182 TRIGLID^, 



dotted with brown ; six brown bars across the back ; the first dorsal 

 with a broad oblique blackish band ; the other fins spotted with 

 brown. 



Chinese and Japanese Seas. 



a. Adult. China. From the Haslar Collection. 



b. Adult : stuffed. China. From the Zoological Society's Col- 



lection. 

 c-f. Half-grown. China. 

 g. Half-grown. China. 

 h. Half-grown. China. 



i. Half-grown. China. Presented by Capt. Sir E. Belcher. 

 k. Half-grown. Japan, 

 I. Adult. 

 m. Adult: skeleton. Purchased. 



Skeleton. — The skuU apjjears less flat and broad than in PL in- 

 sidiator, the infraorbital ring and the opercles being situated below 

 the level of the upper surface of the skull. The maxUlary is rather 

 feeble, and excavated in its posterior half; the intermaxillary is 

 much shorter, very broad posteriorly. The mandibula and the 

 palatines are similar to those in PL insidiator. The vomer is of 

 moderate width, with two paraUol, longitudinal, toothed promi- 

 nences. The infraorbital bones are oblong and narrow, and there 

 is a ridge, extending from the centre of the prajorbital to the angle 

 of the prajoperculum ; the spinous teeth on this ridge correspond to 

 each of the infraorbital bones. The praorbital has several low 

 ridges besides, radiating from a centre, and not terminating in 

 spines. Two small postorbital bones close the orbit posteriorly. 

 The orbit itself is large, its longitudinal diameter being three times 

 the interorbital space. The praeopercular limbs form together an 

 acute angle, armed with two spines ; the Kmbs have a distinct muci- 

 ferous channel. There are three slight ridges on the operculum, 

 terminating in very small spines ; the middle one is the strongest. 

 The ethmoid forms part of the upper surface of the skull, separating 

 the frontals from each other. The praefrontals are armed with an 

 erect spine. The space between the orbits is rather narrow and 

 concave ; the orbital margin of the frontals elevated, and serrated 

 posteriorly. There are two parallel ridges on each side of the crown, 

 the inner pair with three spines, the outer one with four. The free 

 space between the two processes of the suprascapula, by which the 

 bone is fixed to the skidl, forms, in this species, the ovate opening 

 of a short canal, leading obliquely backwards to the posterior side of 

 the skuU ; this o'pcning is situated entirely on the upper surface of 

 the skuU. The occipital crest is not raised above the level of the 

 skull, and has a deep pit on eacK side. The structure of the other 

 bontis corresponds well with PL insidiator, except the glossohyal, 

 which is subquadrangular and exceedingly broad, especially ante- 

 riorly. 



Thorp are twelve abdominal and fifteen caudal vrrtthrce, the 

 length of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that 



