310 GYMNODONTES, 



The spines arc rather short, moderately strong ; they are fixed 

 and three-rooted, except the foremost on the head and round the 

 snout, which are erectile and two-rooted. The roots are narrow 

 and rather flat, and the lateral longer than the anterior or than the 

 spine. There are four or five spines above the orbit. Interorbital 

 space slightly concave. There are about seventeen transverse series 

 of spines between the snout and the dorsal fin. A pair of spines on 

 the side of the tail, beside the roots reaching across the back behind 

 the dorsal fin. Inner masticatory plate with about seven transverse 

 grooves. A blackish bar below the eye, another in front of the gill- 

 opening; a blackish blotch behind the pectoral fin; a black spot 

 on each side of the tail, in advance of the dorsal fin. Base of the 

 dorsal fin in a black spot. D. 12. (A. lost.) C. 9. P. 21. 



Zanzibar. 



a. Stufi'ed, 9| inches long. From Lieut.-Col. Playfair's Collection. 



b. Very young. From Lieut.-Col. Playfair's Collection. 



(3. All the sjmies three-rooted and iynjnoveahle. 



2. Chilomycterus geometricus. 



Guamajacu atinga, Marcgr. Hist. Pise. p. 1G8^, Willuyhhy, p. 155, 



tab. I 8. fig. 2 (bad). 

 Attiiiga altera, WiUuc/hhy, I. c. fig. 1. 

 Petiver, Gazophyl. pi. 69. fig. 1. 

 Ostracion, sp., Artedi, Gen. p. 59. no, 15. 

 Cyclopterus lumpus, var. (3, Linn. Stjst. Nat. i. p. 414. 

 Toad-fish, Sehoepff, in Schrift. Ges. ntrf. Fretmd. Berlin, viii. p. 192. 

 Diodon geometricus, PI. Sc'hn. p. 513, taf. 90. 

 maculato-striatus, Mifchiil, Trans. Lit. Sf Phil. Soc. New York, 



i. p. 470, pi. 0. fig. 3 ; Bekai/, New York Fatin. Fish. p. 323, pi. 56. 



fig. 185. 

 rivulatus, Cuv. 3Ihn. Miis. iv. p. 129, pi. 6; Jenyns, Zuol. 



Peagle, Fish. p. 150. 



niffroliueatus, Ayres, Jovrn. Post. Soc. Nat. Hist. iv. 1842, p. 68. 



fuliginosus, Dekay, I. c. p. 324, pi. 55. fig. 181. 



verrucosus, Dekay, I. c. p. 325, pi. 56. fig. 184. 



llolocauthus areolatus, Gronov. Syst. ed. Gray, p. 27. 

 Cyclichthys cornutus, Kanp, Wieym. Arch. 1855, p. 231. 

 Chilomycterus geometricus, Kaup, I. c. p. 232. 



Spines strong, but short ; two above the orbit, one, more or less 

 prominent, in the middle of the forehead. Superciliary edge raised ; 

 generally a tentacle between the superciliary spines ; it is prolonged 

 in young examples, and' sometimes absent in older ones. Tentacles 

 along the lower part of the side, one on each side of the an^ fin 

 being especially developed. Tail spineless; but the roots of one pair 

 of spines reach across behind the dorsal fin. A large black ocellus, 

 edged with lighter, behind the pectoral fin ; another, smaller, above 

 it. A black vertical bar below the eye. A black spot on each side 

 of the dorsal fin. Fins immaculate. 



Atlantic. 



