258 SCLERODEKMI. 



p. 499 ; Laci'p. i. p. 4()8 ; Ilollard, Anti. Sc. Xat. 1857, vii. p. 148 ; 



Pvei/, Hepert. Fis.-nat. Cuba, ii. p. 439. 

 Ostraciou lister, Lacep. i. p. 408, pi. 23. fig. 2 (cop. Williuihhy). 



sex-corniitus, Mitchill , Amer. Muntlihj Mag. ii. p. 328. 



Lactopluys sexcomutus, Stiirer, Mem. Am. Ac. ii. p. 498. 



Orftracion maculatus, IloUard, I. c. p. 149. 



quadi'icornis, triconiis, guiiieensis, gTonovai et notacautlius, 



Bleeh. Ned. Tyds. Dierk. ii. p. 298; Virhand. Hull. Maatsch. 



Haarlem, 18G2, Guinea, p. 20. 

 (Acauthostracion) quadricornis, i>/«7i-. Afl. IcJdh. \. p. 32. 



Carapace threc-ridged, witli a flat prominent spine on each ventral 

 ridge opposite to the dorsal fin, and with a pair of horizontal conical 

 •supraorbital spines pointing straight forwards. Sometimes a spine 

 in the middle of the dorsal ridge. The carapace forms a continuous 

 bridge across the back of tlie tail, behind the dorsal fin, and fre- 

 quently, especially in young specimens, terminates in a median spine. 

 Interorbital space deeply concave. Caudal fin long, much longer 

 than the head, the rays being much branched. Each scute of the 

 carapace with a bluish spot or ring, or with a light, brown-edged 

 ocellus ; sometimes the ocelli or brown edges of several scutes con- 

 fluent, and forming irregular wav}- markings. Cheeks with reticu- 

 lated brown lines or four or five parallel horizontal brown bands. 



Tropical parts of the Atlantic. 



a. Young. West Africa. From the Collection of Mrs. Burton. 



h. Half-grown. St. Croix. Purchased of ilr. Stevens. 



c. Several half-grown and young examples : skins. Jamaica. 



Purchased of Mr. Parnell. 

 <J. Half-grown. S:in Domingo. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 

 e, f-f/, h-i. Half-grown. Bahia. From Dr. Wucherer's Collection. 

 Jr. Many adult, half-grown, and young examples : skins. West 



Indies. 

 I. Many adult (IG inches), half-grown, and young examples: 



skins. Habitat ? 



m, n-o. Half-grown. 



Varietij witli dontal spine (0. notacanthus, Bleek.^. 

 2^-q. Half-grown. St. Helena. Presented by J. C. MeUiss, Esq. 



This form deserves to be distinguished as a variety, althoiigh 

 examples from the West Indies with an indication of the dorsal 

 s])ine are by no means uncommon. The other sjiecies proposed by 

 Dr. Bleeker cannot be maintained even as varieties. 



5. Ostracion gibhosus. 



Ostracion alter, Aldrov. iv. p. 561 (cop. by Junston, tab. 25. fig. 6, and 



by IVilluffhby, tab. J 9. fig. 1). 

 Ostracion, sp., Artedi, Si/non. p. 83. no. 2, and Gemn-a, p. 55. no. 2. 

 Ostracion gibbosus, L. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 409. 

 Valcnt. pp. 39(3, 425, figs. 159, 262 ; Rm/sch, p. 9, talj. 5. fios. 5, 9 ; 



Reiiard, ii. tab. 6. fig. 24, tab. 9. fig. 4(3. 



