;^24 PRISTIPOMATID^. 



dalis truncated ; the second and third anal spines nearly equally 

 strong, the latter rather longer. Body and vertical fins with nu- 

 merous brown spots, disappearing with age ; the dorsal and anal fins 

 with a black margin. Sometimes light longitudinal streaks at the 

 side of the head. 



Red Sea ; Trincomalee ; Seas of Java and Vanicolo ; Sea of China. 



a. Adult: stuffed. Red Sea. From the Senckenberg Museum. 

 h. Adult: skin. Ceylon. Presented by E. F. Kelaart, M.D. 



c. Adult. China. 



d. Adult. China. 



e. f. Half-grown. From the Haslar Collection. 



g. Half-grown: stuffed. From thcCoUection of the Zoological Society. 

 h. Adult: skeleton. From the Haslar Collection. 



The air-bladder has been described* as simple, but a closer ex- 

 amination has shown me that there are several slender hoi'ns in 

 front and on the sides of the anterior quarter. Their number differs 

 in different individuals from five to eight. They are rather short, 

 and, reaching hetiveen the museJes of the abdominal cavity, have here 

 the very peculiar purpose of fixing the air-bladder ; they decrease 

 in length posteriorly, and are hollow. 



Skeleton.— T}ie maxillary bone scarcely widens at its posterior 

 extremity, but it has the inferior angle produced ; the intermaxillary 

 is a little shorter, and has a flat prominence posteriorly, and a deep 

 notch between this prominence and the process ; its posterior process 

 is broader and stronger than the bone itself, and of about the same 

 length, but does not extend to the level of the orbit. The vomer 

 has anteriorly an angular transverse ridge, as in species with a 

 toothed vomer ; its posterior portion is longitudinally gi'ooved. The 

 mandibida is elevated, but short, its length slightly exceeding the 

 width of the orbit ; the mnciferous channel, which is contained in the 

 lower part of the bone, is nearly entirely closed by the bone, there 

 being two or three small openings only, as is the case with nearly 

 all the rest of the system of mucifei'ous channels. The turbinal 

 bones are very elongate, tubuliform, with a long slit posteriorly and 

 a small opening in front ; there is a wide interspace between these 

 bones to receive the posterior processes of the intermaxillaries. The 

 free margin of {he i^alntine bone has nearly a vertical direction ; the 

 pterygoid reaches to the mandibidary joint, and terminates in a small 

 prominent knob. The 2'>re-, meso-, and epitympanic form together an 

 oblong plate, with a central impression and a wide opening between 

 the pre- and epitympanic. 



The occipital crest is very elevated, its horizontal portion being 

 nearly three times as wide as the vertical, and extending to the level 

 of the anterior margin of the orbit. There are, besides, two similar 

 crests on each side from the orbit to the scapulary ; they are veiy 

 developed, the outer being lower and muciferous, and the inner con- 

 tinued into the upper orbital edge, which is likewise elevated. There 

 are two pairs of openings of moderate width at the anterior extre- 

 » nppp. Atl. p. 12fi. 



