16. RHOMBOIBICHTHYS. 437 



tirely covered with small round blue and yellowish spots. A black 

 spot on the lateral line. 

 Japan. Celebes. 



a. Very young. China. Presented by Vice- Admiral SirE.Belcher,C.B. 



b. AduJt : bad state. From Dr. P. v. Bleeker Collection. 



11. Khomboidichtliys assimilis. 



D. 87. A. 63. L. lat. 80. 



The height of the body is rather more than one-half of the total 

 length (with the caudal), the length uf the head two-ninths ; head 

 much higher than long ; anterior profile of the head oblique, some- 

 what concave. Cleft of the mouth narrow, with the lower jaw pro- 

 minent, and with the maxillary extending to below the front margin 

 of the orbit ; snout shorter than the eye, the chameter of which is 

 two-ninths of the length of the head. The maxillary is provided 

 with a small knob sui)eriorly, the edges of the orbits are smooth ; 

 length of the maxillary nearly one-fourth of that of the head. Teeth 

 in the upper jaw in a double, those in the lower in a single series ; 

 jnterorbital space concave, scaly, its -nadth being one-half of the 

 length of the head. Oi 11 -rakers very short, triangulai Vent on 

 the left side. All the scaies smooth ; no spines along the base of the 

 dorsal and anal fins. The longest dorsal rays, which are nearly half 

 as long as the head, are behind the middle of the fin ; the dorsal 

 terminates close by the caudal. The length of the caudal fin is con- 

 tained five times and two-thirds in the total. The upper pectoral 

 rays are elongate. Uniform bro^vn (in spirits). 



Chinese Seas. 

 a. Six inches long. China. Presented by Sir J. Richardson. 



^. Scales of moderate size and deciduous. 



12. Rhomboidichthys grandisquama. 



Rhombus grandisquana, Schleg. Faun. Japon. Poiss. p. 183. pl.92. f. 3 ^ 4. 



D. 76-83. A. 58-62. L. lat. 40. 



The height of the body is a little less than one-half of the total 



length (without caudal). Scales deciduous ; interorbital space scaly, 



concave, its width being equal to the diameter of the orbit in adult 



specimens, but narrower in immature ones. Mouth narrow, the 



length of the maxUlary being equal to the diameter of the eye or to 



two-sevenths of the length of the head. Maxillary provided with a 



more or less pointed knob. Teeth in a single series. The dorsal 



terminates immediately before the root of the caudal. Gill-rakers 



very short, triangular. Uniform whitish (in spirits) ; caudal with a 



pair of black spots on the middle of its length, each spot being close 



to the upper and lower margins. 



Chinese and Japanese Seas. N.W. coast of America, 

 a, h, c, d, e-cj. Adult and haK-grown, China, 

 h. Half-grown: bad state, (iulf of Fonseca. ricscntcd by Sir J. 

 l^ichardson. 



