15, COSSTPHUS. 109 



caudal lobes, especially the upper one, are produced. Red, with a 

 M'hitish-rosecoloured longitudinal band. {Poey.) 

 Cuba. 



14, Cossyphus opercularis. 



Cossyphus opercularis, Guichen. in Giier.-Menev. Rev. Zool. 1847, 

 p. 283 (not Peters). 



9 12 



Snout conical ; head longer than high. Praeoperculum not ser- 

 rated. Caudal rounded. Uniform yellowish (in a dried state) ; a 

 black sj)ot superiorly at the operculum. (GuicJi.) 



Eourbon ? Madagascar ? 



15. Cossyphus unimaculatus. 

 D. 5^. A. :^. L. lat. 36. L. transv. 6/12. 



Snout pointed, its length being more than one-third of that of the 

 head ; head longer than high ; prajoperculum minutely serrated. 

 An oblong deep-black spot on the middle dorsal spines. 



Australia. 



a. Stuffed. Purchased of Mr. Cuming. 



Description of the spemnen. — The greatest depth of the body is 

 above the base of the ventral fins, equal to the length of the head, and 

 contained three times and four-fifths in the total length (taken from 

 the end of the snout to the middle of the caudal margin). The 

 head is compressed, longer than high, the width of the interorbital 

 space being a little more than that of the orbit ; the snout is conically 

 pointed, its length being two-fifths of that of the head ; the max- 

 illary does not extend backwards to the vertical from the orbit. Both 

 jaws are armed with four canine teeth anteriorly, the outer of which 

 are the strongest, though of moderate size"; there are seven rather 

 small teeth on each side of the upper jaw, and fom-teen in the lower ; 

 the posterior canine tooth is of moderate size, obliquely bent out- 

 wards ; the interior of the jaws is not covered by mucous membrane. 



The scales on the cheek and on the interoperculum are small, the 

 former disposed in seven series ; the limbs of the praeoperculum are 

 naked ; the operculum is covered with scales, which are smaller than 

 those on the body. The length of the lower lir^b of the praeoper- 

 culum is two-thirds of that of the posterior, which is minutely ser- 

 rated. The pectoral nn has its margin obliquely rounded, and is 

 more than half as long as the head : the ventral is somewhat longer, 

 its first ray being produced ; its spine is strong, two-fifths of the 

 length of the head. The height of the dorsal fin gradually increases 

 to the seventh soft ray ; its spines are very strong, the last being 

 more than twice as long as the first and equal to the ventral spine. 

 The upper margin of the soft dorsal fin is even, terminating poste- 

 riorly in a point which is not prominent ; the seventh ray is the 

 longest, equal in length to the base of the soft dorsal. The anal 



