26. SEERANT7S. 141 



diameter of the eye nearly one-fifth of the length of the head, and 

 larger than the distance between the eyes. The upper maxillary 

 bone reaches beyond the level of the posterior margin of eye. The 

 angle of the praeoperculum with stronger spinous teeth ; sub- and 

 interoperculum entire ; the pectoral reaches as far as the ventral — 

 that is, not to the vent. Brownish, covered all over with large 

 rounded or hexagonal spots. 



From the Red Sea along the Afncan coast through aU the Indian 

 Seas into the North of Australia and into the Pacific. 



V^ar. A. HEXAGONATA. The spots hexagonal, separated from one 

 another by white lines on the head, on the anterior part of the 

 body, and on the pectoral and caudal fins, but more irregular on the 

 other paits ; sometimes closer together at the base of the dorsal, and 

 there forming three darker blotches. 



Perca Lexagonata, Forster, Descr. Anim. ed. Licht. p. 189. 



Holocentrus hexagonatus, Bl. Schn. p. 323. 



Sen-anus hexagonatus, Cuv. %■ Val. ii. p. 330, vi. p. 516 ; Gtierin, Icon. 

 Puiss. pi. 4. f. 1 ; Richardson, Voy. Sulph. p. 82. pi. 38. f. 1 ; Cantor, 

 Catal. p. 7 ; Bleek. Natimrk. Tydschr. Nederl. Indie, vi. p. 191 ; Gay, 

 Chile, Zool. ii. p. 150. 



foveatus, Cuv. ^- Vol. ii. p. 329. 



stellans, Richardson. Ann, Nat. Hist. 1842, vol. ix. p. 23. 



a. HaK- grown. Madagascar. Presented by Dr. J. E. Gray. 

 h. Adult. China. Presented by Sii' J. Richardson. 



c. Adult. Philippines. 



d, e. Adult and half-grown. Amboyna. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 

 /. Half-gro\\Ti. Amboyna. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



g, h. Young. Amboyna. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 



i. Half-grown: stuffed. Louisiade Archipelago. Voyage of the 



Rattlesnake. 

 Tc. Half-grown : bad skin. Sand-bank near Damley Island. 

 I. Adult. India. From Dr. Russell's Collection as Fomacentrus 



punctatiis. 

 m. Adult. India. Purchased of Mr. Frank. 

 n-f. Half-grown. Feejee Islands. Presented by the Lords of the 



Admiralty. 



Var. B. MKEEA. The spots roundish, without white lines between, 

 sometimes confluent in the middle of the sides, much smaller on the 

 fins. 



Seha, iii. 27. 7 ; Klein, Hist. Pise. v. p. 43. t. 8. f. 3. 

 Perca tauvina, Forsk. p. 39. 

 Epinephelus merra, Bl. t. 329 ; Bl. Schn. p. 300. 

 Holocentrus tauvinus, Bl. Schn. p. 321 ; Lacip. iv. p. 338. 



merra, Lacep. iv. p. 342. 



Serraniis merra, Cuv. ^ Val, ii. p. 325. 



q. Half-grown. Singapore. 



r, s. Half-grown. China. Presented by Sir J. Richardson. 



t. Half-grown. Philippines. 



