7. PERcis. 237 



bones being of nearly equal width, and firm!)' grown together. The 

 frontal bones are very narrow between the or])its, and have the 

 raai^;in raised above the level of the crown. The crown is rather 

 flat, without ridges or grooves ; the basal portion of the cranium is 

 slightly swollen on each side. 



There are ten abdominal and twenty-five caudal vertehne, tlio 

 former portion of the vertebral column Ijeing to that of the caudal as 

 1 : 2-(S. The vertebra) are rather short, compressed ; the libs, neural, 

 hajmal, intcrneural and interhajmal spines are feeble. The five an- 

 terior anal rays are situated below the abdominal cavity, and their 

 interhiemals, therefore, are much inclined backwards, thus accjuiring 

 a point of attachment at the ha^mals of the anterior caudal vertebra) ; 

 the interhasmal of the sixth anal ray has the usual vertical direction . 



5. Trachinus comutus. 



Gny, Chile, ii. p. 1G2. 



D. 7 I 25. A. 28. 



Pra)operculum with four strong .spines beneath ; on each side, 

 before the eye, a rather long recurved spine. Uniform grey ; first 

 dorsal black-edged. 



Coast of Chile. 



7. PERCIS*. 



Percis, Bl. Schn. p. 179; Cuv. Hhjue Anbn.; Cur. Sf Val. iii. p. 250. 



Body cylinchical, elongate ; cleft of the mouth sliglitly oblique ; 



eye lateral, directed upwards. Scales small, ctenoid. Dorsals more 



or less contiguous, the spinous with five (four) spines ; ventrals a 



little before the pectorals ; the lower pectoral rays branched. Villi- 



form teeth in the jaws, with the addition of canines ; teeth on the 



vomer, none on the palatines. Operculum with two small spines ; 



praeopercidum entire or slightly denticulated. Six branchiostegals ; 



pseudobranchia3. Air-bladder none ; pyloric appendages in small 



aimber. 



From the Eed Sea to the coasts of Australia and Polynesia. 



A. The middle dorsal spines the lonf/ed. 



1. Percis nebulosa. 



? Percis macuiata, Bl. Schn. p. 1 79. tab. ;>8. 



Percis ni^bulosa, Quoy ^ Guim. Voij. Freyc. Poiss. p. .^540; Cur. &■ Vat 



iii. p. 2(;0. 

 emeryana, Biehords. Ann. df May. Nat. Hist. 1842, ix. p. l;](>, 



Ico}i. Pise. tab. 1. f. 1, and Ichth. Chin. p. 211. 



D. 5 I 21-22. A. 19-20. L. lat. 85. Cicc. pylor. 4. 

 Vert. 10/20. 



The height of the body is 5| in the total length, the length of 

 » 1. Bevard, i. G. 42; Percis occllata, C. 4- V. iii. p. 270.— East Indies. 



