172 PEIlClDiE. 



1. Rhypticus saponaceus. 



Parra, p. 51. pi. 54 f. 2. 



Anthias saponaceus, Bl. Schn. p. 310. 



Kj-pticus saponaceiis, Cur. ^ Vol. iii. p. 63. 



D. ^. A. ^. Cfec. pylor. 6-7. Vert. 10/14. 



One continuous dorsal. The length of the Lead equals the height 

 of the body, and rather more than one-foui'th of the total length. 

 Dorsahs gradually becoming higher behind ; pectoral rounded, mode- 

 rate ; ventral small. Brown. 



Coasts of Tropical America ; Cape of Good Hope ; St. Helena ; 

 Cape Verde. 



a. Adult : stuffed. Cape of Good Hope. Presented by Sir A. Smith. 



b. Adult : staffed. St. Helena. Presented by Gen. Hardwicke. 



c. d. Adult : stuffed. "W. Indies. From Mr. Scrivener's Collection. 

 e. Adult. St. Vincent's. Presented by the Lords of the Admiralty. 

 f-h. Adult and half-grown : skins. Jamaica. From Dr. ParneU's 



Collection. 

 i. Adult. America. Presented by the Zoological Society. 

 Tc. Half-gro'mi : skeleton. From the Haslar Collection. 



Skeleton. — The fonn of the skull deviates in many respects from 

 that of the Scrrani. The supraoccipital crest is low, and does not 

 extend beyond the supraoccipital bone. The portion of the skull 

 formed by the parietal and frontal bones is verj' compressed, smooth, 

 ■without ridges, and cyUnrMcaUy roimded; the space between the 

 eyes is still narrower, with a gi'oove in fi'ont for receiving the pos- 

 terior processes of the intermaxillaiy. The prseorbital has an entire, 

 roimded, lower margin, tapering behind ; the suborbital arch is very 

 naiTow, but supported at the inner side by a long and broad plate, 

 which renders this arch very firm, and supports the eye from beneath ; 

 this plate occupies about one-third of the circle of the orbit. The 

 maxillary bone gradually widens behind, and has a rather concave 

 posterior and a convex anterior margin. There is a large open space 

 between the dcntary and articularj- bones of the mandibula. The prse- 

 oj^crculum is narrow, crescent-shaped, \vithout any prominent angle, 

 and -nith two equal, flat, and triangular spinoiLs teeth at its upper 

 half; there is another smaller and obtuse tooth above these larger 

 ones. The siib- and interoperculum are entire. The area of the 

 operculiun is hardly larger than the eye ; it is provided behind with 

 three prominent spines, the middle of which is the longest, and the 

 continuation of a strong ridge, visible at the inner surface of the 

 operculum ; the two upper spines are nearer together, and the upper- 

 most is situated at the upper angle of the opercle. 



There are ten abdominal and fom-teen caudal vertebrsB. The 

 neural spines of the first seven vertebrae are strong, compressed, and 

 the more recumbent the more posteriorly situated ; the posterior 

 ones are also shorter. The ribs are short, but thicker than in Ser- 

 ranus. There is only one rudimentary anal spine, and consequently 

 the interhaemal is vei'y feeble and slender, attached to the eleventh 



