146 BANDED DIACOPE. 



times the commencement of a fifth, where the 

 yellow begins to shade into the white. 



The D. macolor, described in Duperry's 

 Voyage, is one of the most remarkable for con- 

 trast of colouring ; the upper part of the body is 

 black, but relieved with large white spots, while 

 the sides and belly are of a silvery white, inter- 

 rupted by a black band. It is an inhabitant of 

 the New Guinea seas. 



D. sanguined, Ehrenb. is a species from the 

 Arabian Gulf, of a small size, and entirely of a 

 rich red, so that among the considerable series of 

 species which this genus embraces, we find a 

 colouring equal in brilliancy to any of the Serrani, 

 which are so remarkable for their fine tints. 

 Different shades of red, with yellow and blue, are 

 the prevailing colours ; many of these fish are 

 esteemed as an article of food, and from the large 

 size of some of them, they may at some period 

 yield a more profitable fishing, than, from their 

 limited consumption, they do at present. 



Another series of fishes have been separated 

 from those under the name of Mescprion,* so 

 named from having an arrangement of teeth in 

 the centre of each side of the head in the form of 

 a saw ; they are closely allied to the last named 



* fAie-ev, middle ; */*, a saw. 



