218 TEIGLIDiE. 



Each of the bony plates between the ventral fins is twice as long as 

 broad. The ridge of the praeopercidum terminates posteriorly in a 

 long spine. Uniform red. 

 Caribbean Sea. 



a. Adnlt. West Indies. Presented by Sir R. Sehomburgk. 

 h. Adult : stuffed. "West Indies. Piu'chased of Mr. Scrivener. 

 c. Adult : stuffed. 



Description. — The length of the head is one-third of the total ; 

 its crovni is broad and flat, sei^arated from the broad bony plate, 

 ■which covers the nape of the neck, by a narrow grooved line, the 

 convexity of which is directed forwards. The space between the 

 orbits is slightly concave, and its width is one -fourth of the length of 

 the head. There is a slight protuberance on the forehead. Each 

 turbinal bone is armed with a prominent triangular spine. The 

 length of the snout is one-half that of the head, and each praeorbital 

 process takes one-third of the former ; in one of the specimens these 

 processes are a little longer. They are flat, roimded anteriorly, 

 sHghtly divergent, and covered all over with small granulations, like 

 the whole head. Two ridges arise from the base of the praeorbital 

 process, rimning towards the angle of the praeopercidum ; the upper 

 one 'is the stronger, and terminates posteriorly in a depressed spine, 

 which reaches beyond the base of the pectoral. The operculum also 

 has a low ridge, terminating in a prominent spine. AU the bones 

 of the head are separated from one another by slightly grooved lines. 

 The jaw-bones are feeble, as usual, and the lower jaw is provided 

 with many barbels, two of which are considerably longer than the 

 others and fringed. 



The nape of the neck is cuirassed with a broad bony plate, angu- 

 larly bent downwards on each side ; the abdominal surface with two 

 pairs of large plates. The anterior pair is narrowed between the 

 ventral fins ; the greatest width of each plate is one-half of the 

 greatest length. The plates of the posterior pair are rather longer 

 than broad ; the vent is situated in a sHght notch of their posterior 

 extremity. The space between the vent and the anal is cuirassed with 

 two broad and short plates, undivided in the medial Une. Each side 

 of the body and taU is cuirassed with three series of scale-like plates, 

 each armed with a claw-shaped spine, directed backwards; the spines 

 of the lowest series are the strongest. The lower side of the tail has 

 two additional series of spineless plates, separated by the anal fin. 



None of the dorsal spines are elongated in any of the specimens ; 

 the caudal fin is small, slightly emargtnate; the pectoral reaches to the 

 tenth plate of the medial series, the ventral to the origin of the anal. 

 Coloration uniform red. 



inches, lines. 



Total length 9 2 



Length of the head 3 2 



Width of the head between the orbits .... 9| 



Length of a praeorbital process 6 



Diameter of the eye 8| 



