59. arius. 169 



and form a pair of separate triangular patches, each of ^ — \ 

 which is longer than broad, or as long as broad, and not far ^T^T 

 distant from the intermaxillary band. The maxillary bar- C I w 

 bels extend to, or somewhat beyond, the opercle. Crown of 

 the head granulated ; occipital process triangular, rather longer than 

 broad, elevated into a ridge along its middle ; the basal bone 

 of the dorsal spine is small, crescent- shaped. Dorsal spine 

 of moderate strength, granulated in front and serrated 

 behind ; sometimes with a long soft filament ; its length 

 is equal to, or rather more than, that of the head without 

 snout. The soft dorsal is higher than the body . Adipose 

 fin shorter than the dorsal. Pectoral spine stronger and 

 but little shorter than that of the dorsal fin. 

 Chinese Seas. 



a-e. Adult and half-grown. Island of Formosa. From Consul 



Swinhoe's Collection. 

 /. Fourteen inches long: stuffed. China. Presented by J. K. 



Reeves, Esq. 

 (j. Six and a half inches long : stuffed. China. Presented by J. 11. 



Reeves, Esq. — Type of the species. 

 h. Young. Canton. From the Haslar Collection. 

 i. Young. Amoy. From Consul Swinhoe's Collection. 

 k. Seven and a half inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 

 I. Young. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 

 to. Adult. Old Collection. 

 n. Adult : skeleton. Formosa. From Consul Swinhoe's Collection. 



56. Arius macronotacanthus. 



Arius macronotacanthus, Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxi. Silur. Batav. p. 82, 



and Atl. Ichth. Silur. p. 32. tab. 55. 

 Cephalocassis macronotacanthus, Bleek. Prudr. Silur. p. 100. 

 Arms arius, Cant. Mai. Rept. p. 258. 



D. 1/7. A. 18. P. 1/9. 

 The height of the body is two-ninths of the total length (without 

 caudal), the length of the head two-sevenths; head nearly as high 

 as broad, its greatest width being contained once and two-fifths in 

 its length. The diameter of the eye is contained five times and a 

 half in the length of the head, and twice and a half in the width of 

 the interorbital space. The occipital process is triangular, shorter 

 than broad ; the basal bone of the dorsal spine small. Snout less 

 than twice as long as the eye, not projecting beyond the cleft of the 

 mouth. Teeth on the palate obtusely conical or granular, forming 

 two separate elliptic patches, which are as long as the eye, and much 

 divergent behind. The maxillary barbels extend to the middle, the 

 outer ones of the mandible to the base, of the pectoral fin. Lateral 

 line bifurcate at the base of the caudal. The soft dorsal fin is higher 

 than the body, with the spine very strong, especially at the base, as 

 long as the head, and slightly serrated along both edges. Adipose 

 fin shorter than dorsal. The pectorals are two-thirds as long as the 



