140 TKIGLIB-E. 



2. Prosopodasys dracaena. 

 Apistus dracaena, Cuv. ^- Veil. iv. p. 403. 



E. 7. D.3||. A.|. 



Scales minute, rudimentary. The first three dorsal spines isolated 

 by a deep notch from the others, and forming a separate fin. Prae- 

 orbital and praeopercular spines veiy large. Greyish -brown : fins 

 spotted ; a black blotch between the sixth and ninth dorsal spines. 

 (Cuv.) 



Coast of Malabar. 



3. Prosopodasys depressifrons. 



Apistus depressifrons, Richards. Zool. Samar. FisJtes, p. 1, pi. 3. f. 1, 2. 

 binotopterus, Bleek, Sclerop, p. 26. 



D.Slf A.f 



Scales minute, rudimentaiy. The first three dorsal spines entirely 

 separated from the others ; the pectoral reaches slightly beyond the 

 origin of the anal ; the thii-d anal spine is the longest. Interocular 

 space much narrower than the eye ; the prseorbital and prseopercular 

 spines rather small. 



Richardson states the Sea of Japan as the habitat of this species, 

 whilst the typical species is marked as coming from Java. 



a. Adult. Java. — Type of the species. 



4. Prosopodasys asperrimus. 



D.3|- A.|. V.i 



Head and body covered with small prickles ; spines of the head 

 very prominent : prseorbital with two, suborbital with one, praeoper- 

 culum with five spines. The fii'st three dorsal spines entirely sepa- 

 rated from the posterior ones. Mouth subvertical. The pectorals 

 reach to the vent ; the ventrals small. Uniform brown (in a pre- 

 served state). Palatine teeth none. 



East Indies. 

 a. From Captain Sir E. Belcher's Collection. 



Description of the specimen. — The height of the body equals the 

 length of the head, and is 3| in the total. The snout is truncated, 

 with the cleft of the mouth" nearly vertical. The upper surface of 

 the head is very imeven, and covered with tubercles ; the space be- 

 tween the eyes narrow, its width being much less than that of the 

 orbit. The prseorbital is armed Avith a pair of strong spines, point- 

 ing downwards; the infraorbital also has a spine, smaller than 

 those of the prfeorbital, and directed downwards ; the prajoperculiun 

 has five spines, the interoperculum one, the operculiuu none. The 

 lower posterior angle of the mandibula is verj- prominent. The three 

 anterior dorsal spines are situated in the middle of the crown of the 



