16. zEirs. 395 



outwards ; a series of spiny plates between the ventral and anal. A 

 round black spot in the middle of the side. 

 Mediterranean. 



a. Fine specimen. Dalmatia. 



b. Fine specimen. 



5. Zeus nebulosus. 

 Schleg. Faun. Japon. Poiss. p. 123. pi. 66. 



D. 10 I 26. A. 3 I 26. 



Seven bony plates along the base of the spinous dorsal, six along 

 that of the soft, and eight along that of the anal ; each of the plates 

 armed with a single spine ; prseorbital, prseoperculum, and scapula 

 spineless ; coracoid with a flat spine of moderate size ; a series of 

 plates between the ventral and anal, the ridges of each plate termi- 

 nating posteriorly in a spine. Body scaleless, irregularly marbled 

 with blackish. 



Sea of Japan. 



a. Adult : stuffed. Japan. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



6. Zeus conchifer. 



Lotve, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 247. 



D. 10 I 24. A. 3 I 26. Vert. 13/21. 



Three bony plates along the base of the spinous dorsal, four along 

 that of the soft, and six along that of the anal ; each of the plates is 

 armed with a single spine ; pra^orbital, prajoperculum, and scapula 

 spineless ; coracoid with a flat spine of moderate size ; a series of 

 plates between the ventral and anal, the ridges of each plate termi- 

 nating posteriorly in a very short spine. Body scaleless. 



Sea of Madeira. 



a. Twenty-seven inches long : skin. Madeira. From the Rev. R. 

 T. Lowe's Collection. — Type of the species. 



Description. — This species differs widely from Zeus faber, and is 

 nearest to the Japanese species, Z. nebulosus ; but it may be readily 

 distinguished by the extent of the bony plates along th'e base of the 

 spinous dorsal, by the large size of those plates, and finally by its 

 three anal spines. In its general form it does not differ from the 

 other species of Zeus. The colours have gone, but it must be ob- 

 served, that there is not the shghtest trace of a lateral black spot, 

 which is said to be present during life. There are two bucklers 

 covering the breast before the ventral fins ; each of them is com- 

 posed of a single bone ; the anterior is one-half the size of the second, 

 and has a small spine in its centre ; the second is provided with a 

 pair of small spines. The abdomen is cuirassed with eight pairs of 

 bucklers, those of the one side being separated by a suture from their 

 Fellows on the other side : the vent is situated between the last pair. 

 Each plate has a slight ridge terminating in an indistinct point. 



