3. TETROBON. 295 



Tetrodonmaculatus, Lcfchvre, Vo>/. Abyss, vi. p. 237, pi. 7. 



pantlierinus, Eydmix i^- Soul. Voy. Bonite, Poiss. p. 215, pi. 10. 



%• 3. 

 Ilolocanthus variolosus, Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray, p. 20. 

 Crayi-acion stellatus, Bleek. Atl. Ichth. Gytmwd. p. 73, pi. o. fig. 2. 



/?. Synonijnij/ of examples with lateral hands or sjwts. 



Willuyhhy, Hist. Pise. tab. J . 3. 

 Ostracion, sp., Artedi, Gen. p. ^>S. no. 12. 

 Tdtrodon pointilld, Lacep. i. pp. 474, 485. 

 Tetrodon pseudopterus, Bl. Seliii. p. o08. 

 Oalamarah kappa, Russell, i. p. I'J, pi. 28. 



Tetraodon calaniara, Biipp. Atl. Fisch. p. 04, taf. 17. fig. 1 ; BleeA. 

 Verh. Bat. Gen. xxIa-. Blootk. p. 15. 



y. Synonymy of examples ivith abdominal hands. 



Tetrodon lineatus, (not L.) Bl. Avsl. Fisch. i. p. 128, tab. 141; Bl. 



Schn. p. 503 ; Peters, Arch. Ntry. xxi. p. 274 ; Schle(/. Fauti. Japon. 



Poiss. p. 287, tab. 125. fig. 2. 



aerostaticus, Joiyns, Zool. Beayle, Fish. p. 152. 



astrotajnia, Bleek. ]S''at. Tyds. Ned. Ind. iv. p. 129. 



Arothron lineatus, Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxvi. iV. NaJcz. Japan, p. 40, 



or Act. Soc. Sc. Indo-Ncerl. i. Ainboina, p. 07. 

 Cravraciou lineatus, jy/«7v. Atl. Ichth. Gi/mnod. p. 70, pi. 2. fig. 1, and 



pi. 8. fig. 1. 

 astrotseuia, Bleek. I. c. p. 09, pi. 10. fig. 2. 



Small but leather prominent spines cover the entire bodj', extend- 

 ing forward to or nearly to the lips, and behind nearly to the root 

 of the caudal fin. Snout short, obtuse, two-fifths or rather more 

 than two-fifths of the length of the head, and rather more than the 

 Avidth of the interorbital space, which is flat or but slightly coi cave. 

 Length of the caudal fin equal to its distance from the dorsal. Ab- 

 domen white in old examples, in younger with more or less broad 

 black bands obliquely ascending backwards ; they are not very regu- 

 lar, are more or less broken up or confluent, sometimes disappearing 

 towards the middle of the abdomen. Vent with a black ring. All 

 the upi)er parts with black or brown dots, which are confluent into 

 parallel stripes in ver}- young indi\-iduals. Fins with brown spots, 

 sometimes absent on the dorsal and anal fins. Some black spots 

 round the root of the pectoral. 



Vert. 8/10. 



Indian Ocean and archipelago ; Pacific. 



On examining a large series of examples it will bo found that 

 the abdominal bands gradually disappear : it seems as if thoj' dis- 

 appeared with age. However, wo have examples about 6 inches 

 long, some of which have scarcely a trace of the bands left. 



Var. a. Large examples spotted above, but without abdominal 

 bands or large lateral blotches. 



a. Adult (23 inches) : stuffed. Zanzibar. i''roni Lieut.-C'ol. Play- 

 fair's Collection. 



