PLECTOGNATHES. 



235* 



which do not overlap, and have the appearance of compartments of the 

 skin; the first dorsal has three spines, the first of which is much the 

 longest, and the third very small and placed far back; the extremity of 

 the pelvis is always salient and prickly, and behind it are some spines in- 

 volved in the skin, which, in the long species, have been considered as- 

 rays of ventrals. 



Some of them have no peculiar caudal armature, and of these, again, 

 some have scales behind the gills, which are no larger than the others. 

 Such is a species that inhabits the Mediterranean, the 



B. cajmscus, L.; Salv. 207, and Will. I, 19; Pourc, Pesce 

 halestra, &-c. (The Mediterranean File-Fish). Brownish-grey, 

 spotted with blue, or greenish. Its flesh is not esteemed*. 



Others, with this unarmed tail, have scales behind the gills which are 

 larger than the restf. 



In the greater number, the sides of the tail are armed with a certain 

 number of rows of spines bent forwards, and all those of this division 

 with which we are acquainted have scales behind the gills larger than the 

 others J. 



MoNOCANTIIUS, CuV., 



Have only very small scales, covered with stiff and thickly- set asperities, 

 like the pile on velvet; extrepiity of the pelvis salient and spinous as in 

 the true Balistes, a single large serrated spine in the first dorsal, or at 

 least the second one is almost imperceptible. 



* I suspect the B. macnlatus, Bl. 151, is the same as the caprhcus. I am even 

 inclhied to believe that such is also the case with the B. ktiniva, Lacep. V, xxi, 1. — 

 Add, Bal. slcllarh, Schn., Lacep. 1, \i;—Bal. sufflamen, Mitch. VI, 2;—Bal.jeUaka, 

 Cuv., LamaycUaka, Uussel, I, 22. 



t Bal.forcipatus, Will. I, 22;- Bal. vctiiln, Bl. \5<i;—Bal. jmnctatus, Gm., Will., 

 Aip. 9, f. 4. We might also distinguish the Bat. voir, Lacep. I, xv, vemavkable for 

 its upper lateral teeth, which are prolongt d into canines, and for the great forks of its 

 tail. N.B. The B. niger, Schn., does not differ from the Rmgens;— Bal. fuscus, 

 Schn., or B. Grandes iaclies, Lacep. 1, 373, remarkable for its naked cheeks furnish- 

 ed with rows of tubercles. 



X Species with two or three rows of spines. Bal. lineal us, Schn. 87, llenard, 217, 

 or B. tamouroux, Quoy and Gaym., Voy. Freycin. pi. 47, f. 1 ? Bal. cendre, Lacep. I, 

 xvii, 2, or B. arcualus, Schn., Journ. de Phys., Juiilet, 1774. 



Species with three rows. Hal. uculealus, L., Bl. 119. Lac. I, xvii, 1, Renard, I, 

 23, t. 154, and II, 28, f. UQ;~-Bal. verrucosus, L., 3Ius. Ad. Fred. XXVIl, 57, the 

 same as B. pralin, Lacep. I, 3.'J5, and the B. riridis, Schn. 



■ Species with four or live rows. Bal. echar/e, Lacep. I, xvi, 1, or Bal. rectavguhis, 

 Schn., or Bal. mcdini:la, Quoy and Gaym., Zool. de Freycin. pi. 46, f. 2;— Bal. con- 

 ipicillum, Schn., Renard, I, 15, f. 88, and Lacep. I, xvi, 3, under the improper name 

 of Balisle amcricain — it is from the Indian Ocean; — /J. viridescens, Schn., ovverddtre, 

 Lacep. I, xvi, 3. 



/.Species with f-ix or seven rows. .Ba/. a/mc, Lacep. XVIII, 2. N.B. It is neither 

 the armntus of Schn., nor. as he supposes, his chrysoptenis ; — Bal. ringens, Bl. 152, 

 2, or niger, Schn.. or siUoMie, Lacep. 1, xviii, 1. 



Species vath twelve or fifteen rows. Bal. bursa, Schn.: B. bourse, Lacep. HI, 7, 

 Renard, I, 7, and Sonnerat, Journ. de Phys., 1774. 



Species in which the spines are not very sen.sible, and are reduced to small tuber- 

 cles. Bal. bride, Lacep. I, xv, 3;— Brt/. et:ile, Lacep. I, xv, 1, or B. slellaris, Schn., 

 or Dondrt.m i/ellukah, Russel, XXIII. 



N.B. If the Bali.st.wus of Tile.sins, Mem. Acad. Peter^b. VII, jx, actually 

 want the pelvis, it will form a .Mibgenus immediately after the true Balistes. 



