146 PEBCIBiE. 



ticulations on tho angle. Blackish brown ; tail and all the fins 

 yellow. 



Coast of Mozambique ; Isle de Erance ; Ceylon. 



a. Large specimen : stuffed. Isle de France. 



b. Adult : stuffed. Isle de France. 



c. Adiilt. Mauritius. Presented by the Zoological Society. 



d. Bad skin. Ceylon. Presented by Dr. Kelaart. 



e. Large specimen : not good state : has been in chloride of zinc. 



Sine patria. From the Haslar Collection. — Tail and root of the 

 caudal fin black ; anal fin with ten soft rays. 



107. Serranus spiniger. (Plate X. fig. B.) 

 D. ii. A. |. L. lat. 90. 



10 8 



Caudalis truncated. The height of the body is 3i in the total 

 length, the length of the head 3^. Praeoperculum rounded, with 

 coarser denticulations at the angle. The second dorsal spine nearly 

 t^ice as long as any of the others. 



a. Adult. Sine patria. Old Collection. 



Description. — The form of the body is compressed, oblong, its 

 greatest height compiisfd 3^ in the total length ; the length of the 

 head is 3^ in the same ; the upper surface of the head is rounded, 

 convex, entirely covered with minute scales, which extend on the 

 praeorbital, cheeks, all the opercles, the lower jaw, and on a part of 

 the maxillary. The diameter of the eye is oi in the length of the 

 head, larger than the distance between the eyes, and two-thirds of 

 the extent of the snout. The two openings of the nostril are small, 

 round, equal, and near together. The cleft of the mouth is wide, the 

 upper maxillary bone reaching nearly to the posterior margin of the 

 orbit. The lower jaw is -vory prominent ; the hps thick and fleshy. 

 The praeoperculum is rounded througliont, finely serrated behind, and 

 ■with several coarse denticulations at the angle ; the sub- and inter- 

 operculum exhibit a fine serrature on a part of their inferior margin. 

 Operculum with three conspicuous spines : the upper smallest and 

 shortest, nearly concealed by the scales ; the middle long and pro- 

 minent ; the lower of half the size ; the upper and middle spines 

 are rather nearer together than the lower and middle ones. 



The soft portion of the dorsalis is much higher, but shorter than 

 the spinous. The latter shows a peculiarity that is not found in 

 any of the other Serrarii : the first and shortest spine is followed 

 by the second, which far exceeds the others, ajid even the rays, in 

 length and strength ; it is half as long as the body is high, and nearly 

 twice as long as the third; all the following spines are nearly equal. 

 The upper margin of the soft portion is roxuided, the middle rays 

 being rather longer than the others. The caudalis appears truncated ; 

 but by stretching it out as far as po8sil)le, the posterior margin be- 

 comes slightly convex. The front j)art of the base of the analis is 

 protected by a thick encroachment of the scaly integument ; its soft 

 portion resembles that of tho doi-sal in height and form ; the spines 



