\ 



1. CH^TODON. 15 



obliquely situated ; the former is small, the latter broader anteriorly 

 than posteriorly. The suprascapula is firmly joined to the bones of the 

 skuU: the humerus is very developed, sword-shaped, and reaches down- 

 wards to the ventrals: the coracoid is exceedingly broad, and especially 

 the cavity for the muscles of the pectoral fin ; this cavity is rather 

 shallow. There is a very small cleft between the ulna and coracoid. 

 The lamellae of the pubic bones are nearly equally developed; the lower 

 is posteriorly swollen for the articulation with the ventral spine. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebra, the length 

 of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that of the 

 caudal as 1 : 1-85. The ribs are strong and broad, and provided at 

 the base with epipleiu-al spines. The longest neural and haemal 

 spines are those of the middle vertebrae, and the latter are longer 

 than the former. There are two spmious interneurals, which are 

 received in a fork, formed by the occipital crest ; they are provided 

 superiorly with a spine, directed forwards, and covering the crest like 

 tiles. Each neural and iaterncural spine belonging to the spinous 

 dorsal is dUated into a transparent lamella, firmly joined to the spine 

 next to it. The haemal spiae of the second caudal vertebra is the strong- 

 est, compressed, and partially united with the spines of the first and 

 third caudal vertebrae. In a similar way, the interha)mals of the anal 

 spines are anchylosed together and -with the correspondmg haemals. 



The skeleton from which the above description is taken appears 

 to have been that of a very old fish. 



22. Chsetodon ornatissimus. 



Chsetodon ornatissimus, {Solander) Cm: ^- Val. vii. p. 22 ; Less. 'Coy, 

 Coq. Zool ii. p. 179. pi. 30. f. 1 (not good) ; meek. Act. Soc. Nederl. 

 ii. Amboina, p. 55. 



Chastodon ornatu3, Gray, Zool. 3fiscell. p. 33, and in Griff'. Anim. 

 Kinyd. X. p. 323. pi. 20. 



D-5j|-6- A.|. L.lat.55. L. transv. 12. 



The snout is a little pointed, and rather shorter than the diameter 

 of the eye ; prteoperculum minutely denticulated ; the dorsal and 

 anal fins rounded posteriorly. Head with six black vertical bands, 

 edged Avith yellow : the fu'st across the lower Up ; the second round 

 the snout ; the thu'd through the eye ; the fourth across the praeoper- 

 culum, continued into a line iiinning below, and parallel to the 

 margin of the dorsal fin ; the fifth from the suprascapula over the 

 operculum to the suboperculum ; the sixth very narrow, along the 

 opercular membrane. Body with seven obUque, yellow longitudinal 

 bands, the five upper of which terminate at the base of the dorsal fin ; 

 the sLxth to the back of the tail ; the seventh to the anal fin. The 

 soft dorsal with a black edge, besides the black line ; the anal with 

 black, yellow and black marginal bands ; caudal with a black cross- 

 band near the base and near the posterior margin ; ventrals yellowish. 



From the Molucca Sea to Polj-nesia. 



a. Adult : stuffed. Sandwich Islands. Purchased. — Type of CJi. 



