PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 263 



statement of a quadrangular character for Tetrosomus it would appear 

 certain that the three following di\isions were intended as suligeuera, 

 subordinated to Tetrosomus. As it is, it seems to be more than probable 

 that an omission was made by the author, and that the diagnosis should 

 read " triangular or quadrangular," for the species chosen as type of 

 Tetrosomus is in tact pentagonal. This, however, would throw out 

 Rhinesomus and certain species in Lactophrys. Be this as it may, we 

 have no right to guess at the real meaning of the author ; these divis- 

 ions are treated as genera in every particular except that their names 

 are in italics instead of capitals, and as genera Ihey must be quoted, 

 charging discrepancies to the account of carelessness and bad workman- 

 ship. 



In 1855 the group underwent another revision at the hands of Dr. 

 Kaup.* Besides forming several new subgenera for the Acarana-like 

 forms he made a comidete redistribution of the species among the 

 genera. Eegarding the triangular species as types of the genus Ostra- 

 don of Linna3us he proi)osed a new generic name, Cibotion, for Ostracion 

 as limited by Swainson, and in this group placed 0. tuberculatus, 0. CU' 

 bicus, 0. punctatus, 0. argus, 0. cyanni'us, and 0. Sebae. In '■'■Lceto- 

 pJirys, Swains, (part)," he placed O.cornutus, 0. fornasini, and 0. diapha- 

 mis, all species with spinous, four-ridged carapaces, while in " Ostracionj 

 Linu. (part), Kaup," which he regarded as equivalent to Rhinosomus and 

 Tetrasomus, Swains., he placed all the triaugular species, which he di- 

 vided into hve sections: "a. Without long spines over the eyes and on 

 the edges of the body*' — 0. triqueter. "b. With spines near the anal- 

 fin" — 0. bicaudalis, 0. trigonus, and.O. oviceps {= 0. trigonus). "c. 

 With spines over the eyes and on the edge of the carapace" — 0. quadri- 

 cornis. "d. With 2-3 short spines on the elevated dorsal ridge, short 

 spines over the eye and upon the edges of the very broad carapace, 

 diminishing with age to weak points" — 0. concatenatus. "e. With 

 strongly quadrangular body and much elevated back, provided with a 

 strong spine; spines over the eyes and on the lower edges of the cara- 

 pace." — 0. gibbosus. 



In the following j'ear a fresh revision was undertaken by Prof. H. 

 Hollard, of the Faculty of Sciences at Poitiers,! who reassembled in 

 the one genus, Ostracion, all the species witli a post- abdominal bridge to 

 the carapace, retaining for the others the name Aracana, Gray. In this 

 usage he is followed by Dr. Bleeker in his later publication, though he 

 freely admits that earlier in his career as an ichthyologist, impressed 

 like his predecessors by the diversified forms of the known species of 

 Ostracionts, he was inclined to believe that many genera could be dis- 

 tinguished among them. "But," he continues, "in searching for char- 

 acters which should define them satisfactorily, I discovered that I could 



* Op. cit., pp. 214-221. 



tlBoC). IIoLLAKD, II. Moiiogiapbie do la Fainillc dos Ostr.aioiiidcs. <Aim;ilf,s 

 des Sciences Naturclles, 4'' scr, Zool. vii, 1857, pp. 121-170. 



