PISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 105 



emarginate, broad, 2% to 2% in combined head and body; pectoral 

 314 to 31/2 ; ventral Si/g to 3%. 



Body dark brown, little paler below. Cheeks, opercles and occiput 

 with small gray-blue dots. Blue line across front of interorbital 

 from one eye to the other; another line from front of snout to eye 

 and parallel on infraorbital ; another across maxillary end to postocu- 

 lar; also short one behind maxillary end, sometimes across lower chin. 

 Each scale with traces of pale or whitish vertical line. Iris brownish. 

 Small blue dots scattered about anal base and on breast and prepec- 

 toral region. Most examples show 3 large blotches or cloudings on 

 back, ill-defined or obscure, first at front of spinous dorsal, second 

 median below spinous dorsal and third below soft dorsal. Upper 

 scale of opercles, at beginning of lateral line dusky. Fins all brown- 

 ish, with paired ones often little paler. Spinous dorsal with sub- 

 marginal broad gray band and another on lower terminal portion 

 of anals longitudinally. Pectoral axil blackish, only very little ex- 

 posed at pectoral origin. 



"We have all gradations of the young. Examples 40 to 50 mm. or 

 less all show a large black ocellus, with whitish border on last dorsal 

 spines. The larger of these frequently have a broad pale triangular 

 band from antero-median dorsal spine to post-ventral and some- 

 times a pale or white transverse area from last part of soft dorsal to 

 similar part of soft anal. In these examples the pectoral axil is 

 not darker than surrounding area. The ver}^ young have the white 

 bands more sharply defined, though the front one always a little 

 wider, sometimes double as wide. Also they have a large dorsal 

 ocellus, which may extend on the back slightly. They bear some 

 i-esemblance to Bleeker's figure of Dischistodus notophtJiahnug^ but 

 differ at once in the posterior white band placed opposite the begin- 

 ning of the caudal peduncle. 



Nicobars, East Indies. A handsome species, greatly suggestive 

 of Pomacenti^s lividus^ from which it may be distinguished at all 

 ages by the absence of infraorbital scales. 



We unite the nominal Dischistodus cartieri of Bleeker, based on 

 the imperfect notice by Cartier of an example 63 mm. It is described 

 as light brown, with a broad black blotch on the back at the last six 

 dorsal spines, and is said to have a white line and the vent black. 

 D. XIII, 12; A. II, 12. 



12991. Alibijaban Island, Ragay Gulf, Luzon. March 6, 1909. Length, 167 mm. 

 1 example, Bolalo Bay, Palawan. December 21, 1908. Length, 92 mm. 

 1 example, Bolalo Bay. December 31, 1908. Length, 48 mm. 

 11071. Butauanan Island. June 13, 1909. Length, 112 to 153 mm. 2 examples. 

 7 examples, Buang Bay, Talajit Island. March 15, 1909. Length, 170 nun. 

 12443 to 12445. Bugsuk Island, Balabae. January 5, 1909. Length, 103 to 135 

 mm. 



32872—28 8 



