7. MYBIPEISTIS. 19 



inches, linos. 



Length of the entopterygoid patch of teeth . . 9 



of the first dorsal ray 1 4 



of the last dorsal ray 4 



of a caudal lobe 2 



of the middle caudal ray 6 



of the first anal ray 1 1 



of pectoral fin 1 4 



of ventral fin 11 



Height of a scale 4 



Length of a scale 3 



7. MYRIPRISTIS*. 

 Myl'ipristis, Cuv. Rk/nc Aiiitn. ; Cuv. ^- Veil. iii. p. 160. 



Muzzle short, with oblique cleft of mouth f and prominent chin ; 

 eye generally large. Villiform teeth in both the jaws, on the vomer 

 and palatine bones. Eight (exceptionally seven) branchiostegals. 

 Opercular bones serrated ; operculum generally with a spine, prsE- 

 operculum without spine. Scales large, ctenoid. Two dorsals, 

 scarcely united ; ventrals with seven rays. Caudal forked ; anal 

 with foiu" spines. Swim-bladder divided by a contraction ; the 

 anterior part extending to the otocrane. Pyloric appendages in 

 moderate number. 



Tropical seas of both hemispheres. 



1. Myripristis jacobus. 



Cuv. ^ Val. iii. p. 162. 



D. 10 I yj^. A. i V. 1/7. L. lat. 36-38. L. transv. 3/6. 

 Coec. pylor. 9. Vert. 27. 



The height of the body is one-third of the total length, the length 

 of the head one-fourth ; the interspace between the eyes is one- 

 foiu'th of the length of the head. The upper maxiUary reaches a 

 little to behind the middle of the eye ; operculum striated, the strite 

 terminating in fine points at the hinder edge of the operculum, 

 above a very feeble spine. Pectoral shorter than ventral ; the third 

 and fourth anal spines nearly equal in length, but the former broader. 

 Gill-opening and base of pectoral fin brownish black. 



Caribbean Sea ; coast of Brazil. 



a. Adult. Brazil. Presented by Lord Stuart. 



h-e. Adult : skins. Jamaica. From Dr. Pamell's Collection. 



/. Adult. Sine patria. From the Haslar Collection. 



g. Adult : stufted. Sine patria. 



h. Young. Sine patria. From the Haslar Collection. 



* 1 . Myripristis borbonicus, Cuv. Sf Val. vii. p. 489. — Isle de France. 



2. axillaris, Cuv. cf- Val. vii. p. 491. — Isle de France. 



3. botche, Blcek. Perc. p. 52. — Batavia. 



4. violaceus, Blcek. Bemela, i. p. 234. — Banda. 



t In Myriprisfis lima the cleft of mouth is horizontal. 



c2 



