286 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Depth 3M to 4K; head 3>^ to 3^, width 2}4 to 23^. Snout 

 33/8 to 3%; eye 4 to 53^5, 1^ to 2 in snout, 13^8 to greater than inter- 

 orbital; maxillary reaches ^ to 1 to eye, 4 to 4:}4 in head; inter- 

 orbital 4^ to 53^, broadly convex. Gill rakers 8 4 11, short, slender, 

 lanceolate. 



Scales in lateral line 21 or 22, 4 or 5 + 1 ; 4 scales above lateral line, 

 9 below, 10 predorsal. Scales with 23 to 25 basal radiating striae, 

 apical 13 to 29; circuli very fine. 



D, IX, 12, I, ninth spine 2% to 2j4 in head, first ray 23/3 to 23-^; 

 A. Ill, 11, I or 12, I, third spine 3% to 3%, first ray 2>^ to 2%; 

 caudal 1 3^^ to 1%; little convex behind; least depth of caudal peduncle 

 23^ to 23^; pectoral 13^ to 1%; ventral li^to 23^. 



Back brown, below pale to whitish, with iridescent tints on sides 

 of abdomen, and many scales of trunk and tail below each with slightly 

 darker spot. Deep brown band from snout tip to interorbital, where 

 forking to extend along each side of base of dorsals. Another darker 

 or blackish brown band extends from side of snout to eye, then over 

 postocular to middle of caudal base, where ending in small black 

 spot at bases of upper median rays, width of band but little greater 

 than pupil. Iris pale yellowish white. Fins all pale. Dorsals 

 with 3 series of dull brownish reticulations and blackish median 

 blotch at front of fin, edged whitish above and below. Blackish 

 blotch at pectoral origin. 



Persian Gulf to the East Indies and China. Bleeker's figure only 

 differs in that it does not show a dark line or spot at the pectoral 

 origin. We are obliged to place Platyglossus pseudogramma as a 

 synonym of the present species, especially as both brown dorsal 

 bands uniting before the dorsal without reaching snout. The 

 species has much the appearance of the nominal Halichoeres pyrro- 

 grammus, now conceded to be the female of HalicJioeres poecilopterus 

 (Schlegel). The last differs in one or two more branched dorsal and 

 anal rays and dimensions of the body. 



9115, 204.59, 20460. Catbalogan, Samar. April 15, 1908. Length, C5 to 103 mm. 

 22607. Catbalogan. April 16, 1908. 8 examples. Length, 59 to 79 mm. 

 1 example, Cebu market. August 27, 1909. Length, 60 mm. 

 20900. San Miguel harbor, Ticao Island. April 21, 1908. Length, 85 mm. 

 19338. Sandakan Bay, Borneo. March 2, 1908. Length, 63 mm. 



HALICHOERES POECILOPTERUS (Schlegel) 



Julis poecilopterus Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poiss., pts. 7-9, 1845, p. 169, 



pi. 86, fig. 1. Simabara Bay. 

 Julis poecilopterus Richardson, Rep. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. (Ich. Chin. 



Jap.), 1846, p. 260 (China Seas, Canton). — Brevoort, Exp. Chin. Jap. 



Perry, vol. 2, 1856, p. 271 (Shimoda). 

 Platyglossus poecilopterus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 4, 1862, p. 



166 (China). — KAroli, Termesz. Fuzetek, Budapest, vol. 5, 1881, p. 174 



