miiller. 



12440, 12441, 12442, 14799. Bugsuk Island, Balabac Island. January 5, 1909. 



7 examples. Length, 93 to 128 mm. 

 2193. Cagayan. June 8, 1909. Length, 58 mm. 



15040 and 15046. Caliingaman Island. March 16, 1909. Length, 134 to 138 mm. 

 5423. Candaraman Island, Balabac. January 4, 1909. Length, 148 mm. 

 5422. Cebu market. April 7, 1908. Length, 144 mm. 

 7431. Dalaganem Island. April 8, 1909. Length, 120 mm. 

 25 examples. Great Tobea Island. December 15, 1909. Length 30 to 135 mm. 

 1039. Masamat Bay. June 12, 1909. Length. 22 mm. 



