234 ERYTHRINUS. 



sents it differently from our description. That author says it 

 is pale red on the back, and light coloured below; but the 

 colour as marked by myself was a darker, or brick red, and 

 only varied by being paler on the belly. 



The extreme length was thirteen inches, and to the end of 

 the middle rays of the tail eleven inches and a half The gape 

 rather small; under jaw slightly longer than the upper. Eye 

 of moderate size. Posterior border of the gill-cover slightly 

 concave at its upper portion. The dorsal fin somewhat elevated 

 at its origin; the first ray lower than the second; this fin lowest 

 at the termination of the spinous rays. Pectoral slender, the 

 fifth ray the longest, reaching opposite the beginning of the 

 anal fin. Ventral long. Lateral line slightly curved, and 

 suddenly bent down as it approaches the tail. The caudal 

 fin more than usually concave. 



Fin rays — dorsal twelve spinous and ten soft, pectoral fifteen, 

 ventral one spinous and five soft, anal three spinous and ten 

 soft, caudal eighteen, besides obsolete rays. 



