528 CENTBISCIDiE. 



anterior margin of the orbit. Head and body with several series of 

 well-defined, round, deep-black dots. 

 Ked Sea. Coast of Mozambique. 



a, b. Dried. Red Sea. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



This is a very distinct species, which differs from A. scutata in the 

 following points besides those mentioned : — 



1. The interorbital space is convex, striated, without longitudinal 

 groove. 



2. The operculum is sub emicircular, not quite twice as long as 

 high, with a small prominence at its inferior convex margin. 



3. The horizontal portion of the- humerus which is, visible exter- 

 nally is of moderate length, rather broad on its middle, and obliquely 

 truncated behind ; the coracoid, which is situated immediately below, 

 has its basal portion not styliform, as in A. scutata, but it is broad 

 like the humerus above. 



4. There are ten or eleven ribs. 



5. The distance of the ventral from the pectoral equals that of the 

 latter from the eye. 



6. A series of black dots commences on the rostral tube and runs 

 along the edge of the cuirass ; a second short series is composed of 

 some dots disposed on the ribs ; a third series along the margin of 

 the belly ; a fourth along the side of the back ; and, finally, there are 

 some other dots on the vertebral line. 



3. AmpMsile strigata. 

 P Amphisile scutata, Bleek. Banda, i. p. 245. 



D. 3 I 10. A. 12. C. 10. P. 12. V. 4. 

 The distance of the posterior margin of the operculum from the 

 root of the pectoral is somewhat less than its distance from the an- 

 terior margin of the orbit. A black streak runs from the snout 

 through the eye and base of the pectoral, along the lower edge of 

 the dorsal cuirass ; it is double between the eye and gill-opening, 

 and undulated along the side. 



Java; ? Banda. 

 a. Five and a half inches long. Purchased of Mr. Jamrach. 



This species appears to be more closely allied to A. punctulata than 

 to A. scutata, having the thoracic region as short as the former, or 

 even shorter. It \sn\l be readily recognized by this character and 

 by the black longitudinal band. The extremity of the snout and the 

 first dorsal spine are broken off; but the latter appears to have been 

 joined to the dorsal cuirass, as m A. punctulata. The species differs 

 from A. scutata^arifX agrees with A. pxmctulata in all the points which 

 have been named in the description of the latter species, except that 

 the vent"al fins are somewhat nearer to the pectoral. The body, how- 

 ever, is considerably more elongate than in A. pimctulata. Whilst 

 the third and fourth lateral shields of the cuirass are not much longer 

 than deep in A. punctulata, the third shield is much longer than deep 

 in the present species, and the fourth is twice as long as deep. 



