48 BEETCtD-S. 



Description . — This species, in the form of the body and the number 

 of the fins, is allied to H. sammara, but is distinguished by the feeble 

 development of the spines ; the scales are nearly smooth, with 

 indistinct serrature ; the opercles are scarcely striated ; the sub- and 

 inter-operculum and the humeral are entire, the spines are short and 

 flat ; the dorsal spines slender and somewhat flexible ; the anal spine 

 relatively short, and not very strong. 



The height of the body is four times in the total length, the length 

 of the head 3^. The interspace between the eyes is nearly equally 

 broad behind and in front, but with a slight concavity of the edges 

 above the middle of the eye ; the two bony ridges between the eyes 

 diverge slightly in front to receive the groove for the processes of 

 the intermaxillary bones ; behind they terminate in a fan-like ex- 

 pansion, with about seven or eight radiating bony ridges ; the 

 groove reaches far backwards, and is about four-fifths of the length 

 of the diameter of eye. The turbinal bone is not prominent. The 

 upper maxillary does not reach to the middle of the eye, and the snout 

 has the same length as the groove mentioned. The diameter of the 

 eye is nearly one-third of the length of the head ; the infraorbital arch 

 is slightly denticulated, the tooth in front is obtuse, flat, and short. 

 The striae of the opercles have nearly disappeared in old specimens ; 

 in younger they are visible, especially on the inter-operculum, where 

 they even terminate in small marginal teeth. The operculum has 

 two flat spines, nearly equal in length ; the upper and lower margins 

 arc obsoletely denticulated ; the sub- and inter-opei'culum entire ; the 

 praeoperculum has a vertical posterior margin, very finelj^ serrated, 

 and a flat short spine at the angle, rather longer than one-third of 

 the posterior margin ; the inferior edge of the praeoperculum and the 

 scapulary are serrated ; the humeral is entire. 



The first dorsal is formed by ten dorsal spines, rather elongated 

 and slender; the second, third and fourth arc the longest, not 

 much shorter than the rays. The soft dorsal has a short spine in 

 front, rather longer than the last of the spinous dorsal. The caudal 

 is deeply forked ; the upper lobe, which appears to be rather longer 

 than the lower, is one-fifth of the total length. The anal spines have 

 about the same relative length as generally in the species of Uolo- 

 centj-uvi ; but the third is rather short," and 5^ in the total length. 

 The pectoral fins are shorter than the vcntrals, they reach to the 

 level of the thirteenth scale only of the lateral line ; the ventrals 

 terminate on the level of the fifteenth, far distant from the anus, 

 which corresponds to the twenty-first scale. 



The scales are not striated, but very finely ciliated at the posterior 

 margin ; one of the largest covers fully one-fourth of the eye. 



The colour appears to be red, with lighter longitudinal bands ; the 

 fins show now no colour at all, except in the half-grown specimen, 

 which has the spinous dorsal with a blackish superior edge. 



inches, lines. 



Total length- 8 1 



Height of the body 1 11 



