148 LABRID^;. 



9. Platyglossus opercularis. 

 D. f-^. A. ^. L. lat. 29. L. transv. ?|. 



The height of the body is contained foui- times and a third in the 

 total length, the length of the head three times and four-fifths. A 

 posterior canine tooth. Dorsal spines of moderate length, pungent. 

 Caudal rounded. Ventral not produced. Colours in sjnrits : Head 

 with a reddish-violet, darker-edged band running from the snout 

 through the lower half of the eye to the operculum ; a silvery band 

 immediately below the first band. A violet spot behind the orbit, 

 and another larger one, edged ivith dark-brown, on the extremity of 

 the opercidum. Lower third of the head whitish. Each scale on 

 the upper half of the body has a blackish-brown margin and is pearl- 

 coloured in the centre ; a series of five pearl-coloured spots on the 

 back along the base of the dorsal, the first spot being below the 

 fourth doi'sal spine ; a second series of similar but less distinct spots 

 below the lateral line ; the lower half of the body is whitish, with 

 two silvery lines on the side of the abdomen, descending obliquely 

 forwards. Base of the pectoral silvery-white ; pectoral transparent, 

 ventral white. Dorsal fin yellowish, with pairs of oblique reddish- 

 violet, darker-edged streaks, the streaks of each pair being confluent 

 towards the base of the fin ; a very small black spot betiveen the two 

 first spines ; a larger black, yellow-edged ocellus between the three first 

 rays, below the margin. Caudal yellowish, wdth the outer half in- 

 distinctly transversely striped ; anal white, with some very indistinct 

 greyish spots along the base. 



Fecjee' Islands. Amboyna. 



a-b. Thirty jines long. Feejee Islands. Voyage of the ' Herald.' 

 c. Four inches long: not good state. Amboyna. Purchased of 

 Mr. Frank. 



10. Platyglossus papilionaceus. 



Julis papilionaceus, Cur. 8f Val. xiii. p. 484. 



Caudal truncated. Blue spots and streaks on the body ; a blue 

 band between the eye and the snout, another on the praeoperculum 

 inferiorly ; a vertical baud descends along the margin of the prae- 

 operculum and crosses the operculum. A dark-blue spot between the 

 third and fourth dorsal spines ; dorsal and anal fins with lilac ocdli ; 

 caudal blackish on the middle of its m-argin. (Val.) 



Vanicolo. 

 « 



11. Platyglossus melanurus. 



Julis melanurus, Blcck. lianda, i. p. 2-'A, and Solar, p. 87. 

 Platyglossus melaniuus, Bieek. Syn. Lahr. p. 11, and Atl. Ichth. p. 109. 

 tab. 46. fig. 1. 



D. ^. A. ^. L. lat. 25. L. transv. % 



The height of the body equals the length of the head and is two- 



