36 BEBYCIO^. 



Perca rubm, Bl. iSchn. p. 90. 



praslin, Lac^. iv. p. 418, 



Holocentrum alborubrum, Lacep, iv. p. 372 ; Richardson, Ichth. China, 

 p. 223. 



orientale; Cuv. 8f Val. iii. p. 197, vii. p. 497 ; Sleeker, Perc. p. 53. 



Holocentrus ruber, Rilpp. Atl. p. 83. t. 22. f. 1, and N. W. Fische, p. 96. 



Holocentrum marginatum, Cuv. ^ Val. iii. p. 216. 



spinosissimum, Richardson, I. c. p. 223 (not Fauna Japon.) 



D. 11 I 12-13. A. ^. L. lat. 35-37. L. transv. 3/6. 



Caec. pykr. 20. Vert. 11/16. 



The height of the body is equal to the length of the head (oper- 

 cular spine included) and 3^ in the total ; the interspace between 

 the eyes is one-fifth of the length of the head. The groove for the 

 processes of the intermaxillary much shorter than the diameter of eye. 

 Operculum with two strong prominent spines, the lower of which if 

 the smaller. The third, fourth and fifth dorsal spines longest ; the soft 

 dorsal fin rather higher than the spinous. The length of the caudal 

 is 4^ in the total, both the lobes being equal in length. The third 

 anal spine very long and strong ; its length is 4^ 5 times in the total. 

 The ventral fins reach near to the anus, and are rather longer than 

 the pectorals. Scales scarcely striated. Red, with eight whitish 

 longitudinal bands ; the outer edges of the caudal blackish ; the 

 ventrals whitish, black between the third spine and the first ray. 



Red Sea ; Indian Archipelago ; Chinese and Japanese Seas. 



a. Half-grown : stuffed. Red Sea. From the Frankfort Museum. 



b. Adult. Amboyna. From Mr. Frank's Collection. 



e. Adult : skeleton. Amboynu. From Mr. Frank's Collection. 

 d, e. Adult : stufied. Louisiade Archipelago. Voyage of the 



Rattlesnake. 

 /, g. Adult : stuffed. Louisiade Archipelago. Presented by the 



Lords of the Admiralty. 

 h. Half-grown. Philippines. 

 t. Adult : not good state. Japan. 

 Jc. Adult. China. 



I. Adult : stuffed. China. Presented by J. R. Reeves. Esq. 

 m. Adult. India. 



The specimens in which Sir J. Richardson thought he recognized 

 H. alborubrum, Lacep., and H. spinosissimum, Temm. et Schleg. 

 decidedly belong to the above species : he mentions specimen I. as 

 having seven rays in the anal fin ; but I can distinctly see nine, as 

 usual in the species of Holocentrum. The specimen from the Red 

 Sea differs from the East Indian ones in having the third anal spine 

 longer ; in the former it is contained 4^ in the total length, whilst it 

 is one-fifth only in specimens collected in the seas of Japan, Amboyna, 

 and in the Louisiade Archipelago. 



Skeleton. — The upper surface of the skull is flat, without deep 

 grooves or high ridges. The supraoccipital crest is limited to the 

 posterior part of the occiput, without extending on its upper surface. 

 There are two parallel bony ridges running along the middle of the 



